Content

• Steps
• Advice

Triglycerides are a type of fat found in the blood. Triglyceride levels are usually tested at the same time as cholesterol levels. A triglyceride level above 200 mg / dL is considered high, but your doctor may consider a concentration above 150 mg / dL to be high. If your doctor tells you that your blood triglycerides are high, you can make lifestyle and dietary changes to naturally lower your triglycerides.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Changing Your Diet

1. 

   Cut out sweets from your diet. Consuming too many simple carbohydrates can lead to high triglyceride levels. Therefore, to lower your triglyceride levels, you need to cut back on sweets, including soft drinks, candies, biscuits and processed foods that contain too much sugar.

2. 

   
   
   Choose foods with complex carbohydrates. In general, you should cut down on carbohydrates to lower your triglyceride levels. However, you should not cut down on carbohydrates completely to avoid complications for your health, including cardiovascular disease. Instead, avoid consuming refined carbohydrates and replace them with complex carbohydrates.
   • Refined carbohydrates include foods made from white flour or semolina, including white rice, white bread, and a variety of pasta.
   • Complex carbohydrates include whole-grain pasta, whole-grain bread, quinoa, brown rice, oats, ...

3. 

   
   
   Increase your fiber intake. This step is similar to the one above, because complex carbohydrates are often a good source of fiber. In addition to whole grain foods, good sources of fiber include beans, fruits, vegetables and nuts. You can use pumpkin seeds, raspberries or apples - rich sources of fiber - to snack in place of sweets.
   • It is recommended to consume 25-30 g of fiber per day. Data show that in the US, people consume only 10-20 g per day.
   • Adding plenty of fiber also helps support digestion and bowel movements. Increase your fiber intake gradually to avoid discomfort. Also, drink enough water to soften stools.

4. 

   
   
   Avoid trans fats and saturated fats. Avoid trans fats by not consuming foods with "hydrogenated vegetable oils" in them. Saturated fat is often found in fried foods, salad dressings and sauces made with butter, shortening or lard.
   • Foods that typically contain trans fats are processed meats (such as sausages and canned meats) and greasy snacks.

5. 

   Choose healthy cooking oil. When cooking at home, use olive oil, flaxseed oil, walnut oil, or canola oil. These are better options than butter, margarine, or lard.
   • This is a simple, basic but very important step towards lowering your triglyceride levels. No matter how healthy foods are, they can be harmful if they're cooked in saturated or trans fat.

6. 

   Eat more foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids. You've probably heard of the "good" fats in fish. The good fats here are omega-3 fatty acids that help lower triglyceride levels. Besides fish, omega-3 fatty acids are also found in flaxseeds, legumes, soy products, and green leafy vegetables like spinach (spinach) and kale.
   • The American Heart Association recommends eating 2 servings of fish per week. Healthy fish include migratory salmon, non-migratory salmon, tuna and mackerel.
   • If you consume red meat, you should opt for grass-fed animals because their meat contains more omega-3 and omega-6.
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Method 2 of 3: Lifestyle Changes

1. 

   Quit smoking. Smoking not only causes many health complications, but also increases triglyceride levels.The simple and best step smokers can take to prevent disease is to quit smoking.
   • Even so, quitting abruptly rarely helps. Stop slowly using supportive methods, such as nicotine chewing gum and other tobacco cessation products. In addition, you can read articles on how to quit smoking.

2. 

   Exercise regularly. Burning calories also helps burn excess triglycerides in the body. Lack of physical activity (associated with being overweight) are two causes of increased triglyceride levels. If you are overweight, losing 5-7 kg will also help lower your triglyceride levels.
   • The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity cardio per week (or 75 minutes of intense exercise). That means you should do 30 minutes a day of exercises that increase your heart rate - like brisk walking or sports like swimming.

3. 

   Reduce alcohol consumption. If a person is sensitive to alcohol, consuming alcoholic beverages can cause triglyceride levels to rise. For them, only a small amount of alcohol will increase their triglyceride levels. Therefore, alcohol consumption should be avoided to see if this helps lower triglyceride levels.
   • Unfortunately, any alcoholic beverage can raise triglyceride levels. Therefore, you should reduce your consumption of beer, wine, and alcoholic beverages.
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Method 3 of 3: Take a Supplement

1. 

   Take fish oil pills. If you want to supplement with omega-3 fatty acids but don't want to eat fish, you can supplement it through fish oil pills - omgea-3 supplements. Fish oil has been shown to help lower triglyceride levels in adults. EPA and DHA are omega-3s found in fish oil. Take fish oil as directed.

2. 

   Take psyllium husk supplements. If you can't get enough fiber through your daily diet, you can take psyllium husk supplements. Psyllium husk is a water-soluble fiber and is available in many forms, including oral tablets and powders, such as Metamucil powder, that can be stirred in water. Research shows that a diet rich in fiber, including psyllium husk fiber, can help lower triglyceride levels.

3. 

   Supplement with soy protein every day. Soy protein is often available in the form of a powder that can be mixed into fruit juices, smoothies, ... Many studies show that soy protein supplements can help lower triglyceride levels and have positive effects. extreme cholesterol levels. Use as directed.
   • Research shows that Whey Protein also positively affects triglyceride levels.

4. 

   Take vitamin B3 supplements. Vitamin B3 (niacin) has been shown to be very effective in lowering triglyceride levels. However, you should consult your doctor and monitor your niacin supplement closely because high doses of niacin may cause side effects such as:
   • Skin flushing
   • Stomachache
   • Headache
   • Dizziness
   • Blurred vision
   • Risk of liver damage
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Advice

• Keep a copy of the glycemic index (GI) and use it on your diet. This index provides information on the number of calories and carbohydrates per serving from a variety of fresh and processed foods. The GI helps you set a limit on the amount of carbohydrates you should consume with each meal, thereby ensuring you get enough carbohydrates for energy without causing fat to get into the bloodstream.
• Always have your doctor test your triglyceride level with your cholesterol level at least 2 times a year. This step helps to avoid a sudden spike in triglyceride levels - a health hazard.