What Is the Best Triglyceride Lowering Diet?

You (or a loved one) probably have high triglycerides. This sounds like the beginning of a drug commercial, but it’s true.

Overall, 31% of the adult United States population has triglyceride levels that are equal to or above 150 mg/dL. In other words, about 1 in every 3 people has above normal triglyceride levels. So, what does this mean exactly?

Why Triglyceride Levels Matter

Although high triglycerides rarely cause issues on their own, they are associated with:

• An increased risk of heart disease. Studies suggest that high triglyceride levels impair cholesterol levels, increasing the amount of atherogenic (plaque forming) cholesterol particles in the blood.
• Obesity. One study found that approximately 80% of people who are obese or overweight had triglyceride levels ≥150 mg/dL. This suggests that obesity and high triglyceride levels are intimately linked.
• Metabolic syndrome. The prevalence of triglyceride levels ≥150 mg/dL is nearly twice as high in people who have metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a condition that is commonly diagnosed when the person has high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels.
• Excess visceral fat (fat around the organs). Excess body fat is associated with elevated triglyceride levels, but visceral fat is a greater contributor than subcutaneous fat (fat that is found under the skin rather than near vital organs).
• Poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. Around 35% of people with type 2 diabetes have high fasting triglyceride levels. This suggests that blood sugar and triglyceride levels are intimately linked.
• Hypothyroidism. When the levels of thyroid hormone are low, cholesterol and triglycerides stay in the blood for a longer period of time, which increases the likelihood of heart disease and fatty plaque build-up in the arteries.
• Kidney disease. Triglyceride levels of >200 mg/dL are present in about half of those with chronic kidney disease, which is commonly caused by diabetes and high blood pressure.
• Rare genetic conditions. Ridiculously high triglyceride levels ( >1000 mg/dL) or chronically high triglycerides that aren’t easily explained by dietary and lifestyle factors are associated with rare genetic variants. However, in most cases, high triglycerides can be treated with diet and lifestyle changes.

It may be worrisome at first because of all issues that are associated with high triglyceride levels, but it is nothing to go to the hospital over. Our triglyceride levels do, however, provide us with important clues. The intimate link between triglycerides, blood sugar, cholesterol, and many of the conditions listed above give us a clearer picture of what causes high triglyceride levels and how to optimize them.

Why Do You Have High Triglycerides?

However, one big problem arises if we live in westernized societies — there is an over abundance of food at all time. If you are reading this right now, you probably live in an area where many different varieties of food are always available. In this kind of food environment, our emotional and instinctual desires override all logical sense, so most of us eat more calories and carbohydrates than we need.