|
What Are Triglycerides?
Triglycerides can have a major impact on your health, but exactly what
are triglycerides?
Triglycerides are a type of fat found in the blood. Triglycerides are
an important source of energy for the body and the most common type of
fat in the body.
When foods or beverages are consumed, the body converts calories it
doesn't need to use right away into triglycerides and stores them in
fat cells to be used for energy at a later time. All excess calories are
stored in fat cells this way, regardless of if the calories come from fats,
carbohydrates or proteins.
Triglycerides are sometimes confused with cholesterol because they're
both lipids (fatty substances) that circulate in the blood, but triglycerides
and cholesterol are different types of lipids.
Triglycerides in normal amounts are important to good health, but high
amounts of triglycerides increase the risk for heart disease and stroke.
High triglycerides is also one of the components of
metabolic syndrome, which
is a group of health problems that occur together.
Your triglyceride level is measured by a blood test called a lipid
profile. A lipid profile shows your triglyceride level, total cholesterol
level, HDL (good) cholesterol level, and LDL (bad) cholesterol level.
Making the following healthy lifestyle changes is the best way to prevent
or lower high triglycerides:
Lose weight if you're overweight or obese - The more weight you
lose, the better chance you have for lowering your triglyceride level.
Eat smaller, more frequent meals - Eating small meals and snacks
throughout the day instead of two or three large meals is an effective way
to prevent or lower high triglycerides.
Eat the right type of fat - The majority of the fat in your diet
should be unsaturated fat. Limit saturated fat (but you do need some in your
diet) and avoid trans fat as much as possible.
Limit simple carbohydrates - Simple carbohydrates can cause a
sudden increase in blood sugar level and insulin production, which can lead
to high triglycerides.
Limit alcohol - Alcohol has a particularly potent effect on
triglycerides. Even small amounts of alcohol can promote high triglycerides.
Exercise on a regular basis - Both aerobic exercise and weight
lifting are effective ways to prevent or lower high triglycerides.
In conclusion, your triglyceride level is important, and it needs to be
considered along with other health measures such as cholesterol levels, blood
pressure and body fat percentage.
Visit the Health and Fitness Product Reviews
page for information on some excellent resources that can help you make the
healthy lifestyle changes needed to prevent or lower high triglycerides.
Leave the What Are Triglycerides page and return to the Health Condition Articles page
Leave the What Are Triglycerides page and return to the Home page
|
