How to Lower Triglycerides?

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Sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, alcohol, and smoking greatly contribute in increasing triglycerides. They usually appear as a result of a diet rich in saturated and trans fats, too much sugar, and carbohydrates. There are no symptoms that can point at high triglycerides. Frequently, we accidentally find out that our level of triglycerides has jumped by taking a blood test. It is not unusual that a test reveals increased levels of LDL cholesterol as a by-product. In the both cases, a doctor will prescribe a certain diet and changes in our lifestyle. By changing our bad habits, we can do a lot to lower triglycerides. High triglycerides in some people can occur as a result of regular and excessive drinking. For others, binge drinking can be the reason. Medical evidence has shown that reducing or giving up alcohol can significantly change this situation. Even though genetics can influence the appearance of a higher level of triglycerides, the truth is we can lower it by adopting good habits and letting go of the bad ones. To find out what habits are good to develop and what food shows as the most beneficial in lowering triglycerides, the article “High Triglycerides” offers interesting findings.

Fish oil has shown distinct promise for treating hypertriglyceridemia. More than 2,000 people have participated in well-designed studies of fish oil for reducing triglyceride levels.1 Most studies ran from about 7 to 10 weeks.

It appears that fish oil supplements can reduce triglycerides by about 25% to 30%. Although not all studies have been positive, in a detailed review of 47 randomized trials, researchers concluded that fish oil is capable of significantly reducing triglyceride levels with no change in total cholesterol levels and only slight increases in HDL (“good”) cholesterol and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.35 However, it should be noted that in some studies, use of fish oil has markedly raised LDL cholesterol, which might offset some of the benefit.

Fish oil has been studied for reducing triglyceride levels specifically in people with diabetes, and it appears to do so safely and effectively. Furthermore, in people using statin drugs to control lipid levels, the addition of fish oil or its isolated component DHA appears to improve results.

As we have seen, a sedentary lifestyle is also one of the main reasons for high triglycerides. Running, walking and exercising, in general, will help us lower them. Moreover, outdoor activities positively affect our mood and enable us to breathe better. In this way, they influence metabolic processes in our bodies that improve our health and can lower the both – LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. For some people, a doctor will recommend losing weight. Belly fat is considered as a culprit for heart disease and in some cases, it might be urgent to get rid of it. Except when some other medical condition triggers high triglycerides, in a majority of cases we can lower triglycerides simply by making changes in our everyday life and sticking to the healthy habits.