9 Ways to Lower Your Triglycerides Fast

High triglyceride levels are a major risk factor for heart disease. According to the transcript, one third of Americans have high triglyceride levels above 150 mg/dL. To avoid the dangers of high triglycerides, it’s important to understand what causes them and how to lower levels quickly. This article will summarize the key points from the transcript on reducing triglycerides and outline 9 effective strategies.

What are Triglycerides and Why Do They Matter?

Triglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood. They are produced when your body has excess calories from food that are not used for energy. The excess calories get converted into triglycerides and stored in fat cells.

Having high triglyceride levels is concerning because it indicates problems with your cholesterol profile. Research shows that high triglycerides are linked to increased cardiovascular risk, even in people with normal LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels.

Triglycerides cause LDL particles to become small and dense. These small, dense LDL particles are more likely to cause plaque buildup in your arteries. Therefore, your triglyceride levels give insight into your risk of heart disease beyond just looking at LDL.

Triglyceride levels are also closely tied to HDL (“good”) cholesterol. A high triglyceride to HDL ratio above 3 indicates metabolic problems that raise your risk of heart disease.

9 Ways to Reduce Your Triglycerides

Luckily, high triglycerides can often be managed through lifestyle changes. Here are 9 effective ways to lower your triglycerides quickly:

1. Exercise Regularly

Regular exercise is one of the best ways to raise HDL cholesterol, which in turn helps lower triglycerides. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, such as brisk walking. This can significantly boost HDL and reduce triglycerides.

2. Review Medications

Certain medications can increase triglyceride levels, including corticosteroids, birth control pills, diuretics, beta blockers, and isotretinoin. Talk to your doctor about alternative options if you take any triglyceride-raising medications.

3. Avoid Processed Carbohydrates

Simple carbs like white bread, pasta, and sugar are broken down into triglycerides quickly by the liver. Cutting out processed carbs and replacing them with whole, fiber-rich options can help lower triglycerides.

4. Limit Fructose

Fructose, the sugar found in fruit and added to sugary foods, is converted to fat more readily than other sugars. Avoid sweetened drinks and limit juicing to keep fructose intake under control.

5. Eat More Omega-3s

Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon, walnuts, and flaxseed can help improve cholesterol transport and lower triglyceride levels. Aim for 2-3 servings of fatty fish per week.

6. Reduce Alcohol

Alcohol puts triglyceride production into overdrive. Limit intake to 1 drink per day for women and 2 for men to avoid spiking triglycerides.

7. Try Intermittent Fasting

Fasting periods allow your body to use up stored fat and triglycerides for energy. Try an eating schedule such as 16:8, with a 16 hour fast and 8 hour eating window daily.

8. Prioritize Sleep

Getting quality sleep is vital for metabolic health. Try to get 7-9 hours per night and avoid electronics before bed to optimize sleep. Poor sleep increases triglycerides.

9. Eat More Fiber

Soluble fiber has been shown to reduce triglyceride levels. Aim for 25-30 grams of fiber daily from foods like oats, nuts, beans, apples, and Brussels sprouts.

Foods That Lower Triglycerides

Along with the lifestyle approaches above, there are many healthy foods that can reduce triglycerides when included regularly in your diet:

Fatty Fish: Salmon, mackerel, herring, sardines, and other fatty fish provide omega-3 fats to reduce triglycerides.

Fiber-rich foods: Oats, chia seeds, avocado, nuts, beans, Brussels sprouts, and berries are all great sources of soluble fiber.

Legumes: Kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, and other legumes are full of protein and fiber with little saturated fat.

Nuts and seeds: In moderation, almonds, walnuts, and flaxseeds make great high fiber, plant-based snacks.

Leafy greens: Spinach, kale, and other leafy vegetables are low in carbohydrates and calories.

Whole grains: Brown rice, barley, buckwheat, and other whole grains are less likely to spike blood sugar than refined options.

Fruits: While limiting fructose from juices, whole fruits like apples, pears, and citrus contain fiber.

Whey protein: Whey is associated with lower triglycerides compared to other proteins like soy or casein.

Green tea: Some research indicates green tea may have a beneficial effect on cholesterol levels.

Lifestyle Changes Are Key for Long-Term Results

The good news is that lifestyle approaches like diet, exercise, sleep, reducing alcohol, and managing stress have been proven effective at reducing high triglycerides for good. Medications like fibrates and niacin can also help lower triglycerides when levels are very high.

However, maintaining healthy triglyceride levels requires permanent changes to your daily habits. Temporary diets or taking supplements without addressing root causes will not lead to lasting success.

Work on implementing two to three of the triglyceride-lowering tips above at a time until they become habitual. Getting your triglycerides under control will pay dividends for your heart health now and decades into the future.

Warning Signs Your Triglycerides Are Too High

Here are some signs that your triglyceride levels may be dangerously elevated:

• Fasting triglycerides consistently over 500 mg/dL
• Severe abdominal pain
• Fatty skin deposits and yellowing eyes
• Recurring pancreatitis
• Very low HDL (under 40 mg/dL)

If you are experiencing any of these warning signs, make an appointment with your doctor right away to get tested. Extremely high triglycerides above 1000 mg/dL can cause pancreatitis, which is a medical emergency.

Ask Your Doctor These Questions About Triglycerides

Having an open dialogue with your physician is key to getting your triglyceride levels under control. Here are some important questions to ask at your next appointment:

• What is my triglyceride number and what does it mean for my heart disease risk?
• Should I be on medication to lower my triglycerides?
• What triglyceride target should I aim for through diet and lifestyle?
• How often should I get follow-up blood tests to monitor progress?
• Could other health conditions be causing my high triglycerides?
• Are there any specialist referrals you recommend to help develop my triglyceride lowering plan?
• What diet changes do you specifically advise for me based on my lab results?

Knowing your numbers and having a detailed action plan tailored to your situation is key. Work closely with your doctor and be proactive to successfully reduce any high triglycerides.

Take Control of Your Heart Health

High triglycerides are a major warning sign for heart disease risk. The good news is by making lifestyle changes and working with your doctor, this is one risk factor that is very possible to improve dramatically.

Use the 9 proven triglyceride lowering tips outlined in this article to take control of your heart health starting today. With persistence and commitment to developing healthy daily habits long-term, you can bring your triglyceride levels into a normal healthy range and keep them there.