Fats By Another
Name
Triglycerides are the name given to
fats made by the body from the fat in food (and
sometimes from sugars. Triglycerides are
carried in the blood and stored in the body as fatty
tissue. Some triglycerides also are made in
the liver.
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Fat in Foods >> Triglycerides in
Blood >> Fat Tissue
Triglycerides and cholesterol are not
the same. Triglycerides are fats, cholesterol
is not a fat, only a fat-like substance insoluble in
water. Both are part of the "lipids" carried
in the blood.
Triglycerides are the fats carried in
the blood. Cholesterol is transported in the
blood, associated with proteins in lipoproteins.
Contrary to cholesterol, triglycerides have to be
measured in a fasting state. They are
expressed, like cholesterol, in mg/dl (milligrams
per deciliter).
Triglycerides
and Heart Disease
If fat is cleared from the blood too
slowly or when the liver produces more fat than the
body can handle, the level of blood triglycerides
rises. Sugar and some carbohydrates also can
raise certain triglyceride-rich particles, but
usually only on a short-term basis. "Hypertriglyceridemia"
refers to a high blood triglyceride level. It
can be:
Normal Levels
High
blood triglyceride levels may be a risk for
heart disease by themselves, even when
cholesterol levels are normal. One reason for
this may be thath high triglyceride levels are
usually associated with a low level of the
"good" cholesterol, HDL. A low level of
HDL is one of the risks for heart disease.
High triglyceride levels also make the blood
more likely to clot. A combination of high
blood cholesterol and high triglycerides
definitely is a risk for heart disease.
Side effects of high triglyceride levels are
enlargement of the liver and intense pain due to
pancreatitis.
Normal blood triglyceride level
are:
190 mg/dl or below for
adults-------------------90 mg/dl for children
Even better, a triglyceride level below 150 for
adults, according to some experts
Blood
triglyceride levels can be very high , in thousands
of mg/dl
So what can you
do instead of medication to improve your
triglyceride levels?
Caution:
For very elevated triglyceride levels, your
physician may prescribe drug treatment in addition
to diet. All drugs have side effects. Do not
use them without a physician's recommendation.
Your triglyceride levels will
drop and side effects will
disappear if you:
-
Lose Weight
Let a diet and nutrition expert,
a registered dietitian, create a custom diet
plan that helps you to lower triglycerides
-
Avoid Alcohol and Sugars
-
Follow a Very Low
Fat Diet with
5-10% of
total calories from fat if your triglyceride
levels are very high.
-
Get expert
diet help to lower & improve your high
triglyceride levels,
Lower your cholesterol, blood pressure, lose
weight or a combination of each.
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Diet Sample...
