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It's well known that having high good-type HDL (high-density lipoprotein) blood cholesterol protects you against heart disease. A recent study of 3,673 older people by Inserm, the French version of our National Institutes of Health, makes clear that high HDL can also save your brain. Archana Singh-Manoux, PhD, and colleagues compared blood levels of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides with memory test scores in participants (average age fifty-five) at the beginning of the study and six years later. During those years, people with low IIDL cholesterol (under 40 mg/dL) developed memory deficits at a 27 to 53 percent higher rate than those with high HDL (over 60 mg/dL). Further, short-term memory declined 60 percent faster in people with low HDL. Short-term memory loss is one of the early signs of Alzheimer's.

Why higher I IDL helps you hang on lo your memory is unclear. Researchers think it may block the creation of toxic beta-amyloid, the sticky stuff that destroys brain cells, and/or act as an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant to lessen brain damage. Some research ties high HDL cholesterol levels to improved overall cognition, a lifetime free of dementia, and greater longevity. High HDL also boosts your odds of avoiding a stroke and of fully recovering if you suffer a mild or moderate one. High IIDLs are especially brain protective in women before and after age sixty-five, according to a major joint Swedish-American study. Women with high HDLs had better verbal ability that declined less than women with low HDLs. Incidentally, women of all ages with lower triglycerides, another type of blood fat, had dramatically better verbal and memory abilities than women with high triglycerides.

What to do? HDL cholesterol is strongly controlled by your genes, but you should try to raise it, especially if it is under 40 mg/dL. Men typically have lower HDL than women. Experts at Harvard suggest ways to ramp up IIDL: exercise: drink moderate amounts of alcohol, lose weight; avoid trans fats, shown to lower HDL; eat nuts; and follow the DASH diet or the Mediterranean diet. It's also a good idea to go easy on colas. In a large Norwegian study, the more colas people of all ages drank, including diet colas, the lower their HDL.

Cut back on sugar. Excess sugar, especially in processed foods, may lower good HDLs, say Emory University researchers. You may want to ask your doctor about high doses of niacin, known to boost HDL; 1,000 to 2,000 mg a day can increase HDL by 20 to 30 percent. Niacin is sometimes prescribed along with a statin or mixed with a statin to both lower LDL and raise HDL. Important: Don't risk taking high-dose niacin without medical supervision. It can cause temporary but intolerable flushing and long-term adverse effects, including gout attacks, blood-sugar elevation, and liver and muscle damage.