Cholesterol Levels and Cancer

Another reason to get your “good” HDL cholesterol levels up?
High HDLs are associated with a lower risk of cancer.

HDL cholesterol helps protect against heart disease by sweeping away artery-clogging LDL cholesterol. Now new research suggests it’s also linked to lower cancer rates.
For every 10-point boost in your number, your cancer risk decreases by 36 percent, according to a study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. It’s important to note, however, that this doesn’t prove HDL wards off cancer.
It could just be that people with higher HDL levels also have something else going on in their body that buffers against cancer. Still, working to get your HDL up — and your LDL down — is never a bad thing.
Eat heart-healthy fats like flaxseed, olive oil and nuts; walk for at least 30 minutes a day; if you’re overweight, try shedding even a few pounds; and if you smoke, work on quitting.