Diabetic with Low Cholesterol: How to Increase HDL and LDL Safely?

Ans: To reduce cholesterol, the diet should be rich in fiber as it acts as a scavenger to remove accumulated cholesterol in the blood vessels. Thus include fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains in your daily diet. Inclusion of fish can be beneficial, as they contain omega 3 fatty acids that help in lowering LDL. Concentrated foods like sweets, chocolate cakes, pastries, ice creams and fried foods should be avoided. Animal foods, should be restricted in quantity. Whole milk products can be replaced with skimmed ones. For protein sources, paneer/eggs whites/chicken and fish can be taken. Follow regular exercise regimen to increase your metabolism and lose fat mass.

Ans: - Shift from Refined oil to Cold-pressed or filter oil
- Restrict fruit to 1 fruit/day
- Include protein with every meal
- check ur vitamin D levels and supplement if ur deficient
- Avoid Processed and packaged foods
- Avoid refined flour products like bread, biscuit, khari&rusk
- More home cooked meals

Ans: HDL increase happens through Physical activity
Low LDL is good
You need to look at your diet if there are no gh quality fat like Oil seeds
Like Sunflower seeds, Pumpkin seeds and, Flax seeds
Make sure you have complex Carbohydrate sourced through Millet and no refined Carbohydrates like Maida, polished rice etc

Ans: Total cholesterol in this range is okay. However, it will be important for me to know what are the levels of HDL, LDL, VLDL and that would help me determine the next course of action.

In any case, reducing the free sugars and increasing the fruits and vegetables in your diet and increased physical activity would help.


Dr Chandrakant Lahariya
Centre for Health: The Specialty Practice
Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi