Triglycerides are often mistaken for cholesterol but they are actually not the same. They are both types of fat, but triglycerides form differently. Calories ingested in a meal and not used immediately by tissues are converted to triglycerides and transported to fat cells to be stored, according to the American Heart Association. Diets to reduce triglycerides have specific features.
Significance
When your triglyceride levels become elevated, you are at risk for health complications. Too much of this type of fat can contribute to the hardening and narrowing of your arteries and increase your risk of having a heart attack or stroke, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Size
Having excess weight is a major contributor to elevated triglyceride levels being that triglycerides get stored in fat cells. If you're overweight, losing 5 to 10 lbs. can help lower your triglycerides, according to the Mayo Clinic's website. The best way to do this is to find your daily intake and make a daily caloric deficit. If you were to cut your daily calories by 500, you can lose 1 lb. every week.
Features
When you have high triglycerides, you need to make a number of sacrifices when it comes to what foods you consume. Anything that is high in cholesterol, saturated fat and trans fat needs to be restricted. This includes foods like bacon, sausage, whole-fat dairy products, burgers and wings. Foods that contain hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils also need to be limited. These ingredients are easy to find by simply referring to ingredient labels. Carbohydrates are another concern with triglycerides. Complex carbs are fine, but simple carbs are the ones that need to be restricted. These are the types made with white flour or sugar.
Alcohol
The common rule is that moderate amounts of alcohol can be beneficial to the body. This may be the case, but not with a triglyceride-lowering diet. Even small amounts of alcohol can lead to large changes in plasma triglyceride levels, according to the American Heart Association. A moderate amount is considered one to two beverages a day.
Potential
Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy types of fat known as polyunsaturated fat that are often added to a triglyceride-lowering diet. They are found in cold water fish like salmon, mackerel, halibut, albacore tuna and herring. Inuit Eskimos, who get high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids from eating fatty fish, tend to have increased HDL cholesterol and decreased triglycerides, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The acronym "HDL" stands for high-density lipoprotein which is the good cholesterol.
Considerations
If you are following a triglyceride-lowering diet, take exercise into consideration as well. Regular physical activity can help raise HDL levels and lower LDL levels, and is especially important for those with raised triglyceride or reduced HDL levels who are overweight, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. Aim for at least 30 minutes of daily exercise and do something you enjoy like brisk walking, strength training, elliptical training, stair climbing or kickboxing.
