Have you checked your triglyceride level lately? High blood triglycerides are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Although less well recognized than cholesterol as a risk factor, studies link high triglycerides with insulin resistance, a precursor to type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Even when you consider other factors, like body weight, elevated triglycerides are an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. According to Mayo Clinic, elevated blood triglycerides can thicken the walls of arteries and call atherosclerosis in the same way high LDL-cholesterol can. Plus, high blood triglycerides are a marker of other conditions, like metabolic syndrome that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
High triglycerides can also be associated with:
- Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes
- Low levels of thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism)
- Certain rare genetic conditions that affect how your body converts fat to energy
- Pancreatitis
- Obesity
- Kidney disease
- Pancreatitis
If your triglycerides are too high, how can you bring them down? Although medications are helpful in some cases, lifestyle can also reduce high triglycerides if you’re consistent. Five lifestyle habits will help reduce elevated triglycerides and lower your risk of heart disease and stroke.
Dine on Fatty Fish
Studies show that consuming more long-chain omega-3s, a type of heart-healthy fat in fatty fish and fish oil, lowers blood triglycerides. The best sources of these healthy fats include wild-caught salmon, sardines, and anchovies.
Although there are larger fatty fish rich in long-chain omega-3s, they’re also higher on the food chain, meaning they accumulate more toxins from the environment. So, it’s best to consume smaller fatty fish, rich in omega-3s, like sardines since their small size and shorter lifespan make them less prone to the build-up of heavy metals and other toxins.
If you’re concerned about toxins from fatty fish, taking a fish oil supplement is another option. Most fish oil supplements are low in toxins since manufacturers molecularly distill fish oil to remove impurities. However, it’s best to check with fish oil makers to make sure they purify their fish oil in this manner.
How much can you lower triglycerides by consuming more omega-3s? According to the American Heart Association, taking 4 grams of prescription omega-3s reduces triglycerides by 20 to 30% for the average person. Eating fatty fish twice per week will offer some benefits too, although less than prescription omega-3s, but you’ll also get the other nutrients from the fish, including protein and vitamin B12.
Reduce Your Alcohol Intake
If you drink alcohol, cut back, or even better, stop entirely. Doing so will help lower your triglycerides. When you consume alcohol, your liver synthesizes more particles called VLDL that carry large quantities of triglycerides through the bloodstream. Cutting out alcohol will reduce the amount of VLDL your liver makes, and that will bring your triglyceride level down.
Plus, consuming large quantities of alcohol increases the risk of heart attack and stroke, not to mention the damage it can do to your liver. Although red wine contains antioxidant compounds that could theoretically have heart health benefits, the relationship between alcohol and heart health is complex. According to observational studies, drinking alcohol is correlated with a greater risk of heart problems, including atrial fibrillation and heart failure.
Choose Your Carbohydrates Wisely
Ultra-processed carbohydrates, also known as junk food, and sugar, also cause a rise in blood triglycerides. In fact, many experts believe processed carbs and sugar are the biggest contributing factor. Think out of the package! Many packaged foods contain high-fructose corn syrup, a concentrated source of fructose that’s especially hard on blood triglycerides. Your liver metabolizes fructose in a manner that increases the quantity of triglycerides that enters the bloodstream.
The key to lowering your levels is to eliminate ultra-processed foods, sugar, soft drinks, and foods made with white flour. Instead, add more whole, fiber-rich food to your diet. The ideal meal for lowering triglycerides is a plate of non-starchy vegetables and wild-caught salmon.
Watch Your Weight
If you’re overweight, losing those extra pounds can bring down your triglyceride level. In fact, research shows losing only 5 to 10% of body weight can lower triglycerides. That’s good news because you don’t have to lose massive quantities of weight to get real benefits. Even modest weight loss will help you get on the right path. Plus, losing weight lowers the risk of stroke and heart attack independently of the effect on triglycerides.
Move More, Sit Less
Exercise is another healthy lifestyle habit that lowers triglycerides. The best type of exercise for reducing the triglycerides in your blood is aerobic exercise, for example, cycling, a brisk walk, or jog. More intense exercise has greater benefits than a leisurely stroll in the park, although both are good for your health.
If you like to walk, pick up the pace for short segments, a practice called interval walking. So, move your body more and pick up the pace a bit. You don’t have to run marathons to improve the health of your heart.
The Bottom Line
If you have elevated triglycerides, talk to your health care provider. Even if they recommend medications to bring it down, these changes will also lower your risk of heart attack and stroke independent of your triglyceride level. Be sure to check your lipid levels, including triglycerides, regularly too and keep track of your numbers. You won’t have any symptoms with elevated triglycerides but that doesn’t mean they can’t cause problems. Know your numbers.
References:
- Harchaoui KE, Visser ME, Kastelein JJ, Stroes ES, Dallinga-Thie GM. Triglycerides and cardiovascular risk. Curr Cardiol Rev. 2009;5(3):216-222. doi:10.2174/157340309788970315.
- Harris WS, Bulchandani D. Why do omega-3 fatty acids lower serum triglycerides? Curr Opin Lipidol. 2006 Aug;17(4):387-93. doi: 10.1097/01.mol.0000236363.63840.16. PMID: 16832161.
- org. “Prescription omega-3 medications work for high triglycerides, advisory says”
- org. “Triglycerides: Why do they matter?”
- Sopko G, Leon AS, Jacobs DR Jr, Foster N, Moy J, Kuba K, Anderson JT, Casal D, McNally C, Frantz I. The effects of exercise and weight loss on plasma lipids in young obese men. Metabolism. 1985 Mar;34(3):227-36. doi: 10.1016/0026-0495(85)90005-8. PMID: 3974451.
- “Triglycerides and cardiovascular risk | Heart.” https://heart.bmj.com/content/99/1/1.
- “Triglycerides: Why do they matter? – Mayo Clinic.” 29 Sept. 2020, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/triglycerides/art-20048186.
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