Having a high triglyceride level is concerning because it can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. If you want to reduce them quickly, making the following lifestyle changes and taking medications can make a big difference.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Diet Changes
Step 1. Eliminate sweets from your diet
Refined and added sugars can cause an increase in triglycerides, so one of the fastest ways to reduce them is to decrease your sugar intake. This is because sugars are often unnecessary calories that are converted into triglycerides (a form of fat) to store them in the body.
- Limit added sugars to less than 5-10% of the calories you normally consume. For women, this means that sugars can be as much as 100 calories per day. For men, it means sugars can reach 150 calories per day.
- Avoid foods like overly sweet desserts and concentrated fruit juices.
Step 2. Cut down on refined carbohydrates
White rice and baked goods made from white flour or semolina can cause an increase in triglycerides in some individuals. If your doctor thinks this is a problem for you, cut back on refined carbohydrates to get an immediate result on your triglyceride level.
- As an alternative to refined carbohydrates, opt for wholemeal bread and pasta.
- Reduce the overall amount of carbohydrates and consume more protein instead. Proteins have a lower "glycemic index" than carbohydrates, which means they are absorbed more slowly into the bloodstream. This, in turn, is important for lowering blood sugars and reducing blood levels of "lipids" (including triglycerides).
Step 3. Eliminate alcohol
Alcohol can increase blood triglycerides, especially in those who are more predisposed. You should really avoid drinking alcoholic beverages around the time you are trying to lower triglycerides.
Once your triglycerides have returned to an acceptable level, you can gradually reintroduce alcohol back into your diet. However, avoid drinking too much or too often, as abuse can return triglycerides to still dangerous levels
Step 4. Eat more omega-3 fatty acids
These are considered "good" fats and consuming them regularly can help the body maintain normal triglyceride levels.
- Eat about two servings of oily fish every week. If you maintain a certain consistency in this type of diet, you will notice changes in the levels of triglycerides in the blood.
- Fatty fish rich in omega-3s include salmon, mackerel, sardines, tuna and trout.
- Other sources of omega-3s are ground flax seeds and their oil, soybeans, legumes, nuts, and dark green leafy vegetables. Add these extra sources into your diet every day.
- A good quality omega-3 supplement can be extremely beneficial, as it helps balance the overall omega-3 / omega-6 ratio.
Step 5. Eat plant-based foods
In particular, if you opt for protein from plant-based sources (rather than red meat), you may notice that cholesterol and triglyceride levels drop significantly.
- Dried beans, peas and soy are all plant-based products rich in protein.
- You can also eat chicken instead of red meat, as it is a more suitable food for keeping triglycerides at an acceptable level.
Step 6. Eat lots of fiber
Fiber helps regulate the way food is absorbed and how it transits through the body until it is expelled; foods rich in it help to significantly reduce triglycerides and cholesterol.
- The fiber combined with the water present in the intestine forms a gelatinous matrix to which the fats attach; in this way the fats (including triglycerides) present in the body and which are absorbed by the body are reduced in percentage. An added benefit of fiber is that it can keep the digestive tract healthy in many different ways.
- To incorporate more fiber into your diet, eat more whole grains. You should also increase your consumption of beans, fruits and vegetables.
- In addition, the fiber satiates earlier, thus preventing you from overeating.
- Drink more water when you increase your fiber intake, otherwise you may experience intestinal upset that can be moderate but also severe.
Step 7. Monitor your fat intake
Saturated and trans fats are particularly harmful to the body, so trying to cut them down as much as possible from your diet can have a significant and positive effect on triglyceride levels.
- Packaged and fast food foods are the biggest culprits for these "bad" fats. Even products of animal origin and all those based on hydrogenated vegetable oil can be just as harmful, as can lard, lard or margarine.
- Instead, choose mono and polyunsaturated fats. The body needs to take in fatty substances; these sources are considered healthy and do not have a great impact on triglycerides. These include olive oil, rapeseed oil, rice bran, walnut oil and flaxseed oil.
Step 8. Limit fructose
This is the sugar found naturally in many fruits, honey and some forms of table sugar. Limiting fructose levels to less than 50 or 100 grams per day can help reduce triglycerides faster.
- Fruits with a reduced amount of fructose include apricots, citrus fruits, cantaloupe, strawberries, avocados and tomatoes; if you want to include fruit in your diet, these are the preferred fruits to choose.
- Fruits with higher amounts of fructose include mangoes, bananas, plantains, grapes, pears, apples, watermelons, pineapples and blackberries; these are fruits that you should avoid or at least reduce in your diet.
Part 2 of 3: Changes in Physical Activity and Lifestyle
Step 1. Adjust your calorie intake
Pay close attention to how many calories you consume each day and consider if you can reduce them (consult your doctor to find a safe and achievable goal).
- This is especially important if you are overweight or obese. Excess weight could be a source of high triglyceride levels.
- Most women should aim to consume 1,200 calories per day, while most men should aim for 1,800 calories (but this can vary based on physical activity level and other factors). If you have a significant need to lose weight or reduce calories, your doctor can recommend a special diet that also includes fewer calories, but do not follow a diet of this type on your own initiative without your doctor's approval.
- Especially avoid late-night snacks before bedtime.
Step 2. Eat smaller portions
Eating smaller, more frequent meals is better than two or three large ones.
Step 3. Exercise
Moderate exercise is essential if you want to reduce both cholesterol and triglycerides.
- Resist the urge to set up a rigorous training regimen. You may be led to think that starting with a demanding exercise program can reduce triglycerides faster, but this is a bad technique in the long run. If you start with a workout that is too demanding from the start, there is a strong risk that you will break the plan you have set for yourself. Instead, start by introducing 10 minutes of exercise into your daily routine, adding a couple of minutes each week until you can easily work out 30 or 40 minutes.
- Make sure you perform different tasks in your schedule. One day you walk, another you ride your bike, follow the exercises proposed by the DVDs and so on. Be creative; if you include various activities in your training program, you can avoid it becoming boring; moreover, in this way, you can also find the type of specific physical activity that is most fun and interesting for you!
Step 4. Stop smoking
This is a key step in reducing the risk of heart disease, as well as lowering triglyceride levels.
- Smoking contributes to several "cardiovascular risk factors", including increased blood clotting, damage to the arteries and less control of the "lipid level" (including triglycerides) in the blood.
- By stopping smoking, you significantly improve more aspects of your health. Try to find a support program or group in your area that helps people in the process of quitting. Alternatively, talk to your doctor who will surely be able to give you directions and support.
Part 3 of 3: Taking Medication
Step 1. Get some bundles
This class of drugs includes gemfibrozil and fenofibrate.
- Fibrates are carboxylic acids, a type of organic acid made up of carbon and oxygen. They are also amphipathic; this means they are attracted to both fats and water.
- These drugs increase HDL levels, reducing triglyceride levels, thanks to lower liver production of a particle that carries triglycerides.
- Keep in mind that fibrates can cause digestive upset and liver irritation, as well as gallstones; they are also dangerous when taken together with anticoagulants and can cause muscle damage when taken with statins.
Step 2. Try nicotinic acid
The most common is niacin.
- Nicotinic acid is another carboxylic acid.
- Like fibrates, it reduces the liver's ability to produce triglyceride-carrying particles which are called VLDL or very low density lipoproteins.
- In addition, it is capable of raising HDL ("good cholesterol") cholesterol more than many other drugs of this type.
- Consult your healthcare provider before taking this drug, as it can interact with other medicines and has dangerous side effects.
- Possible serious side effects include breathing difficulties, stomach pain, jaundice and dizziness. While they may be rare, it is important to be aware of them.
Step 3. Consider getting a prescription for omega-3s
Obviously, consuming more omega-3 fatty acids can greatly affect your triglyceride levels, but if you can get them prescribed in high doses, then know that the reduction in triglycerides will be even more noticeable.
- Omega-3 supplements usually come in the form of fish oil tablets.
- Be sure to take them in high doses only under the guidance and assistance of a doctor, as they may interact with other medications. In addition, too high doses could severely thin the blood and lower blood pressure, as well as significantly raise blood sugar levels and impair liver function. Not to mention that they could even create mental disorders.
Step 4. Learn about statins
The most frequently used is atorvastatin; others are fluvastatin, lovastatin, pitavastatin, pravastatin, rosuvastatin and simvastatin.
- These drugs lower cholesterol by blocking an enzyme known as HMG-CoA reductase, which plays a key function in the production of cholesterol.
- The main purpose of statins is to reduce LDL cholesterol; they can also reduce triglycerides, but are somewhat less effective than many other types of drugs that are prescribed specifically for this purpose.
- Side effects of statins are rare, but serious. The worst is causing muscle damage, especially if the drug is taken in combination with a fibrate, but it can also cause liver problems and increase the risk of diabetes.
- Keep in mind the symptoms of excessive omega-3 intake. These can include oily rashes on the skin, cravings, greasy hair, and a general feeling of exhaustion.
Advice
- Before making any major health changes, you need to understand why you are making them. A high level of triglycerides is one of the main "risk factors" for heart disease (including heart attacks, strokes and "atherosclerosis," which is a hardening of the arteries).
- When triglyceride levels are not normal, they also contribute to the formation of what is called "metabolic syndrome". Any person who has three or more of the following problems: elevated blood pressure, elevated triglycerides, elevated HDL cholesterol levels, increased waist circumference, and / or elevated blood sugar levels are diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. Basically, it is a lifestyle-induced "syndrome" that increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, liver fat, and various types of cancer. Therefore, these are additional reasons that should entice you to want to reduce your triglyceride levels.
- The sooner you start changing and improving your lifestyle, including diet and exercise (with the addition of medications as needed, and as recommended by your doctor), the happier you will feel and on your way to achieving a life. healthy and satisfying. Sometimes getting started is the hardest part, but the progress you make will stimulate and encourage you more and more.
