In recent blood tests, you came across a concept you were unaware of: triglycerides. Before you even ask your doctor for an opinion and recommendation - whether to treat and how - here are some important things to understand about this type of fat.
What are triglycerides?
As mentioned, this is a type of fat that is carried in the bloodstream, and it is the most common body fat, we will immediately explain why. Like cholesterol, high triglycerides are found alongside cholesterol levels in blood lipid profile testing. However, there is a major difference between the two types of fat and their effect on health.
Triglycerides consist of a sugar unit (glycerol) to which three fatty acids are attached. It originates in foods and especially in carbohydrate foods: Multiple sugar and fat eating stimulates the liver to produce excess triglycerides, which are a form of reserve storage for starvation times. In our age, where not only are we not hungry, but eat far more than we need for proper body function, high blood triglycerides can cause damage and disease
In the various high triglycerides high cholesterol?
While cholesterol is used to build cells and produce certain hormones, triglycerides, as mentioned, accumulate and are an emergency storage facility. As is well known, high blood cholesterol levels are considered a health risk, as excess cholesterol goes into the blood vessels and can block them, and therefore heart attacks or brain events.
High levels of triglycerides also cause sediment in the blood vessels, and therefore pose a risk for cardiovascular disease, but not only: High triglycerides can cause pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, fatty liver and metabolic syndrome, and related diseases: high blood pressure , diabetes, obesity and more.
Another difference between triglycerides and cholesterol is that while cholesterol is mainly made from saturated fat, triglycerides, as mentioned above, also form excess carbohydrates and especially sugar excess. Other causes of high blood triglycerides are:
- Obesity and high carbohydrate intake
- Untreated diabetes
- Hypothyroidism
- Kidney Diseases
- Increased alcohol consumption
- There are also some drugs that can cause high blood triglycerides, including steroids, birth control pills, diuretics, and more.
As mentioned, high triglycerides are detected in blood tests of the blood lipid profile. The recommended blood triglyceride level is 150% mg.
What are the causes of high levels of triglycerides?
How to reduce triglyceride levels?
The answer to that is simple, but it's not always. Still, it's worth a try:
- lose weight.
- Reduce the number of calories in your daily diet.
- Avoid eating processed foods.
- Avoid sugar, and foods that contain large amounts of sugar.
- Limit fat consumption, especially saturated fat and trans fat, and prefer unsaturated oils.
- Limit the amount of alcohol.
