More About The Fatty Fish
The AHA recommends upping the two servings of fish to three if you have high triglycerides. But theres a glitch with relying on fish alone to lower triglycerides: Eating loads of it increases the risk of exposing yourself to possible environmental contaminants such as mercury and PCBs.
To minimize this exposure, pass on the large fish such as shark, fresh tuna, and tilefish. Opt instead for fish lower in the food chain, which tend to be less toxin-laden: Wild salmon, sardines, bluefish, Atlantic mackerel, and herring.
Get Rid Of The Trans Fatty Foods
- Trans fatty foods are as harmful as poison. Artificial trans fat additives are injected into the foods to enhance their shelf-life. The most common examples of trans fatty foods include baked and fried foods that contain partially hydrogenated oils.
- Trans fats are inflammatory. The consumption of such foods triggers health problems like an increase in the levels of unhealthy LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure.
- So, it is recommended to cut down on the intake of fried, baked, and processed foods to decrease the level of triglycerides in the blood.
Plant Sterols And Stanols
Plant stanols and sterols, such as beta-sitosterol, are naturally occurring substances found in certain plants. Stanols are also found as dietary supplements. Some are added to margarine, orange juice, and salad dressings.
Research suggests that plant stanols and sterols may help to lower cholesterol. They are similar to cholesterol in chemical structure and may help block its absorption in the intestines.
The FDA allows an approved health claim on phytosterols stating, Foods containing at least 0.65 per serving of plant sterol esters, eaten twice a day with meals for a daily total intake of at least 1.3 g, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease. The wording for stanols is similar, but 1.7 grams per serving and a total daily intake of at least 3.4 grams.
Stanols and sterols appear to enhance the effects of other methods to lower cholesterol. In studies, people taking statin drugs to lower cholesterol had an additional improvement in their cholesterol levels with stanols/sterols.
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Enhance Your Daily Diet With Soy
- Soy products are rich in isoflavone compounds that are known for their incredible health benefits for the heart. The isoflavone compounds are especially useful for decreasing the level of bad cholesterol in the blood.
- In comparison with animal proteins, soy protein can decrease the level of triglycerides in the blood by about 12.4% more than regular animal proteins. The consumption of soy products like soy milk, edamame, tofu, soybeans can effectively decrease the triglycerides level by about 7.3%.
Consider The Bigger Picture
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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How They Lower Triglycerides
When you consume fish oil or other foods with omega-3s, key essential fatty acids get incorporated into your cells where they counteract the chemical breakdown of fats . Those lipids would eventually be delivered to your liver for further processing. Less fat going to your liver means less fat being packaged into triglycerides for the body use later on.
Omega-3s generally help the heart in other ways, too, lowering inflammation, counteracting blood clotting, and minimizing the buildup of plaque inside the arteries.
Cut Down On The Intake Of Sugar
- It is quite difficult to resist the use of sugar White sugar is not only toxic but gets liberally used in every food we eat and every beverage that we happily drink.
- The American Heart Association strongly recommends not to exceed the consumption of sugar beyond 6-9 teaspoons of it on a daily basis to remain healthy and prevent diseases like cardiac stroke and diabetes.
- The excess sugar in the food gets converted into triglycerides, which leads to an increase in the level of triglycerides in the blood, thus making the heart prone to cardiac diseases and high blood pressure.
- Extensive study and research reveal that the consumption of added sugar can increase the level of triglycerides even in children.
- So ditch the white sugar and replace it with brown sugar, and the triglyceride level will slowly slide down.
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Follow A Lower Carb Diet
Much like added sugar, extra calories from carbs in your diet are converted into triglycerides and stored in fat cells.
Not surprisingly, low carb diets have been linked to lower blood triglyceride levels .
A review of 12 randomized controlled trials found that people following reduced carb diets typically saw a reduction in triglyceride levels at 6, 12, and 24 months. Across these studies, triglyceride levels decreased the most 6 months after starting a reduced calorie diet .
A 2020 review compared low fat and low carb diets. Researchers found that 612 months after starting their relative diets, those on the low carb diet had greater decreases in triglyceride levels than those on a low fat diet .
Summary
Following a low carb diet can lead to a significant reduction in blood triglyceride levels, at least in the short term, when compared with a low fat diet.
A Sneak Peek On Triglycerides
Triglyceride is a type of fat molecule that is present in the blood. After the consumption of food and during the process of digestion, the calories which are not required by the body for the production of energy change into unhealthy triglyceride molecules. These triglycerides accumulate in the adipose cells in the body.
When the level of triglycerides in the blood increases, it results in a condition called hypertriglyceridemia. It is quite common across the globe, with more than three million cases in the United States.
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High Triglyceride Risk Factors
If you’re keeping an eye on your triglyceride levels, it’s helpful to know some of the common risk factors for hypertriglyceridemia.
Although food is the primary source of triglycerides, the liver also makes triglycerides, which may explain variation between people who eat a similar diet but have different triglyceride levels . Like cholesterol, genes can also play a factor in this, such as in the inherited condition known as familial hypertriglyceridemia that makes you more prone to having heightened triglyceride levels, according to WebMD.
Some of the high-risk groups that may want to pay particular attention to their triglyceride levels include adults with a history of heart attack or stroke, adults with diabetes, and anyone at risk for heart attack or stroke due to high cholesterol or other risk factors such as family history .
Reduction Of Or Total Removal Of Trans Fat From Meals
Trans fatty acids are the end products of the solidification of vegetable oils by the addition of hydrogen molecules. The two types of trans-fat are natural and industrial trans-fat.
Natural trans fat is found in animal products like milk and they occur in small quantities. Artificial trans-fat, however, are produced industrially when hydrogen is added to liquid oils to solidify them.
Trans fat adds more flavor and texture to processed foods. It is also used to fry foods and meats.
Trans fat has been known to raise the LDL levels and lower the HDL levels in the blood. The presence of trans fat in the blood increases the possibility of a stroke or cardiovascular disease.
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What Is The Difference Between Triglycerides And Cholesterol
You might be wondering how triglycerides are different from cholesterol. Both are essential types of fat that our bodies need to function, and they can be made in the body and sourced from our diet. Triglycerides and cholesterol are often lumped in together as part of a blood test called a lipid profile or lipid panel.
There are some important differences between the two.
Triglycerides are one of our main sources of energy. They are either transported to the parts of our body that need energy, or they are stored for use later.
Cholesterol is not a source of energy, but it is an important part of the makeup of our cells. It is one of the building blocks for some of the hormones our bodies make, the bile acids that help us digest food, and vitamin D. The body makes all the cholesterol that it needs.
Limit Your Added Sugar
You know that too much of the sweet stuff is bad news, and thats definitely the case here. When youre eating sugary foods, its easy to end up chowing down on more calories than your body needs.
The excess will be turned into triglycerides, which can lead to serious trouble:One 15-year study found that people who got 25 percent of their calories from sugar were twice as likely to die from heart disease as those who ate significantly less.
The American Heart Association recommends that women consume no more than 6 teaspoons and men consume no more than 9 teaspoons of added sugar per day.
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Address Underlying Health Issues
Remember, although triglycerides can be high due to bad lifestyle and dietary choices, they can also be high due to an underlying health condition. The most important thing is to work with your doctor to find out whats causing your high triglyceride levels and to treat any underlying conditions!
For example, triglycerides can be high due to liver disease, infections, underactive thyroid , autoimmune disease, or some genetic disorders just to name a few .
In these cases, simply changing your diet or lifestyle wont help address the underlying issue and may actually be harmful!
In addition, high triglyceride levels can be dangerous for your body. If necessary, your doctor will prescribe triglyceride-lowering medication.
Thats why, if your triglycerides are elevated, you should discuss the lifestyle and dietary changes listed below with your doctor. None of these strategies should ever be done in place of what your doctor recommends or prescribes!
How Can Triglyceride Levels Be Lowered
If your triglyceride levels are high, the next step is for your doctor to check for potential causes. Certain medications, thyroid function issues, poorly controlled diabetes, liver or kidney disease can all cause triglyceride levels to be higher than normal.
The first steps in treatment to lower triglyceride levels include eating a healthy diet, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, and aerobic exercise on a regular basis.
To lower your triglyceride levels, your diet should be:
- low in simple carbohydrates
If you have high triglycerides and low HDL or high LDL levels, you may need to take medication along with making lifestyle changes. If your triglyceride levels are in the very high range you are at risk to develop other medical problems, so you will most likely need to take medication.
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Hacks For Reducing Sugar Intake
Sugar is added to many foods, so reducing your intake may be more challenging than you think. Fortunately, the American Heart Association has some great tips. These include throwing out your sugar canister, recognizing the different forms of sugar, and understanding that they are all the same, even if they’re marketed as “healthy” .
You can also try adding fruit to your oatmeal in place of sugar for natural sweetness, swapping sparkling water or plain water for juice or soda, or flavoring your recipes with extracts such as almond, vanilla, or lemon in place of sugar. Non-nutritive sweeteners like allulose or stevia can also be used, but you should be careful with this, as some research shows these may increase sugar cravings later .
You should also read food labels, as many foods not thought of as particularly sweet commonly have hidden added sugars in them. Most food labels will show “Total Sugars” vs. “Incl. Added Sugars” on the label, so you can see how much sugar was added to a food compared to the total amount of sugar in a product. For example, a box of the popular “healthy” cereal Honey Nut Cheerios has 12 grams of “total sugars.” Right below it, you see it says “Incl. Added Sugars 12g.” This means that all of the sugar in Honey Nut Cheerios has been added.
Diet Advice: How To Lower Triglycerides Naturally
So how can you lower triglycerides naturally? First, try eating your way to better heart health.
A healthy triglyceride diet should include a combination of foods with specific nutrients, including those that are rich in antioxidants, like cranberries. And until you learn how to lower triglycerides below 150 mg/dL, you may also want to augment your diet with nutritional supplements that provide therapeutic levels of these same nutrients. Drinking tea is another beneficial habit for reducing triglycerides.
Most important, make sure the following trio of key nutrients are in your diet.
How to lower triglycerides naturally? Get your omega-3 fatty acids salmon is a top source.
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Do High Triglyceride Levels Affect Hdl And Cholesterol Levels
Triglycerides are involved in the transport of fatty acids to muscles and tissues for energy.
- HDL particles are involved in the transport of excess fatty acids from the periphery back to the liver for elimination. Because of these competing roles, it is very difficult to increase HDL, the healthy good cholesterol, without first addressing triglycerides.
- HDL not only transports excess lipid to the liver for disposal, but it also transports cholesterol to organs such as the adrenals, ovaries, and testes for steroid hormone synthesis.
- Many of the strategies discussed here that lower triglycerides are also known to raise HDL.
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Medically Reviewed on 5/6/2022Journal of Microbiology and BiotechnologyPoultry ScienceCirculationEuropean Journal of Clinical NutritionCanadian Journal of Physiology and PharmacologyPhysiological Research
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Foods To Lower Triglycerides
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Establish A Regular Meal Pattern
Insulin resistance is another factor that can contribute to high blood triglycerides.
After you eat a meal, the cells in your pancreas send a signal to release insulin into the bloodstream. Insulin is then responsible for transporting sugar to your cells to be used for energy.
If you have too much insulin in your blood, your body can become resistant to it, making it difficult for your body to use insulin effectively. This can lead to a buildup of both sugar and triglycerides in the blood.
Fortunately, setting a regular eating pattern can help prevent insulin resistance and high triglycerides. For instance, research shows that not eating breakfast can lead to decreased insulin sensitivity .
An American Heart Association statement suggested that irregular eating patterns seemed less likely to achieve healthy cardiometabolic levels. They recommended intentional eating at regular times .
However, the evidence is mixed when it comes to meal frequency.
A 2013 study demonstrated that eating three meals per day significantly decreased triglycerides compared with eating six meals per day (
36 ).
Regardless of how many meals youre eating daily, eating regular meals can improve insulin sensitivity and lower blood triglyceride levels.
Summary
While studies are mixed on how meal frequency affects blood triglyceride levels, research suggests that sticking to a regular meal pattern can decrease many heart disease risk factors and prevent insulin resistance.
The Best Diet For Lowering Triglycerides: A Mediterranean
Throughout the research on lowering triglycerides, two trends emerge. The first is that limiting carbohydrates and increasing fat consumption leads to lower triglyceride levels. The second is that polyunsaturated fats decrease triglycerides more than any other fat.
If we combine these two trends together, we come out with a Mediterranean-style ketogenic diet that restricts carbohydrates more than any other diet and places emphasis on omega-3 rich fish like sardines and salmon and polyunsaturated fat rich nuts and olive oil.
The Mediterranean-style Ketogenic Diet will also provide a healthier amount of vegetables, fiber, and protein than a typical Americans diet, which further improves triglyceride levels.
Not sure what a Mediterranean-style Ketogenic meal would look like? Here are some delicious examples:
Or have a can of sardines on a delicious Oven Roasted Caprese Salad.
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