Lowering triglycerides may be as important to heart health as lowering cholesterol. Although this can happen through medication, lowering triglycerides can also be accomplished through diet. Unfortunately, there seems to be contradicting information between diets on opposite ends of the spectrum, including the low-fat, low-protein diet recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA), and the high-fat, high-protein Atkins diet. Nonetheless, the diet recommended by the AHA, Atkins Diet and the nearly vegetarian Pritikin Diet have all been shown in studies to reduce triglycerides.
American Heart Association Diet
The American Heart Association has specific recommendations on how to lower triglycerides through diet. Possible changes include lowering calorie intake if overweight, reducing saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol, and eating fruits, vegetables and dairy products often. They also recommend reducing alcohol intake, substituting saturated oils with vegetable oils and consuming foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon and tuna, instead of meat.
Atkins Diet
Despite the controversy surrounding the Atkins Diet, research seems to indicate that it can help with lowering triglycerides. In direct contradiction to what the American Heart Association recommends, the Atkins Diet restricts carbohydrate intake and allows for unrestricted amounts of protein and fat intake. A study conducted by the Weight and Eating Disorders Program of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that at one year, participants who followed the Atkins Diet showed greater decreases in triglycerides and cholesterol as compared to those on a high-carbohydrate, low-calorie diet.
Pritikin Diet
The Pritikin Diet is another diet that has been scientifically shown to lower triglycerides. This diet promotes eating a near vegetarian diet, including unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains like brown rice and starchy vegetables. Occasional lean meat and seafood can also be consumed on the diet. The Pritikin Longevity Center followed 4,587 men and women for three weeks and found a 33 percent decrease in triglycerides, along with a 23 percent drop in total cholesterol while on the diet.
