Triglycerides are lipids, the main form of fat carried in your blood. They consist of three molecules of fatty acids connected to glycerol – hence their name – and are essential. They give you energy, help transport fat-soluble vitamins, and enable your body to absorb essential fatty acids.
If your level of triglycerides is too high, however, it raises your risk of heart disease and stroke, pancreatitis, obesity and Type 2 diabetes, note authorities from the Mayo Clinic to the Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa (HSFSA).
Triglycerides come from extra calories you consume – when your body doesn’t use them straight away, it stores them as triglycerides in fat cells, often on your hips or belly. High levels are linked primarily to diet and exercise (taking in more energy than your body burns), but they can also be linked to genetics (some people have naturally higher levels), and certain medical conditions, such as hypothyroidism, diabetes and liver or kidney problems, says East London cardiologist Dr Goran Ignjatovic.
To lower your triglyceride levels takes basic but doable lifestyle changes. “A healthy diet and lifestyle change can regulate triglycerides and has overall benefit to health,” says Johannesburg cardiologist Dr Anthony Yip.
1. Cut back on simple carbs, especially added sugars
Replace white bread, white rice and pasta with whole-grain varieties. And most importantly, instead of sugary drinks, opt for water (you can flavour it with slices of lemon, cucumber, strawberries or sprigs of mint), or herbal teas. The HSFSA recommends limiting sweets, chocolates, biscuits, cakes, pastries, sweetened soft drinks, fruit juices and sweetened dairy products to occasional indulgences only.
2. Cut back on alcohol
It’s high in the type of carbohydrate your body turns into triglycerides. It can also affect your liver, interfering with your ability to metabolise fat, notes the American Heart Association. Even moderate drinking (one drink a day for women, two for men), can raise your triglyceride levels.
3. Get more fibre in your diet
A study in the journal Current Development in Nutrition found evidence that dietary fibre can lower triglyceride levels in young overweight adults. Foods high in fibre have a more complex carbohydrate content, leading to more gradual absorption and helping modulate the triglyceride increase after you eat. Have plenty of vegetables, fruit, whole grains and beans, and drink lots of water.
4. Replace saturated and trans fats with healthy fats
Saturated fats (from animal sources) and trans fats (produced by adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to prolong shelf life) elevate triglyceride levels. Unsaturated fats, especially polyunsaturated fats (found in salmon, vegetables oils and some nuts and seeds), can help to reduce levels. Olive oil and avocados contain monounsaturated fats – also a healthy option, notes the HSFSA.
5. Get moving
Regular exercise increases your body’s ability to metabolise sugar, which helps lower the sugar in your blood, and so the amount your body turns into triglycerides. A study in the journal Clinical Cardiology found aerobic exercise reduces triglycerides in people with heart disease. The HSFSA recommends at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity five times a week: “Any activity that gets you slightly out of breath and the heart pumping faster, counts. Try brisk walking, cycling, gym classes, soccer, swimming, dancing, gardening or playing an active game with the kids!”
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