Triglycerides are the most common type of stored fat in the body. When you take in more calories than you use, your body converts the excess to triglycerides and carries them to cells for storage until they're needed for energy. Elevated triglyceride levels, called hypertriglyceridemia, may increase the risk of developing atherosclerosis, which increases the risk of heart disease. Although it sounds contradictory, consuming unsaturated fats, including polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, can help to lower triglyceride levels.
Fat Types
Different types of fat are defined by the amount of hydrogen they can add. Saturated fats are "full" of hydrogen; they have no room for additional hydrogen molecules. Monounsaturated fats have room for one more hydrogen molecule, while polyunsaturated fats have room for many more hydrogen molecules. Trans fats are found in small quantities in animals, but most trans fats are man-made by adding hydrogen to vegetable oil under pressure, creating a harder, stiffer form of fat. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat reduce blood levels of triglycerides while trans fats and saturated fats raise them.
Sources
One of the most beneficial types of polyunsaturated fats for reducing triglyceride levels comes from fish oil. Fish oil contains two omega-3 fatty acids that the body can't manufacture, DHA and EPA; they need to come from food. A prescription form of fish oil called Lovaza, which contains 375 mg of DHA and 465 mg of EPA in a 1 g capsule, lowers triglyceride levels by 20 to 50 percent, according to MedlinePlus. The suggested dose for high triglycerides is between 1 g and 4 g of fish oil daily if you take supplements, but follow your own doctor's guidelines, as fish oil can have side effects. Foods high in polyunsaturated fats include mackerel, salmon and other large, cold-water fatty fish, as well as sunflower, soybean, corn and safflower oil and some nuts and seeds.
Benefits
In addition to lowering triglyceride levels, polyunsaturated fats also lower low-density lipoproteins, the "bad" cholesterol. Polyunsaturated fats can also raise high-density lipoprotein, the "good" fats, which remove LDL from the bloodstream and from plaque deposits and carry it back to the liver.
Caveats
Like all fats, polyunsaturated fats contain 9 calories per g, meaning that they're a high source of calories compared to protein and carbohydrates, which contain 4 calories per g. Although they have health benefits, polyunsaturated fats can't be eaten in unlimited quantities without weight gain. Weight gain will, in turn, raise triglyceride levels.
References
- University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point:Fats
- American Heart Association: Polyunsaturated Fats
- Mayo Clinic: Triglycerides: Why Do They Matter?
- MedlinePlus:Fish Oil
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Trans Fats
- European Food Information Council: What Causes More Weight Gain -- Fat, Calories, or Sugar?
