Triglycerides are different from cholesterol, but keeping both under control is important for managing heart health. Cholesterol is made by the liver and is found in animal food substances. Triglycerides, on the other hand, are fats consumed in your diet. Depending on the blood level, triglyceride control may include a change in diet, medication or both to reduce your chances for serious medical conditions.
What Are Triglycerides?
Triglycerides are a type of fat or lipid found in your blood made from the food you eat. When you eat more calories than you expend, your body converts the excess calories into triglycerides, which are stored in your fat cells. Triglycerides are also made in the body from carbohydrates. Triglycerides are released from storage in the fat tissues by hormones to respond to the need for energy. Triglycerides and cholesterol are present in blood plasma and make up the plasma lipid profile for laboratory readings of high blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Are Triglycerides Harmful?
Hypertriglyceridemia, or elevated triglyceride blood levels, is linked to atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, according to MayoClinic.com. High triglycerides can increase the risk of coronary artery disease, such as stroke, heart disease and heart attack. Elevated triglycerides may indicate the presence of other conditions, such as obesity, uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes, liver disease, low thyroid hormones or kidney disease. It can be a side effect of some medications, such as steroids, beta blockers, diuretics and birth control pills.
What Is a Normal Triglyceride Level?
Preparation for a triglyceride blood level test includes fasting for eight to 12 hours prior to having your blood drawn. Your doctor may instruct you to stop certain medicines or consuming any alcohol prior to the test. Make sure your doctor knows all the medications you take, including over-the-counter and herb supplements, as many of these can affect the results.
Triglyceride levels, as reported by MedlinePlus, are broken down as follows: normal triglyceride blood levels, less than 150 mg/dL; borderline high, 150 to 199 mg/dL; high, between 200 and 499 mg/dL; and very high, any reading 500 mg/dL or higher.
Foods and Triglycerides
Foods high in simple sugars contribute to elevated triglyceride levels. The Cleveland Clinic offers guidelines to reduce the amount of simple sugar in your diet as follows: Choose sugar-free or diet beverages over regular colas, tea or fruit drinks; use sugar substitutes instead of regular sugar and brown sugar; choose "no sugar added" preserves or jellies; have whole fruit instead of fruit-flavored treats; select cereals with 8 g or less of sugar per serving; and limit your daily sugar intake to 8 percent or less of your total daily calories.
Other foods that are converted to sugar in the body include cereals, pasta, highly-refined breads and rice. To limit refined grains, read the labels carefully and avoid foods with the words "bleached" or "enriched" in the first ingredient listed.
Foods found to help lower triglycerides include those with omega-3 fats, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, tilapia, walnuts, canola oil and soy.
