If you have low HDL cholesterol values then it is pretty important that you increase them to maintain your good health.
HDL cholesterol not only helps to keep your LDL cholesterol, otherwise known as the bad cholesterol, under control but it is also thought to help your body fight off inflammation, infection and possibly even certain cancer cells as well.
Knowing how to increase your HDL values does not have to be rocket science either, though some certain things you can do which may first appear somewhat strange, however they are very effective.
So, bearing that in mind how do you increase HDL values?

1. Exercising - For some reason exercise increases HDL values.
   Nobody is 100 percent certain why this works, however it has been well documented and the fact is that it does work.
   And by exercising we are not taking out expensive gym memberships and working out until your fit to drop, basically you can do brisk walking for 30 minutes a day or something similar and this will be enough to increase your HDL values.
   What you will find though is that if you have a sedentary type of lifestyle you will notice a significant jump, however if you already have quite an active lifestyle and then start exercising on top of that there will still be a jump it just will not appear as significant a jump.
   
2. Watch What You Eat - Unfortunately there is a man made fat known as trans fat which plays havoc not only with your HDL levels but also LDL levels too.
   Trans fats are often found in certain chocolates, cookies and ready-made meals and are used to extend the products shelf life.
   Unfortunately, they raise LDL and lower HDL and can have a serious impact on your health.
   So how do you increase HDL values in this scenario? Quite simple really if you are buying food that is in a packet check the label to see if it contains hydrogenated or part hydrogenated vegetable oil or vegetable fats and if it does these are trans fats and your best bet is to put them back on the shelf.
   
3. Eat Oily Fish - Oily fish contain Omega threes which have in them some essential fats which are really good for us, and one of the benefits of them is that they increase HDL values.
   The reason for this is because they reduce triglycerides which are fatty particles in the blood stream; the job of HDL is as well as taking care of LDL it also removes triglycerides from the blood.
   Therefore it stands to reason by taking Omega threes from oily fish which in turn reduce triglyceride levels it is going to mean that you are going to have higher HDL values.
   

Using these three techniques will set you on your way to increasing HDL values, however something that is growing in popularity to assist these techniques is the use of natural supplements.
There are various types of supplements available however the ones that seem to be having the most impact are the ones that use a blend of five or six different nutrients.
The reason that these supplements are working so well is because not only do they increase HDL as well as reducing LDL but they also help the body reduce the amount of cholesterol produced in the first place, as well as increase the amount that is excreted from the body so it does not get absorbed into the bloodstream.