Triglycerides are a type of fat found in the blood that can increase the risk of heart disease. Triglycerides are necessary to provide energy between meals, but your triglyceride levels may be too high if you consume more calories than you burn, according to the Mayo Clinic. Your physician can tell you if your triglycerides are too high during the same test that checks your cholesterol levels. Normal triglyceride levels are less than 150 mg per deciliter (mg/dL). Borderline high levels are 150 to 199 mg/dL. High levels are 200 to 499 mg/dL, and very high levels are 500 mg/dL or above. High triglyceride levels may lead to hardening of the arteries, which can raise the risk of stroke, heart attack and heart disease. You can't really get rid of triglycerides, but you can lower them to a healthy level.
Step 1
Lose excess pounds if you are overweight. That lowers your triglyceride levels.
Step 2
Reduce your intake of calories, which are converted to triglycerides and stored as fat.
Step 3
Limit cholesterol and saturated fat in the diet. Avoid meats high in fat, egg yolks and whole milk products. Use nonfat or low-fat dairy products as much as possible. Try for no more than 300 mg of cholesterol a day, or less than 200 mg if you have heart disease.
Step 4
Eat fats that are good for you. These include monounsaturated fat found in olive, peanut and canola oils. Add fish high in omega-3 fatty acids to your diet. These include mackerel, salmon, herring and lake trout.
Step 5
Eliminate trans fats found in fried foods, cookies, crackers and snack cakes.
Step 6
Fill yourself with plenty of fruits and vegetables, the American Heart Association advises. This is a great way to satisfy hunger without the fat and unnecessary calories.
Step 7
Avoid alcoholic beverages, which are high in calories and sugar.
Step 8
Exercise at least 30 minutes on most or all days of the week. Exercise helps boost HDL, or good, cholesterol, which flushes away LDL, or bad, cholesterol from the arteries. Activities as simple as brisk walking, swimming laps or climbing stairs can help.
Tips and Warnings
- Ask you doctor about medication if you cannot lower your triglyceride levels through diet and exercise. Cholesterol-lowering medication also helps lower triglycerides. Niacin and fibrates are often prescribed.
- Healthy people and even doctors often ignore triglycerides because many people are only paying attention to LDL cholesterol levels. A report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, reveals that about one-third of American adults have borderline or high triglyceride levels. Always ask about your triglyceride levels along with your cholesterol count when visiting your doctor.
