Triglycerides are a type of fat found in foods and in the body. Elevated levels may increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. Like many other risk factors for this condition, lifestyle choices -- diet in particular -- factor heavily into managing this problem. Although people are always on the lookout for those one or two magic foods they can add to their diet to make their health problems disappear, lowering triglycerides through nutrition involves making several changes to your overall eating habits that are often recommended for promoting overall health.
Controlling Carbohydrates
Of all the nutrients you take in, carbohydrates make the biggest impact on triglyceride levels. When you consume foods or drinks that cause large spikes in insulin, your body goes into fat-storing mode and turns some of these carbohydrates into fat, in the form of triglycerides. Refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and white rice, and simple sugars, such as those found in soda and sweet treats, are the biggest culprits. The Cleveland Clinic also recommends limiting natural sugars by opting for whole fruit instead of fruit juices and dried fruits and limiting serving sizes of potatoes and other starchy vegetables.
Carbohydrates that promote steadier releases of insulin include fiber-rich whole grains, nonstarchy vegetables such as leafy greens, legumes, beans and fruits. Nutritionist Gay Riley, in an interview on the website Track Your Plaque, recommends using the glycemic index -- which ranks foods on how quickly they raise blood sugar – as a guide in choosing the right carbohydrates and recommends choosing foods ranked 50 or lower. She recommends keeping carbohydrate intake to about 50 percent of your daily calories if you have high triglycerides. Talk to your doctor about the specifics of your diet.
Choosing the Right Fats
When it comes to fats in the diet, the changes you need to make are no big revelation. Cut back on saturated fats found in animal products, and do your best to completely eliminate trans fats; the latter is present in any packaged food that has hydrogenated oils. Other common sources include fried foods, fast foods and baked goods such as pastries.
Omega-3 fatty acids help lower triglyceride levels. Good sources include cold-water fish such as salmon, walnuts and flaxseed. Omega-3 fatty acids have become a popular supplement in recent years, but you should talk to your doctor before using supplements as they might carry certain risks.
Considerations for Alcohol Intake
Severely restricting alcohol has always ranked among the dietary strategies for reducing elevated triglyceride levels, but research does not fully support that contention, according to an article published in the May 2007 issue of'' DOC News,'' a publication of the American Diabetes Association. Marion J. Franz, who wrote the article, reports that several large-scale population studies have found that moderate drinkers -- about two to four drinks a day -- tend to have lower triglyceride levels than nondrinkers or heavy drinkers. The key is moderation, however, as drinking large amounts of alcohol was associated with an increase.
"Harvard Heart Letter" reports that the effect of alcohol on triglycerides might be an individual response with some people being affected and some not. To determine whether alcohol affects your condition, it recommends cutting alcohol out completely for three weeks and then testing your triglyceride levels. Your doctor can offer guidance on this issue.
Other Considerations
The Cleveland Clinic reports that avoiding late-night snacking and eating smaller meals more frequently, rather than three large ones, might help lower triglycerides. Regardless of what you eat, the amount you eat factors in as well as your body will store excess calories as triglycerides to use for energy at a later date. Calorie needs vary among individuals, depending on age, activity level and various other factors -- a doctor or dietitian can offer guidance on how many calories you should eat a day.
References
- Track Your Plaque: A Nutritional Approach to Triglycerides: An Interview with Track Your Plaque Expert Nutritionist Gay Riley
- Cleveland Clinic: How Foods Affect Triglycerides
- Harvard Health Publications; Tackling Triglycerides: 8 Ways to Solve a Big Fat Problem; February 2008
- "DOC News"; Does Alcohol Improve Triglyceride Levels?; Marion J. Franz; May 2007
