Triglycerides prove very responsive to foods and drinks in your diet. Your triglycerides may rise dramatically after a fatty meal and return to normal levels after fasting. If you habitually include too much fat, sugar and alcohol in your diet, your triglycerides may remain elevated. Removing alcohol from your diet will help lower your triglycerides.
Triglyceride Levels
The American Heart Association says you can lower your triglycerides by 50 percent through changes in your diet and lifestyle. The AHA recommends you drink no more than one or two drinks a day if you want to lower your triglycerides. If your triglycerides measure more than 500 mg/dL, you at very high risk of heart attack, and may want to avoid alcohol altogether. Aim to reduce your triglycerides to below 150 mg/dL; 100 mg/dL or less is ideal, says the AHA.
Additional Factors
If you quit drinking alcohol, the rate at which your triglycerides go down depends on a number of factors, including how much alcohol you currently consume daily, what kinds of foods you eat, how much you weigh and how much you exercise. Alcohol contributes to your triglyceride levels, but improving your heart health may demand additional change. If, for instance, you give up beer but continue a daily burger-and-fries habit, your triglycerides may not go down as quickly or as far as you wish.
American Heart Association Guidelines
The AHA says you can reduce your triglycerides by 20 percent if you make these changes to your diet: Limit consumption of saturated fat to 16 g a day, limit intake of trans fat to 2 g a day, limit calories from foods with added sugar to 100 to 150 a day and limit the amount of fructose in your daily diet to 50 to 100 g. To reduce saturated fat, choose lean sources of protein such as halibut, skinless chicken, salmon and ham and opt for low-fat and non-fat dairy instead of whole milk products. To reduce trans fat, avoid margarine and shortening and products that may contain them, including commercial baked goods and fast food fries. To reduce sugar calories, replace regular soda with water or diet drinks. Limit your consumption of dried fruit and avoid processed foods that contain high fructose corn syrup.
Exercise
You can lower your triglycerides another 20 to 30 percent if you exercise on a near-daily basis. Include at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise in your weekly routine. Brisk walking counts as moderate exercise. Other activities to consider include cycling, swimming, tennis, dancing and aerobics. If you like to socialize while you exercise, join a class or include friends and family members in your activities.
References
- MayoClinic.com; 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
- MayoClinic.com; Healthy Diet: End the Guesswork With These Nutrition Guidelines; February 2011
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