« Articles

A Diet to Lower Triglycerides

By Tess Thompson

Triglyceride is an ester of glycerol and three fatty acids. It occurs naturally in animal and vegetable tissues, and consists of three individual fatty acids bound together in a single large molecule.

Triglycerides are an important energy source that forms much of the fat stored by the body. As a major component of some types of lipoproteins, they play a major role in metabolism as energy sources and transporters of dietary fats.

Triglycerides contain two times the energy contained in carbohydrates and proteins. During a process called lipolysis, they are split into glycerol and fatty acids and later go through complex processes before they are mixed with the blood. Different tissues capture large lipoprotein particles, which are later broken down to release free fatty acids, as and when the body needs energy. The brain cannot use fatty acids as an energy source and uses the glycerol component when it is converted as a brain fuel through a process known as gluconeogenesis.

However, high level of triglycerides in the blood is a cause for concern, as it is associated with atherosclerosis, which in turn is a major risk for coronary heart disease and stroke. Pancreatitis is another disease that is caused by high triglycerides.

High levels of triglycerides are commonly seen in obese people. If you consume more calories than you burn, the body transforms excess calories into triglycerides and stores them as body fat. However, if you source your carbohydrate, fat and protein consumption from healthy foods, you can effectively manage triglycerides and also lose weight. Some tested tips for lowering triglycerides include some of the following:

• The primary condition is an active lifestyle. Join a gym, go for a jog, or simply walk for at least 15 to 30 minutes daily. This will help to lose weight by burning excess calories.
• Choose low-fat or fat-free dairy products.
• Trim visible fat from meats.
• Cook food in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that lower LDL (the bad cholesterol) and increase HDL (the good cholesterol). Prefer canola, safflower, olive and peanut oils over vegetable shortening, hard margarine and butter.
• Make sure that you eat fruit on daily basis. Also include other high-fiber foods like whole grains and oatmeal.
• Restrict sugar intake.
• Lay more stress on foods that are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids like salmon, fish oils and flaxseed.
• Eat moderately.

A diet to lower triglycerides is quite similar to a weight loss program that is based on sound medical principles. It is better not to get swayed by the marketing hype used by fad or crash diets that try to sell unverifiable ideas of how to naturally lose weight fast.

References:

http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/triglycerdies
http://www.healthgoods.com/Education/Nutrition_Information/Nutrition_and_
Health/diet_lower_triglycerides.htm
http://www.healthcastle.com/triglycerides.shtml
http://www.all-about-lowering-cholesterol.com/diet-to-lower-triglycerides.html
http://www.uhs.wisc.edu/docs/uwhealth_trigly_361.pdf