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I Need To Lower My Triglycerides

How Can I Lower My Triglycerides Quickly

How EXACTLY Do I Lower My Triglycerides? | Dr. Don Clum

Dietary and lifestyle changes may help you lower your triglycerides within a few months. The first step, though, involves finding out why your triglycerides are high. Hypertriglyceridemia has many causes. These include:

  • Dietary factors.
  • Medical conditions.
  • Some medications.

If you just learned your triglycerides are high, the first thing you should do is talk with your healthcare provider. Your provider will ask you some questions and review your medical history to see what might be causing the spike in your triglyceride level.

Your provider will then help you come up with a plan for getting your triglycerides back to a healthy level. This plan may involve medication to lower your triglycerides, especially if your numbers are very high. Or, you may need treatment for an underlying condition.

Your provider will also help you with dietary and lifestyle changes. Its always best to follow the individual plan your provider gives you. But here are some general guidelines that research shows can help you lower your triglycerides.

Dietary changes to help lower your triglycerides

There are four main dietary culprits that raise your triglycerides:

Product labels or packaging will also tell you if an item is fat-free. Its important to reduce your fat intake. But be aware that desserts labeled fat-free usually contain more sugar than full-fat versions and just as many calories. Limit these desserts or find healthier options like fresh fruit or sugar-free popsicles.

What Can Happen To Me If I Have High Triglycerides

High triglycerides can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, including stroke, heart attack and heart disease.

A high triglyceride level is one of the signs of metabolic syndrome. This is a collection of health conditions that increase your risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

An extremely high triglyceride level can cause inflammation of the pancreas, the organ in your abdomen that produces insulin.

Medications May Be Needed For High Triglyceride Levels

Sometimes, healthy eating and regular exercise cant lower high triglyceride levels. This may be the case, for example, if you have familial hypertriglyceridemia or if you already have heart disease. Your doctor may prescribe medication such as fibrates or nicotinic acids. Drugs to help lower high blood cholesterol may also be prescribed, if necessary.Suggestions for managing high triglyceride levels with medication include:

  • Always take prescription medications exactly as instructed.
  • See your doctor if you are having side effects from the medication. Known medication side effects may include indigestion, diarrhoea, fever or muscle problems.
  • Dont assume that medications will somehow overcome the hazards of an unhealthy lifestyle. A healthy diet, regular exercise and maintaining an appropriate weight for your height are the most important management strategies for high triglycerides.

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What Are The Best Foods To Eat To Lower Triglycerides

  • What Are the Best Foods to Eat to Lower Triglycerides? Center
  • Triglycerides are a kind of fat that travels in the blood. You may get some triglycerides from food, and some may be made by your body. Like cholesterol, triglycerides are necessary for life, but if theyre present at high levels, they can be bad for your health.

    If you have high triglycerides, your cholesterol levels may be high too. This combination raises your risk of heart disease. Experts aren’t sure if high triglycerides alone are bad for your heart, but some studies suggest they are.

    If your triglyceride levels are very high, you may also be at risk of harming your pancreas. Changes in lifestyle can lower triglycerides, and eating triglyceride-friendly meals and snacks could help too.

    Will A Keto Diet Lower Triglycerides And Cholesterol

    Many of the same lifestyle changes and medications can lower both ...

    No, keto diets have been shown to increase cholesterol levels. The Mediterranean diet, however, has been shown to lower cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of cardiac events.

    The Mediterranean diet promotes eating vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats daily eating fish, poultry, beans, and eggs weekly reducing portions of dairy and limiting red meat.

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    How Do Triglycerides Circulate In The Blood

    Pure cholesterol cannot mix with or dissolve in the blood. Instead, the liver packages cholesterol with triglycerides and proteins called lipoproteins. The lipoproteins move this fatty mixture to areas throughout the body.

    Types of these lipoproteins include very low-density lipoproteins , high-density lipoproteins and low-density lipoproteins .

    Health Conditions Related To Triglycerides And Cholesterol

    High blood lipid levels may increase your risk for plaques to develop in your arteries or thicken the walls of your arteries .

    Other health conditions related to high triglycerides or cholesterol include:

    • High blood sugar levels or diabetes
    • Metabolic syndromea cluster of conditions that increase your risk for heart disease
    • Genetic conditions

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    High Triglycerides Experts Say To Skip These Foods

    Keeping triglycerides in a healthy range is important for maintaining a healthy heart. If a blood test has revealed you have high triglycerides, lowering that number becomes a priority. You may be able to bring down those fatty deposits in your blood through diet changes and healthy swaps.

    âRead more:â Triglycerides: What You Need to Know

    Pancreatitis Is A Unique Risk Of High Triglyceride Levels

    How To Lower Your Triglycerides Fast And Naturally

    You may not have heard of it before, but pancreatitis is the name for extreme inflammation of the pancreas, which is one of your vital organs. Pancreatitis is a serious disease with a high rate of hospitalization and sometimes even life-threatening complications.

    When the pancreas becomes inflamed, the symptoms typically include nausea, vomiting, and severe upper abdominal pain. The two main causes are gallstones and heavy alcohol use though, many times, the exact cause cannot be identified. High triglyceride levels can be a trigger in up to 7% of acute episodes of pancreatitis. Other causes include:

    • Some medications

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    Consider Cutting Back On Carbs

    You dont have to go full keto. But some research suggests that lower carb diets are tied to healthier triglyceride levels.

    How low should you go? In a 2006 study, people who consumed about a quarter of their calories from carbs lowered their triglycerides more than those who got more than half their calories from carbs.

    How Are Triglycerides Connected To Cholesterol

    Cholesterol is another type of fatty substance. It has many uses in your body, including producing hormones, building cells and helping you digest food.

    There are good and bad types of cholesterol. ‘Bad’ cholesterol is known as low-density lipoprotein or LDL. It can stick to the sides of your blood vessels and block them. ‘Good’ cholesterol is known as high-density lipoprotein or HDL. It transports the bad cholesterol away from your blood vessels to your liver, which gets rid of it.

    If you have a high level of triglycerides together with a high LDL level or a low HDL level, you have a higher risk of fat building up and blocking your blood vessels. This increases your risk of having a heart attack or a stroke.

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    Eat The Right Foods For You

    As weve seen, there are some broad dietary guidelines you can follow to help lower your triglyceride levels.

    But our research shows that everyones blood fat responses to the foods they eat are personal, with more than 10 times the difference between some people.

    ZOE runs the largest nutritional study of its kind, with over 15,000 participants so far. Based on our studies, weve developed a personalized nutrition program that takes your unique biology into account to help you improve your metabolic health.

    Using the latest scientific techniques, the ZOE at-home test analyzes your triglyceride and blood sugar levels after eating, as well as the microbes in your gut.

    Based on your results, the ZOE program then gives you advice on the best foods and food combinations for your body and your long-term health goals.

    You can take a free quiz to find out more.

    What Is A High Triglyceride Level

    Pin on Heart Health

    High triglycerides can be dangerous to your health. Unfortunately, high triglycerides, like high cholesterol, rarely causes symptoms. Its vital to get routine lipid blood tests to check cholesterol numbers.

    Your healthcare provider determines total cholesterol by looking at a combination of triglycerides, HDL and LDL numbers. If your triglycerides and LDL cholesterol are high, but your HDL is low, you have an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.

    For the most accurate reading, you should fast 8 to 12 hours before a lipid blood test. A healthy number for triglycerides is below 150 milligrams per deciliter .

    Your healthcare provider classifies high triglyceride levels as:

    • Mild: 150-199 mg/dL.
    • Severe: Greater than 500 mg/dL.

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    Baked Beans With Sugar Or Pork Added

    Beans have fiber and other nutrients going for them. But if they’re made with sugar or pork, they may not be the best choice. The label on the can should say what’s in there, and how much sugar and fat you’re getting. Switch to black beans, which are a great source of fiber and protein, without saturated fats or added sugar.

    Know The Dangers Of Trans Fats

    Trans fats are dangerous for your heart, because they raise low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The chief culprit youll see on product labels is partially hydrogenated oil. Trans fats are the result of adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to increase shelf life. This may make some baked and fried foods taste better, but trans fats are very unhealthy, particularly for people with high triglycerides. In fact, trans fats should make up less than 1 percent of your total calories, according to the World Health Organization. Check your food labels: If a food contains trans fats or hydrogenated oils, leave it on the shelf.

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    What Are Normal And High Triglyceride Levels

    The National Cholesterol Education Program sets guidelines for triglyceride levels:

    • Normal levels: Less than 150 milligrams per deciliter
    • Borderline high:150 to 199
    • High: 200 to 499
    • Very high: 500 or more

    Elevated levels may lead to heart disease, especially in people with low levels of “good” cholesterol and high levels of “bad” cholesterol. The same is true if you have type 2 diabetes.

    Experts once debated how important triglycerides are, but it now seems clear that higher levels are linked to problems such as heart disease.

    One thing is clear, though: A good diet and exercise plan can lower triglyceride levels, improve cholesterol, and decrease the chance of heart disease.

    Treatment Of High Triglycerides

    How to Raise Your HDL & Lower Your Triglycerides (NOT what you Think)

    In most cases, high triglycerides are managed by making lifestyle changes. You may be advised to:

    • Exercise for at least 30 minutes every day.
    • Eat less, particularly high fat foods.
    • Increase the amount of fibre in your diet.
    • Avoid high sugar foods such as lollies. Choose foods with a low glycaemic index such as legumes and wholegrain products.
    • Eat more fish. Choose fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, mackerel, tuna and trout. Omega-3 in high doses can reduce triglyceride levels.
    • Cut back on alcohol. The kilojoules and sugar in alcoholic drinks can raise triglyceride levels.
    • Lose excess body fat using a combination of healthy eating and regular exercise.
    • Manage coexisting health conditions such as diabetes or hypertension effectively.

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    Foods That Could Help Lower Triglycerides

    Chances are, you’ve heard that having healthy triglyceride levels in your blood is important. But what exactly are triglycerides, and how do they work in your body? And when you have high levels, is it possible to manage them with lifestyle, and can food make a difference? The good news is, according to food and health pros, what you eat can help. We’ve rounded up some of the foods that can lower triglycerides, and there are plenty of whole foods on the list.

    Change Your Diet To Reduce Triglycerides

    Follow these dietary guidelines to reduce your triglycerides:

    • Choose unsaturated fats Reduce your intake of saturated fats by eating less red meat and less full-fat dairy.
    • Reduce total fat intake Get no more than 30 percent of your calories from fat.
    • Eat less sugar Cut down on table sugar, syrup, sweets, and sugary drinks.
    • Go for complex carbohydrates Substitute whole grains for refined grains like white bread and white rice.
    • Cut back on alcohol If you drink, talk to your doctor about safe amounts.

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    What Can Raise Your Triglycerides

    Triglycerides can be raised due to what doctors refer to as ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ causes, explained below. Some people have a combination of both.

    It is very important that your doctors investigates all these potential causes so that you can start treatment.

    Primary causes of raised triglycerides

    ‘Primary’ refers to inherited conditions which cause raised triglyceride levels.

    Dietary And Lifestyle Recommendations

    Lower Triglycerides Quickly

    1) Follow a diet low in fat, with less than 30% of daily calories from total fat. Choose polyunsaturated fats over saturated fat:

    An example of someone eating a 1500Kcal diet and aiming for less than 30% fat would be less than 50 grams of fat per day. If your triglycerides do not reduce with this, then you may need to aim for less. You will see a Dietitian who will discuss this with you.

    Grams of fat to aim for: ____________grams per day

    Fat should be spread out throughout the day, rather than all eaten at one mealtime. Just one large, fatty meal can increase your risk of developing pancreatitis . A meal should not contain more than 15g of fat at one time.

    If your triglycerides are severely raised then it will be suggested that you follow a very strict low fat diet to bring the levels down as quickly as possible .

    How do you know how much fat is in foods?

    Fat is found in many different foods and drinks for example dairy products, meats, oils, nuts and cakes.

    If you have a packaged food then reading the food label is the best way to identify how much fat it contains. When you look at the back of a food label, the nutritional information is often given on a table similar to below. Food labels provide information about many different nutrients found in foods including the amount of fat.

    When looking at food labels per 100g you should aim for:

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    How High Triglycerides Affect Total Cholesterol

    Dr. McNeal said you should use caution when interpreting results of your lipid profile, as high triglycerides can affect your total cholesterol count.

    Your LDL equals your total cholesterol minus your HDL minus your triglycerides, divided by five, she said.

    That means when your triglyceride level is really high, youll have a higher total cholesterol level as well. But at the same time, if you bring your triglyceride levels down, it will have an immediate impact on your total cholesteroland that doesnt necessarily require medication.

    When your total cholesterol is high because your triglycerides are high, using cholesterol-lowering medications isnt going to help any, she said. Its more effective to lower the triglycerides using lifestyle changes.

    Eat Less To Lose Weight

    High triglycerides come from regularly eating more calories than your body burns, so eating less overall is one of the best ways to start reining them in.

    How much less, exactly? You may want to cut back by 500 to 1,000 calories a day, depending on how many calories youre consuming. Thats enough to help you lose weight, which is key.

    Dropping 5 to 10 percent of your body weight is enough to reduce your triglycerides significantly. But definitely get the OK from your doctor before making any major changes to your diet.

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    You Are Cutting Out All Carbs

    One common step that’s taken to bring down your triglycerides is to reduce your calorie intake by cutting back on carbohydrates, such as simple carbs found in sodas, juices and sweetened beverages, and refined carbs, which are found in white bread, white pasta and snack products.

    This can be a helpful approach: eating too many carbs could contribute to higher triglyceride levels, and cutting back would be one strategy to lower them. However, it is not necessary to cut out all forms of carbs, including those found in whole grains. Whole grains are full of types of fiber and nutrients that work together to benefit your health. Soluble fiber is a type of dietary fiber present in whole grains, vegetables and fruits that slows digestion by attracting water and forming a gel. This process delays the absorption of sugars and fat, softens your stools and promotes regular bowel movements. Together with insoluble fiber, a type of dietary fiber that adds bulk to stools, it can promote fullness and keep you feeling full for longer. In other words, including whole grains as part of your meals and snacks can help regulate your food portion sizes by minimizing your chance of overeating.

    You can incorporate more whole grains by having at least half of your grains as whole grains. Try whole-wheat versions of your favorite pastas and other grain products, and make room for whole grains like oats, brown rice, buckwheat, quinoa and barley in your eating pattern.

    Consider The Bigger Picture

    High Cholesterol – Do I Need To Take Medication?

    Certain health issues can affect your triglyceride level. Type 2 diabetes, for instance, is a risk factor for high triglycerides. So are thyroid issues and kidney diseases like uremia.

    If youre concerned about your triglycerides, it makes sense to see your doctor for a head-to-toe checkup to see if any underlying causes could potentially be at play.

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