Triglycerides are the chemical storage form of fat in your body and the food you eat. Because they are fats, triglycerides cannot dissolve in your blood and instead circulate throughout your bloodstream. Normal triglyceride levels are less than 150 mg/dL. If your triglycerides accumulate above this number, you have high triglycerides.
Implications
High triglycerides contribute to the thickening and hardening of the arteries, a condition called atherosclerosis. When you develop atherosclerosis, your arteries become less flexible, which can hinder blood flow. If blood flow is disrupted significantly, it can lead to heart disease, heart attack and stroke. In order to reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease, you should take steps to lower your high triglycerides.
Diet
When you eat extra calories, your body converts them to triglycerides and stores them as fat for later use. Reducing your calorie intake can help prevent the accumulation of triglycerides. Eating saturated and trans fats can also increase your triglyceride levels. Eliminating these types of fats and replacing them with unsaturated fats, like olive oil and avocados, can help lower your triglyceride levels. You should also limit your dietary cholesterol to no more than 300 mg per day. Egg yolks, meat and full-fat dairy provide the most dietary cholesterol, so you should limit them.
Exercise
Exercise helps you burn excess calories and promotes weight loss. Since extra calories are converted to triglycerides, burning them quickly can help lower your triglycerides. Weight loss also helps lower your triglycerides. You should try to exercise for at least 30 minutes on most days of the week. Choosing exercises that you enjoy can help you stick to your routine and avoid boredom.
Lifestyle
Limiting your alcohol intake is an important step in lowering your triglycerides. Alcohol directly contributes to high triglyceride levels and provides a vast amount of empty calories. Consuming too many calories can lead to weight gain and increased triglyceride levels. When trying to lower triglycerides, men should limit alcohol intake to no more than 2 drinks per day, and women should consume no more than 1 drink per day. Although it does not directly raise triglycerides, smoking can promote atherosclerosis, which can increase your risk of heart disease. If you have high triglycerides, you should quit smoking.
Considerations
For many people, making a number of diet and lifestyle changes and increasing amount of exercise is sufficient to lower triglyceride levels. If these changes do not work for you, your doctor may prescribe medication that can lower your blood triglycerides. It is important to remember that medications are not a substitute for healthy living, however.
References
- American Heart Association: Triglycerides
- MayoClinic.com: Triglycerides: Why do they matter?
- "Nutrition and You"; Joan Salge Blake; 2008
