Your diet affects your triglycerides, a type of fat that can clog your arteries and increase your risk for heart attack and stroke. Some foods naturally contain triglycerides -- meat and dairy products, for instance -- and your body makes triglycerides from some substances, especially sugar and alcohol. You can safely drink fruit juice on a triglyceride-friendly diet, but watch your intake. Fruit juice counts toward your daily recommendations for fructose, carbohydrates and calories.
Triglyceride-Friendly Guidelines
The American Heart Association says you can lower your triglycerides by 20 percent if you follow a low-fat, low-sugar diet that also moderates alcohol consumption. The diet limits saturated fat to 16 g a day and trans fat to 2 g a day. It restricts calories from added sugar to 5 percent to 10 percent of your daily total -- about 100 to 200 calories, based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet. AHA also recommends limiting fructose, a type of sugar found in fruit and fruit juices, to 50 g to 100 g daily. Men younger than 50 should drink no more than two alcoholic beverages a day. Women and older men should limit themselves to one serving of alcohol. For an additional 20 percent to 30 percent reduction in triglycerides, include at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise, such as brisk walking, in your weekly routine.
Fructose and Triglycerides
Fruit juice may elevate your triglycerides if you drink more than several glasses a day. A cup of unsweetened pineapple juice, for instance, contains 132 calories, 32 g of carbohydrate, 0.9 g of protein and 0.3 g of fat. One cup of pineapple juice includes 25 g of sugar -- about 9.5 g from fructose. One cup of apple juice comes with 118 calories, 28 g of carbohydrates, 0.25 g of protein and 0.3 g of fat. It provides 24 g of sugar, including 14 g of fructose. If you consumed no other fructose during the day, you could drink 5 to 11 cups of pineapple juice or 3 to 6 cups of apple juice without exceeding the AHA guidelines for fructose consumption.
Carbohydrates and Triglycerides
A healthy diet derives 45 percent to 65 percent of its calories from carbohydrates. Based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, this amounts to about 225 g to 325 g of carbohydrates. If you do not want to elevate your triglycerides, AHA recommends capping carbohydrates at 60 percent of your calories -- 300 g. The carbohydrates in juice count toward your daily total. A cup of pineapple or apple juice provides about 10 percent of your daily carbohydrate limit. Other sources of healthy carbohydrates that count toward your daily total include fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, beans and low-fat dairy. Limit your intake of refined carbohydrates, including regular soda and commercial baked goods.
Fiber
Although you can comfortably drink fruit juice without elevating your triglycerides, whole fruit makes a better choice than fruit juice. Fiber may help reduce your low density lipoproteins -- the LDL or "bad" cholesterol -- as well as reduce your blood pressure and blood glucose levels. It may also help you lose weight. A medium apple with skin provides 4.4 g of fiber, while a cup of apple juice contains 0.5 g. Examples of whole fruits with high fiber contents include raspberries, pears with skin, bananas and oranges.
References
- "Circulation"; Triglycerides and Cardiovascular Disease: a Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association; Michael Miller, et al.; April 18, 2011
- United States Department of Agriculture Nutrient Database
- MayoClinic.com; Healthy Diet: End the Guesswork With These Nutrition Guidelines; Feb. 22, 2011
- MayoClinic.com; Nutrition and Healthy Eating -- High-Fiber Foods; Nov. 19, 2009
- MayoClinic.com; Nutrition and Healthy Eating -- Dietary Fiber: Essential for a Healthy Diet; Nov. 17, 2009
