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.
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
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:
1.
Lose Weight
Let a diet and nutrition expert, a registered
dietitian,
create a custom diet plan that
helps you to lower triglycerides
2. Avoid Alcohol and Sugars
3. And Follow a Very Low Fat Diet
with
5-10% of
total calories from fat if your triglyceride
levels are very high.
Let a nutrition expert
help you with a
diet to lower and improve your high
triglyceride
levels,
help you to lower your cholesterol and blood
pressure, to lose weight or any combination of
these, and more!
Find out what you can do to lower your
triglicerides today with
PersonalDiets™
FREE Diet Analysis
