Triglycerides

Read:

1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/triglycerides/art-20048186
2. https://medlineplus.gov/triglycerides.html#:~:text=Triglycerides%20are%20a%20type%20of,does%20not%20need%20right%20away.

What are they?

1. They are a type of fat.
2. The most common type of fat in your body.
3. They come from foods, especially butter, oils, and other fats you eat.
4. They are an important measure of heart health.

What causes high triglycerides?

Factors that can raise your triglyceride level include:

1. Regularly eating more calories than you burn off, especially if you eat a lot of sugar. Triglycerides also come from extra calories. These are the calories that you eat, but your body does not need right away. Your body changes these extra calories into triglycerides and stores them in fat cells. When your body needs energy, it releases the triglycerides. Your VLDL cholesterol particles carry the triglycerides to your tissues. When you eat, your body converts any calories it doesn’t need to use right away into triglycerides. The triglycerides are stored in your fat cells. Later, hormones release triglycerides for energy between meals. If you regularly eat more calories than you burn, particularly from high-carbohydrate foods, you may have high triglycerides (hypertriglyceridemia).
2. Being overweight or having obesity
3. Cigarette smoking
4. Excessive alcohol use
5. Certain medicines
6. Some genetic disorders
7. Thyroid diseases
8. Poorly controlled type 2 diabetes
9. Liver or kidney diseases

Harmful effects

1. Having a high level of triglycerides can raise your risk of heart diseases, such as coronary artery disease.
2. High triglycerides may contribute to hardening of the arteries or thickening of the artery walls (arteriosclerosis) — which increases the risk of stroke, heart attack and heart disease. Extremely high triglycerides can also cause acute inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis).
3. High triglycerides are often a sign of other conditions that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, including obesity and metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions that includes too much fat around the waist, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, high blood sugar and abnormal cholesterol levels.
4. High triglycerides can also be a sign of:
   1. Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes
   2. Metabolic syndrome — a condition when high blood pressure, obesity and high blood sugar occur together, increasing your risk of heart disease
   3. Low levels of thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism)
   4. Certain rare genetic conditions that affect how your body converts fat to energy

How to regulate high levels of triglycerides?

You may be able to lower your triglyceride levels with lifestyle changes:

1. Not smoking
2. Limiting alcohol
   1. Limit how much alcohol you drink. Alcohol is high in calories and sugar and has a particularly potent effect on triglycerides. If you have severe hypertriglyceridemia, avoid drinking any alcohol.
3. Exercise regularly. Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most or all days of the week. Regular exercise can lower triglycerides and boost “good” cholesterol. Try to incorporate more physical activity into your daily tasks — for example, climb the stairs at work or take a walk during breaks.
4. Avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates, such as sugar and foods made with white flour or fructose, can increase triglycerides.
5. Lose weight. If you have mild to moderate hypertriglyceridemia, focus on cutting calories. Extra calories are converted to triglycerides and stored as fat. Reducing your calories will reduce triglycerides.
6. Switching from saturated fats to healthier fats.
   1. Choose healthier fats.
   2. Trade saturated fat found in meats for healthier fat found in plants, such as olive and canola oils.
   3. Instead of red meat, try fish high in omega-3 fatty acids — such as mackerel or salmon.
   4. Avoid trans fats or foods with hydrogenated oils or fats.

What’s the difference between triglycerides and cholesterol?

Triglycerides and cholesterol are different types of lipids that circulate in your blood:

Triglycerides store unused calories and provide your body with energy. Cholesterol is used to build cells and certain hormones.