Triglycerides are a class of molecules that your body uses to store the excess calorie content of your food. When present in significant amounts in your bloodstream, they can potentially raise your risks for the development of coronary artery disease. Consumption of alcohol can trigger substantial increases in your blood triglyceride levels.
Triglyceride Basics
Most of the fat in your body exists in triglyceride form, according to the American Heart Association. When you consume calories in excess of your current needs, the remainder is transformed into triglycerides and carried to your fat cells. If you need energy between meals, certain hormones in your body release these triglycerides for use in your bloodstream. If you habitually eat more calories than you require, you can build up a potentially dangerous excess of blood triglycerides. This is especially true if you consume excessive amounts of fats and/or carbohydrates.
Alcohol Basics
Alcohol is created by fermenting mixtures or grains, fruits or vegetables, according to the Nemours Foundation's TeensHealth. During fermentation, bacteria or yeast convert the sugar content of the source material and create alcohol's basic intoxicating properties. Once you drink alcohol, it enters your bloodstream and eventually permeates almost all of the tissues in your body. Alcohol is high in both overall calories and sugar, the Mayo Clinic reports.
Alcohol's Triglyceride Effects
When you drink even a small amount of alcohol, its sugar and carbohydrate content trigger significant increases in your blood triglyceride levels, according to the Mayo Clinic. Depending on your triglyceride levels prior to consuming alcohol, these increases can have a considerable impact on your triglyceride health. When measured in a blood test, borderline high triglyceride levels fall between 150 and 199 mg/dL. High levels fall between 200 and 499 mg/dL, while very high levels start at 500 mg/dL.
Lowering Triglycerides
You can lower your triglyceride risks by substantially reducing your alcohol consumption, the American Heart Association reports. Additional lifestyle changes associated with triglyceride reduction include calorie reduction in overweight individuals, regular participation in moderate-intensity physical activities, substitution of poly- and monounsaturated dietary fats for saturated fats, consumption of a diet high in fruits and vegetables and reduced intake of carbohydrates and trans fats. Consult your doctor to learn more about the benefits of lowering alcohol consumption and reducing triglyceride levels.
Considerations
Doctors do not know precisely why or how high triglyceride levels endanger your health, the Mayo Clinic notes. However, in many cases, individuals with high triglycerides have other known health risks, including obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood glucose and concentration of body fat around the abdomen or waist. When these conditions occur simultaneously in one individual, they constitute an additional health risk known as metabolic syndrome.
