A blood cholesterol test reveals the amount of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglycerides in your bloodstream. A lipid screening also calculates your total cholesterol, based on a formula that combines LDL and HDL cholesterol and a percentage of your triglycerides. Diet affects both your triglyceride and cholesterol levels, but some foods affect one more than the other.
Triglyceride and Cholesterol Numbers
Your triglycerides are low if they measure less than 150 mg/dl (milligrams per deciliter of blood), although the American Heart Association in April 2011 lowered its recommendation for ideal triglyceride levels to 100 mg/dl. Triglyceride levels above 200 mg/dl put you at high risk of heart attack, and levels above 500 mg/dl put you at very high risk. Your LDL, the "bad" cholesterol, should stay below 100 mg/dl or below 70 mg/dl if you face additional risks for heart disease. LDL levels above 160 mg/dl indicate a high risk of cardiovascular problems. Levels above 190 mg/dl put you at very high risk.
Dietary Cholesterol
The amount of saturated fat and trans fat in your diet can elevate both your triglyceride and LDL cholesterol. Too much dietary cholesterol can elevate your LDL cholesterol, and too much sugar or alcohol can raise your triglycerides. If your triglycerides are low but your cholesterol high, this may reflect a diet that includes few sweet treats but too many high-cholesterol foods such as eggs, organ meats and shrimp.
Triglycerides and Diet
Your triglycerides prove more responsive to changes in your diet than your LDL cholesterol. So, if you follow a low-fat, low-sugar diet, your efforts could benefit your triglyceride levels more than your cholesterol levels. Michael Miller, M.D., director of the Center for Preventive Cardiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, said diet alone does not always significantly change cholesterol levels. But you can lower your triglycerides by 20 percent, according to Miller's research, published in the April 2011 edition of "Circulation."
Triglycerides and Exercise
Exercise also affects your triglycerides more positively than it does your cholesterol levels. If you work out regularly, your efforts may show up in your triglyceride levels but not in your levels of LDL cholesterol. Genetics may also play a role in the difference between your LDL and triglyceride levels. Your body may simply produce too much cholesterol. Review your diet and exercise routine with your doctor to see whether additional efforts might lower your cholesterol to heart-healthy levels.
References
- American Heart Association; Diet, Lifestyle Changes Can Significantly Reduce Triglyceride; April 18 2011
- MayoClinic.com; High Cholesterol; June 24 2010
- "Circulation"; Triglycerides and Cardiovascular Disease: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association; Michael Miller, M.D. et al; April 2011
