Use of alcohol in moderation to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease is a hot topic of debate. According to the American Heart Association, some research supports minimal use of daily alcohol to improve your cholesterol levels, a risk factor in the development of heart disease. However, research also indicates that use of even small amounts of alcohol can increase your triglyceride levels, which is linked to increasing your risk to heart disease. Alcohol does impact your triglyceride serum levels, but to what extent per the individual remains a mystery.
About Triglycerides
Triglycerides are fats in your blood that insulate cell membranes and serve as stored energy from excess calories you consume. The body converts the calories that are not used immediately into triglycerides that are then stored in your fat cells. In between meals, your body may signal certain hormones to release the stored triglycerides for energy but this is not the case if you consistently consume more calories than your body needs. Over time, triglycerides accumulate in your arteries leading to plaque buildup and narrowing of the arterial walls. Thickening of the artery walls, or atherosclerosis, results in stroke, heart attack or other forms of heart disease.
Alcohol Raises Triglycerides
Alcohol beverages are generally high in calories and sugar that impact your triglyceride levels. Your liver aids in metabolizing nutrients you consume from foods and beverages, but alcohol limits the way this process occurs in your liver. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, your liver is unable to oxidize, or convert, nutrient compounds correctly resulting in the transformation of fatty acids into stored triglycerides. This is not only harmful to your arteries but also leads to accumulation of fat in your liver, a precursor to liver disease.
High in Sugar, Low in Nutrients
Alcohol contains simple sugars, which means empty calories with no nutritive value. Alcohol alone has approximately 7 calories per gram and this does not include any mixers you add to your beverage. These empty-sugar calories mean more fat, or triglycerides, in your blood. Alcohol is not a good choice if you are trying to keep your triglycerides low and if you are trying to manage your weight. If you are generally healthy, limit your alcohol consumption to prevent an increase in triglycerides but if you have diabetes, existing high cholesterol or a heart condition, avoid alcohol use altogether, notes the American Heart Association.
Healthy Triglyceride Levels
Healthy lifestyle habits including a nutritious and well-balanced diet, daily exercise and minimal use of alcohol improves your chances of maintaining normal triglyceride levels. According to the Cleveland Clinic, a healthy triglyceride level is measured as 150 mg per dL of blood or less. Consult your physician to test your triglyceride levels and determine what changes you need to make in order to improve your health. Although use of alcohol in moderation is delineated as no more than two beverages per day for men or one per day for women, this does not mean you are safe from high triglycerides from alcohol consumption within these guidelines.
References
- American Heart Association: Triglycerides
- Cleveland Clinic: How Foods Affect Triglycerides
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism: Mechanisms of Alcoholic and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver
- MayoClinic.com: Triglycerides; Why Do They Matter?: Mayo Clinic Staff; June 17, 2010
- American Heart Association: Alcohol, Wine and Cardiovascular Disease
