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High triglycerides? Here are 10 tips that will help

By Jeremy Cockerill | November 12, 2009

Q My doctor told me I had high triglycerides. Is there something I can do to lower them? — J.R., Winterville

A Lots of folks in eastern North Carolina know that LDL or bad cholesterol is a risk for heart disease, but for several years we have known that having high triglyercides also is a risk factor. Dr. Mary Dawson, a senior Family Medicine resident physician, wanted to tell you about lifestyle changes that can make a difference.

Triglycerides are a type of fat in your bloodstream. They come from fats eaten in foods or made in the body from other energy sources like carbohydrates.

When you eat, your body uses the calories it needs for quick energy and the excess calories are turned into triglycerides and stored in fat cells. Then, in between meals, there are hormones that may release triglycerides if you need energy. So, if you typically eat more calories than you burn, especially too many calories from fat, simple sugars and/or alcohol, you may have high triglycerides.

I often find my patients that love sweets and drink lots of beer or wine, often have higher than normal triglycerides.
A normal triglyceride level is less than 150. Borderline is 151-199. High is 200-499. And, if your triglycerides are greater than 500, they are very high.

I have 10 tips for diet to help with high triglycerides.

Decrease portion sizes and calorie intake — avoid overeating.

Avoid saturated and trans fats in foods by eating less fast and fried foods.

Select lean meats such as poultry without skin, lean beef or pork.

Eat fish at least twice a week, such as fish high in omega-3-fatty acids, like mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon.

Avoid concentrated sweets like pies, cakes, cookies, candy, ice cream, jams, jellies, juices and juice drinks.

Choose sugar-free beverages like water, diet soda, sugar-substitute drinks like Crystal Light, and use sugar substitutes.

If you drink, consume no more than one drink a day for women or two alcoholic beverages a day for men. A serving size is 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of spirits (80 proof).

Choose whole grain or brown breads, crackers, cereals, rice, pasta.

Eat more fruits and vegetables.

Eat up to one-fourth cup of nuts per day, including almonds, walnuts, peanuts, mixed nuts.

Also avoid inactivity. Accumulate 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderately intense (or 75 minutes of vigorous) activity per week. This could be done by walking 3,000 steps in a day (at a rate of 1,000 steps in 10 minutes), five days a week. Activity may be in 10 minute bouts. Do muscle strengthening at least two days per week. If you use tobacco, stop. Lose weight if you are overweight.
If these measures don’t work, your doctor will talk with you about taking a medication like nicotinic acid (Niacin), fibrates like Gemfibrozil (Lopid) and Fenofibrate (Tricor), and also fish oil capsules, also called omega-3-fatty acids or Omacor (a prescription fish oil product).

Professor Kathy Kolasa, a registered dietitian and Ph.D., works with the Family Medicine Center, Brody School of Medicine at ECU. Contact her at kolasaka@ecu.edu.