Triglycerides in your bloodstream affect the health of your heart. They can clog your arteries, making it difficult for oxygenated blood to travel to your heart and other vital organs. If you eat a diet high in saturated fat, trans fat and simple carbohydrates, you may push your triglycerides to dangerous levels. If you're overweight, your diet may contain too many triglycerides. Some high-protein weight loss diet may also include high amounts of triglycerides.
Sources of Triglycerides
Animal protein and tropical oils contain saturated fat. Examples of foods high in saturated fat include porterhouse steak, veal, cheese, butter, sour cream, whole milk, coconut and palm oil. Margarine and shortening contain trans fat, an artificial fat created with the conversion of liquid vegetable oil to a solid. Doughnuts, French fries and store-bought cookies may contain high amounts of trans fat. Your body also converts sugar into triglycerides. Regular soda and candy may end up as triglycerides in your bloodstream.
High-Protein, Low-Carbohydrate Diets
High-protein diets such as Atkins and South Beach may contain high levels of triglycerides. Both weight-loss programs focus on limiting carbohydrates rather than protein. Protein doesn't count in your daily totals. You can keep a high-protein diet low in triglycerides if you choose lean protein such as water-packed tuna and halibut, but the weight loss potential of the diets doesn't demand that you stick to such choices. Sausage ranks equally with skinless chicken on a carbohydrate counter. On the other hand, high-protein weight loss diets restrict your intake of sugary foods.
American Diet
The typical American diet, popular for most of the 20th century, contains high amounts of triglycerides. A breakfast of fried eggs, bacon and buttered toast could easily include more than the 16 g of saturated fat than the American Heart Association recommends you consume in an entire day. If you use 1 tbsp. of margarine to cook your eggs, you'll exceed your recommended quota of 2 g of trans fat. Drink three cans of regular soda and you'll reach your weekly -- not daily -- recommended limit of sweetened soft drinks.
Considerations
You should keep your triglycerides below 100 mg/dl -- milligrams per deciliter. Levels above 200 mg/dl put you at high risk for developing cardiovascular disease, and levels above 500 mg/dl put you at very high risk. You can reduce your triglyceride levels by 50 percent through changes in your diet and lifestyle, according to the American Heart Association. The AHA recommends you follow a low-fat, low-sugar diet and include at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise in your near-daily routine.
References
- Mayo Clinic; High Cholesterol; June 24 2010
- American Heart Association; Diet, Lifestyle Changes Can Significantly Reduce Triglyceride; April 18 2011
- Cleveland Clinic; Heart and Vascular Health and Prevention; How Foods Affect Triglycerides
- University of California San Francisco Medical Center; Cholesterol Content of Foods; Feb. 2 2011
