Special Nutrition


HDL Cholesterol

Aggravating diet-related factors:

  • A high carbohydrate diet, especially if high in simple carbohydrates and very low in fat
  • High intake of trans fatty acids (>7% of total energy)

The following are some strategies to try and increase your HDL-cholesterol levels:

Dietary Treatment Summary

  • Increase intake of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats
  • Increase intake of foods high in soluble fibre ie. Some fruits and vegetables and some cereals (oats, barley)

How to increase the intake of Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated fat:

  • Use oils such as olive, almond, canola, sunflower
  • Snack on a few nuts such as hazelnuts and almonds
  • Add seeds to salads
  • Add avocado to your meals every so often
  • Incorporate fish such as tuna and salmon into your meals 1-3 times per week

How to increase your intake of soluble fibre

  • Try incorporating dried beans and legumes into meals
  • Try using oat bran in foods such as muffins

Alcohol

Alcohol can have both positive and negative effects on health. The protective effect of alcohol seems to come from raising HDL cholesterol levels and decreasing the tendency for blood to clot.

A moderate intake of alcohol has been shown to be protective against coronary heart disease. The amount needed to gain this protection is very small (about one standard drink per week). Intakes above 3 standard drinks per day for males and 2 standard drinks per day for females are not recommended. (A standard drink is defined as 1 can of beer, 1 glass of wine, or one nip of spirits).

Please note

You can get too much of a good thing,

  • These findings do not constitute a recommendation for people who do not currently drink to start drinking. There is no evidence that this will improve their health and may indeed damage it.
  • People who are currently drinking more than is recommended should be encouraged to reduce their intake to the recommended levels.
  • The protective effect is mainly for middle-aged and older men and older women because this group is at higher risk of heart disease.
  • Binge drinking tends to cause the negative consequences of alcohol and it is uncertain whether it causes any of the protective effects.
  • Alcohol may worsen medical conditions, especially liver disease, pancreatic disease and some forms of heart disease.
  • Alcohol can cause heart problems such as raised blood pressure, heart muscle damage, rhythm disturbances and increased levels of fat (triglyceride) in the blood.