Key points of how to lower triglycerides
How to lower triglycerides? What is the best way of lowering triglycerides? May drugs help me achieve my goals? How far I can use them? Find out the solutions here.
Both triglycerides and cholesterol are different kinds of lipids which are found normally in your blood. The main function of triglycerides is to supply your body with the necessary amount of energy, while cholesterol is mainly utilized by your body to synthesis cells and some important hormones.
As triglycerides and cholesterol are insoluble in blood, they are carried by lipoproteins to be transported via your blood circulation. If you have hypertriglyceridemia, you are probably more susceptible of having a heart disease.
But, relax and don’t worry about lowering triglycerides; because your lifestyle changes which improve your general health are certainly enough to lower your triglycerides levels as well.
The National Heart Lung and Blood Diseases institute (NHLBI) has launched TLC (therapeutic lifestyle changes) program. Actually, this is a step by step program mainly designated to show you how to lower triglycerides and cholesterol levels in your blood by simple change in your lifestyle, including diet, physical activity, overweight, and bad habits.
If you frequently consume more calories than your body needs, you will be suffering from hypertriglyceridemia. So the key of how to lower triglycerides is to adopt a healthy daily diet:
Your total fats daily intake is determined by your consumption of saturated fats, trans-fats and unsaturated fats. Substitute saturated fat with monounsaturated fat and always choose fatty fish (rich in omega-3 fatty acids — polyunsaturated fatty acid) instead of red meat.
And don't forget to eliminate your intake of trans-fatty acids as well.
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Saturatedfats
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Trans-fats
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Unsaturatedfats
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- Solid at
roomtemperature
- Food source:
- animal
foodproducts,
- full-creammilk
dairy products,
- and
somevegetable oils (coconut or palm oils).
|
- Hard in
roomtemperature
- Food source:
- foodsprepared
with hydrogenated* vegetable oils (all types of fries,cookies, snack
cakes).
*Hydrogenation is
aprocess in which hydrogen is added to vegetable oils to make
themharder. |
- Liquid at
roomtemperature
- Food source:
- mostly
invegetable oils (olives, nuts, avocados),
- plus
fattyfish, (e.g. Salmon).
- Thereare
2 types:
- Monounsaturatedfats
- Polyunsaturatedfats
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All types of foods made of sugar and white flour are simple carbohydrates which raise insulin suddenly in your blood and eventually raise triglycerides levels.
Keep in mind that extra calories are transformed to triglycerides and deposited as fat in your body. Your success in how to lower triglycerides levels depends mainly on your ability to cut down your daily calories intake.
Try to have at least half an hour of regular physical exercise most days of the week; which will increase your good HDL cholesterol while lowering your bad LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Practice moderate intensity sports like walking, cycling and climbing.
How to lower triglycerides with medications?
Your physician might prescribe medications if lifestyle changes alone don’t result in lowering your high triglyceride levels.
Most of cholesterol-lowering drugs like niacin and fibrates (Generic name: gemfibrozil or fenofibrate) are very potent in decreasing triglycerides.
If your HDL cholesterol level is low and your bad LDL cholesterol is high as well, statins will be your doctor’s drugs of choice. But you might experience muscular pain, sickness, constipation, or diarrhea as side effect.
That's why I emphasize the natural ways of lowering triglycerides levels. That is safer, and with no single side effects you may reduce high triglycerides, as well as LDL cholesterol level and increasing HDL levels.
However, if you fail, do not dare to stop taking medicines without talking to your physician.
Stay firm. Keep healthy.
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