How you can lower your triglycerides
If you lead a healthy lifestyle, pay attention to your diet, or monitor your cholesterol and blood pressure levels, you’ve probably heard of triglycerides and why they are important for a healthy heart. If you haven’t heard of triglycerides yet, we’d like to explain in this article what you should know about them, what to do if your levels are too high, and why it’s advisable to regularly check your triglyceride levels with a cholesterol test from Homed-IQ.
Table of Contents
- What are triglycerides?
- What causes high triglycerides?
- Why are high triglycerides important?
- What is considered a normal triglyceride level?
- How to lower your triglycerides
What are triglycerides?
Triglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood. As you may know, your body converts calories it doesn’t need into triglycerides and stores them in your fat cells. Throughout the day, your body accesses these fat stores and releases the triglycerides between meals to use for energy. Therefore, a certain amount of fat is healthy and important. The problem begins when you take in more calories than your body regularly burns. This can lead to hypertriglyceridemia—i.e., high triglycerides.
What causes high triglycerides?
Factors that can raise your triglyceride levels include:
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Poorly controlled type 2 diabetes
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Smoking
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Alcohol
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Genetic disorders
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Overweight
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Eating too much sugar
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Consistently consuming more calories than you burn
Why are high triglycerides important?
This question might suggest that high triglycerides are a good thing—but they’re not. High triglycerides can be an indicator of other conditions that increase the risk of stroke or heart disease, such as obesity or metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess fat around the waist, high triglycerides, and abnormal cholesterol levels. Furthermore, high triglycerides can also be a sign of other conditions:
What is considered a normal triglyceride level?
Now that we understand why high triglycerides are important and can be a warning sign for your health, you might be wondering what counts as a normal triglyceride level. Below is a small table with an overview of what triglyceride levels are considered normal, borderline, high, and very high.
| Category | Level |
|---|---|
| Normal | < 150 mg/dL |
| Borderline | 150 – 199 mg/dL |
| High | 200 – 499 mg/dL |
| Very high | 500 and above |
Note: mg = milligram; dL = deciliter
How to lower your triglycerides
Have you just learned that you have high triglycerides and are wondering what you can do to lower your levels? The key factor that has the greatest impact on lowering your triglycerides is a healthy lifestyle. It’s important to note that a combination of several factors is needed to tackle high triglycerides. So regular exercise alone is not enough if your diet is still unhealthy and you drink alcohol. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of tips to help you lower your triglycerides.
Tip 1 – Exercise regularly
Regular physical activity can help lower your triglycerides and raise your good cholesterol. You should aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day.
Tip 2 – Choose healthier fats
It might surprise you to learn that not all fats are bad. Your body needs fat, but it needs the right kind. So-called saturated fats, found in fast food and meat, should be replaced with plant-based fats, such as those from canola or olive oil. However, fish is an exception, as it contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids and is therefore a good animal-based fat source.
Tip 3 – Quit smoking and reduce your alcohol intake
You knew this tip was coming, didn’t you? As you may have read in many of our other blogs, giving up alcohol and quitting smoking can help reduce the risk of many health issues. Alcohol is high in calories and also contains a lot of sugar. Additionally, alcohol has a particularly strong effect on triglycerides.
Tip 4 – Pay attention to fiber intake
Fiber can help reduce triglycerides and is found in whole grain products. To add more fiber to your diet, simply replace foods made from refined white flour, like bread or pasta, with whole grain versions. Whole grains also help you feel full faster, which can lead to eating less bread or pasta per meal. But beware: whole grain alternatives have a higher carbohydrate content, which can result in more calories per 100 g.
Tip 5 – Avoid sugar
Sugar is directly linked to rising triglyceride levels. Simple sugars, especially fructose (yes, fruit!), increase triglycerides. It’s also advisable to learn how to read food labels and recognize hidden sugars. You might be surprised how many words are used for “sugar.” All words ending in “-ose,” such as dextrose, glucose, maltose, and even lactose, are all different forms of sugar!
