In last week’s blog entry, you learned a little bit about triglycerides: what they are, what causes them to be high, and why it’s not good if they’re too high. This week, we’ll continue to talk about triglycerides, but this time, we’ll look at how you can lower your levels if they’re above target (150 mg/dl).
It’s worthwhile to note that triglycerides, in and of themselves, aren’t “bad.” Remember that they’re a storage form of energy for the body. The problem comes in when they accumulate in the blood—heart disease being the primary problem.
So, what can you do if your levels are above 150 mg/dl? First, make sure that your triglycerides were tested after you fasted for about 12 hours. In other words, your reading won’t be accurate if you just polished off a Happy Meal at McDonald’s. Second, talk to your health-care provider about reasons why your triglycerides might be high. Is your diet the culprit? Or could it be your diabetes?
How is diabetes related to high triglycerides? Actually, uncontrolled blood glucose levels often go hand in hand with high triglycerides. The reason has to do with insulin. Insulin is needed to help move not just glucose into cells for energy, but also protein and fat. Therefore, if you don’t have enough insulin on board (whether from your own pancreas or from injections), you can have high blood glucose and triglyceride levels. If you and your health-care provider suspect that this is the case, your main job, then, will be to focus on getting your diabetes under better control.
You can take other steps to lower your triglycerides. Let’s run through these one by one:
- Cut down on sweets and refined carbohydrates, such as desserts, fruit juices, white bread, white pasta, and white rice.
Some people seem to be sensitive to sugary and refined carbs in terms of triglycerides levels. - Go for the whole grains.
- Lighten up on alcohol.
In most cases, alcohol doesn’t have too much of an impact on triglyceride levels. However, as with refined carbs, some people are sensitive to the effects of alcohol (on triglyceride levels, that is!). - Achieve and maintain a healthy weight.
Reason number 105 for shedding some pounds. - Focus on omega-3 fatty acids.
Fatty fish and other seafood are rich in this type of polyunsaturated fat. The American Heart Association recommends that we eat at least two fish meals each week. (I’ll talk more about omega-3 fatty acids in a future blog entry, since there’s so much more to say about them.) - Substitute heart-healthy fats for saturated and trans fats.
Olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, corn oil, flaxseed oil…all of these are much healthier than butter, margarine, shortening, and lard. And these heart-healthy fats can help lower your LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol, too. - Be active on a regular basis.
Exercise can help raise HDL (or “good”) cholesterol, while lowering LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. - Ask about medicine.
Just as some people need to take medicine to lower cholesterol levels, some people need medicine to lower triglycerides. Your health-care provider may prescribe fibrates, nicotinic acid, or even a prescription version of omega-3 fatty acids. However, as with cholesterol, even if you need medicine to lower your triglycerides, you’ll still need to make the lifestyle changes we discussed above.
Here’s another reason to choose whole grain breads, cereals, and pasta: Substituting whole grain carbs for refined carbs can lower your triglyceride levels.
Get your triglyceride levels checked regularly, and make sure you keep track of them and all your diabetes numbers, including HbA1c, blood pressure, albumin, and LDL and HDL cholesterol. The more you know about your health, the more you can do to stay healthy.
Even after my endo put me on lovastatin and got all of my cholesterol levels into the normal ranges, my triglicerides stayed up around 175. I’ve also been losing about 5 pounds a month and walking more, but that had no effect. I had heard that a cinnamon-lovastatin combo might help, so I started taking one cinnamon tablet (1000 mg) a day. After 3 months, my triglicerides tested at 124! This is the first time in my adult life they were normal!
Posted by AndreaBB | Apr 11, 2007 at 4:21 pmWhy would one’s cholesterol level be low and triglyceride levels be high? I can’t find anything to explain this as it seems they are usually high together.
Posted by hotseetots | Apr 20, 2007 at 4:04 pmHi hotseetots,
You didn’t mention how “low” your cholesterol is, nor which type of cholesterol (total, HDL or LDL). However, it’s possible for your LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) to be within target, yet still have triglycerides above 150. Reasons for this can be due to uncontrolled, or high, blood glucose levels, or even hypothyroidism. Also, make sure that your triglyceride levels were measured after an 8-12 hour fast, and not after you just ate something; otherwise, the reading may not be accurate. In any case, you should discuss this further with your physician. In the meantime, try some of the approaches I listed above to hopefully help get those triglycerides down. Good luck!
Posted by acampbell | Apr 23, 2007 at 9:25 amDoes alcohol play a part of high triglycerides levels? And how long does it stay in your system ?
Posted by Neil | Sep 21, 2008 at 6:00 pmHi Neil,
Posted by acampbell | Sep 22, 2008 at 2:15 pmThere is a lot of conflicting data about the effect of alcohol on triglyceride levels. The usual advice is that people who have high triglyceride levels (above 150) should avoid (or at least strictly limit)alcohol, with the assumption that alcohol would raise triglycerides even higher. However, there isn’t a lot of research to support that advice, and some studies have shown alcohol to actually lower triglyceride levels. However, there may be other reasons not to drink alcohol, so it’s always a good idea to talk to your healthcare provider about how to safely drink alcohol. The amount of time that alcohol stays in the system really depends on so many factors, such as age, gender, if food was eaten, liver health, and body weight. In general, after consuming one alcoholic beverage, such as 5 oz. of wine or 12 oz. beer, blood alcohol levels peak at about 30-45 minutes, and will be cleared from the blood in about 2 hours. But the more you drink, the longer it takes the body to eliminate alcohol.
I’m trying to lower my triglyceride levels and just found your info. I’d appreciate a copy of the newsletter. Thanks.
Posted by Bill | Jan 07, 2009 at 9:15 pmHi Bill,
If you haven’t already, you can subscribe to the free DSM e-mail newsletter at .
Posted by Tara Dairman, Web Editor | Jan 08, 2009 at 3:15 pmAmy,
Posted by momsaverb | Apr 15, 2009 at 7:21 pmI have checked with my doctor and he suggests I change to a low carb beer to help with my trigylcerides–following recommendations, of course. This sounds like it may be quite beneficial….what is your take on this?
Hi momsaverb,
Low-carb beer is certainly an option for you. By definition, low-carb beers have less than 7 grams of carb per serving (12 oz) whereas light beer has 7–12 grams carb per serving and regular beer, 9–15 grams. Calories are lower in low-carb beer, too. Cutting back on carb intake may help lower triglycerides. However, keep in mind that even low-carb beers contain alcohol. Alcohol may increase the risk of hypoglycemia in some people, and too much alcohol may increase triglyceride levels, so you should still watch your portions, even of the low-carb beers.
Posted by acampbell | Apr 16, 2009 at 11:52 amHello,
I have:
Triglyceride: 318
HDL: 41
LDL: 81
Glucose: 82
Total Cholosteral: 41
CHOL/HDLC Ratio: 4.5
Everything else is within range except:
Calcium: 10.3 which is just over the high range of 10.2
I am overweight at 305 lbs with a large frame and 6′2″.
I fasted for 15 hours by the time I got in to get the blood work.
My previous years Triglyceride was 202 with all remaining values normal. I have gained weight since then.
Did the extra long fasting cause a high Triglyceride level?
Why is the Triglyceride level so high but everything else in such decent range?
Should I consider flax seed supplements and if so what type?
Thank you
Posted by longfaster | Jul 31, 2009 at 1:39 amHi longfaster,
It’s doubtful that your long fasting time affected your triglycerides. But it’s certainly possible to have a “normal” cholesterol and a high triglyceride level, since they are two separate things. Factors that can increase triglycerides include the following: uncontrolled diabetes, hypothyroidism, being overweight, alcohol use, kidney disease, and some medicines (including diuretics, beta blockers, steroids, and estrogen). I’d suggest that you first talk with your physician regarding what might be causing your high triglycerides, and then discuss a strategy for lowering them to at least 150. Lifestyle changes can help, as can omega-3 fatty acids. You can certainly try flaxseed supplements, but first talk with your physician. In some cases, medicine may be needed to get your triglycerides down to a safe level.
Posted by acampbell | Aug 03, 2009 at 2:21 pm