Triglycerides, a type of fat, occur naturally in a lot of foods. Foods high in saturated fat or trans fat -- meat and margarine, for instance -- contain triglycerides. Eating such foods may elevate your triglycerides. Your body also makes triglycerides from some items in your diet, especially sugar and alcohol.
Limit Consumption
If you drink alcohol and want to avoid elevations in your triglycerides, limit your consumption. The American Heart Association recommends that women drink no more than one alcoholic beverage a day. Men older than 50 should also limit alcohol consumption to one drink a day. Men younger than 50 should limit consumption to two alcoholic beverages per day. A serving of alcohol equals 12 oz. of beer, 4 oz. of wine, 1.5 oz. of 80-proof liquor or 1 oz. of 100-proof liquor.
Weight Gain
Alcohol provides mostly empty calories. Even if you keep to the recommended limit of one or two drinks a day, a regular drinking habit could lead to weight gain. Two 12 oz. servings of beer, for instance, contain about 300 calories. If you drank two beers a day, you could gain 1 lb. every 12 days, based on the formula that 3,500 calories equals 1 lb. If you weigh more than you should, this may elevate your triglycerides as well as your low-density lipoprotein -- LDL or "bad" cholesterol. Carrying excess weight may also lower your protective high-density lipoprotein, also known as HDL or "good" cholesterol.
Heart Health
Although drinking more than modest amounts of alcohol will elevate your triglycerides, drinking moderate amounts may provide health benefits. Drinking one or two servings of alcohol daily may elevate your HDL cholesterol levels. Your HDL cholesterol pulls harmful triglycerides and LDL cholesterol out of your arteries and ships them off to your liver for disposal. Small amounts of alcohol may also help prevent blood clots and reduce damage to your arteries caused by the accumulation of LDL cholesterol. If you drink red wine, it contains an antioxidant called resveratrol that may lower LDL cholesterol.
Considerations
Aim to keep your triglycerides below 150 mg/dL -- milligrams per deciliter of blood. Levels above 200 mg/dL put you at high risk for heart attacks and strokes, and levels that top 500 mg/dL put you at very high risk. If your triglycerides or other factors -- genetics, age, or diseases such as diabetes or high blood pressure, for instance -- put you at high risk for developing cardiovascular disease, talk to you doctor about the amounts of alcohol you can safely consume. To avoid elevating your triglycerides, also limit the amount of saturated fat, trans fat and sugar in your diet.
References
- MayoClinic.com; High Cholesterol -- Tests and Diagnosis; June 24, 2010
- "Circulation"; Triglycerides and Cardiovascular Disease A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association; Michael Miller, et al.; April 18, 2011
- MayoClinic.com; Red Wine and Resveratrol: Good for Your Heart?; March 4, 2011
- American Heart Association: Alcohol and Cardiovascular Disease
- College Drinking -- Changing the Culture: Alcohol Calorie Counter
- MayoClinic.com; High Cholesterol -- Risk Factors; June 24, 2010
