How to lower blood triglycerides quickly? I love these kinds of questions for two reasons:
1) Indeed the prevention of a disease is more important than managing it after it has already happened.
2) I find it important that we reduce our reliance on prescription drugs and encourage non-drug management, including nutrition awareness, effective stress management techniques, and physical activity.
How to lower triglycerides quickly
I’d like to clarify the word quickly.
Sometimes, the desire to achieve a goal quickly leads to frustration and disappointment.
It’s important to dedicate the necessary time to achieve a goal.
I’ve used the word quickly in this post because I’ve seen numerous patients who were able to lower their blood triglycerides level promptly (within 6-8 weeks) after adopting the following management.
Understandably, this time can vary among different individuals.
Sometimes, medications are necessary for reducing extremely high blood triglyceride levels. However, most individuals will not require drug therapy if they implement the appropiate lifestyle changes.
Triglycerides function
Triglycerides have three molecules of fatty acids plus glycerides.
And, it’s the most common form of fat that humans digest.
Dangers of high triglycerides
Triglycerides are a significant risk factor of coronary heart disease, especially in women.
Similar to elevated levels of fasting, very high levels of non-fasting triglycerides may increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
Here are simple ways in which you can reduce your blood triglyceride level.
Regular exercise and triglycerides
A regular exercise routine consisting of at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity (e.g., brisk walking) most days (or a total of 150 minutes per week), may help lowering triglyceride levels in the blood.
We have different forms of exercise. They include:
- Cardio-respiratory (heart and lung)
- Stretching or flexibility
- Power or resistance
- Neuromuscular
I’ll concentrate on cardio-respiratory exercise in this article.
Many studies have shown the considerable value of 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical exercise in reducing risk factors for heart disease and stroke (such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, insulin resistance).
You may ask what exactly moderate-intensity physical exercise means.
Let me give you a couple of examples.
For instance, moderate-intensity walking includes approximately 100 steps per minute for around 30 minutes per session or biking with a 5-9 mph speed on level terrain.
The good news for many of us with stressful lives is that we can accumulate exercise time in bouts of 10 minutes to achieve a daily goal of 30 minutes.
Studies have shown that 3 times 10 minutes sessions of exercise (instead of a single 30-minute session) will also help you in achieving your healthy goals.
Triglycerides fish oil dosage
The American Heart Association, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Health and Human Services recommend regular consumption of fatty fish (salmon, tuna, herring, sardines, mackerel, and trout) that provide omega-3 fatty acids (docosahexaenoic acid [DHA] and eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA]).
Eating eight ounces of fatty fish per week provides an average of almost 500 mg/d DHA and EPA.
Interesting fact:
Treatment consisting of 4 g of omega-3 fatty acids per day could reduce the blood triglyceride level by almost 45%.
Higher doses, DHA and EPA lower serum triglycerides by reducing the liver production of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (proteins that transport fat).
I’ve analyzed several studies and here is my opinion about taking fish oil–click here.
Triglycerides and alcohol consumption
The recommended alcohol intake isn’t more than one drink per day for women and up to two drinks per day for men.
Alcohol and triglyceride test
Researches suggest that when drinking alcohol the level of triglycerides increases and reaches its peak at about 3 hours after consumption.
Alcohol intake can significantly increase the average fasting triglyceride level up to 53%.
Moderate consumption of alcohol could benefit the heart and vascular system. On the contrary, increased consumption of alcohol could increase the risk of death.
So, having one or two glasses of wine a day appears to be fine, understating that the recommendations are different for women and men.
You may ask why? Why should gender affect how much alcohol we should drink?
This recommendation takes into account the difference between average weight and metabolism of men and women, especially the number of enzymes necessary to dissolve the alcohol in body (alcohol-dehydrogenase) that’s higher in men than women.
Limit total carbohydrate consumption
Individuals with high carbohydrate consumption who attempt to replace fat with carbs could see an elevated triglyceride level and lower high-density lipoprotein (HDL or good cholesterol).
We’ve many people who I like to call, “master of oversimplification”. Unfortunately, our society often asks for oversimplified explanations for complex problems.
The importance of consuming carbohydrates as part of a healthy diet is one of the most misunderstood topics in health and nutrition.
You need to know that carbohydrates are necessary for the healthy function of your body. Therefore, you should be cautious with completely removing carbohydrates from your diet.
According to different dietary recommendations, 50-60% of each meal should be in carbs. Sometimes this ratio needs to be adjusted according to an individual’s medical conditions.
However, like everything else we should be aware that high consumption of more powerful and fast-acting carbs such as sugar, white bread, potatoes, noodles, white rice could significantly affect your triglyceride level.
It’s recommended to consume slow/long-acting carbohydrates instead of rapid/short-acting ones. For example, whole grain bread, brown rice, and noodles. are slow/long-acting carbs.
You should also get rid of any unnecessary sugar where and when you can. That would help and bring you closer to your healthy goals.
List of foods that lower triglycerides
The following foods could lower your blood triglyceride level, but you still need to keep the portions of these foods small.
- Fruits (apples, banana and avoid fruit juice)
- Vegetables
- Beans
- Sweat potatoes (instead of white potatoes)
- Walnuts
- Omega 3 fatty acids ((salmon, tuna, herring, sardines, mackerel, and trout)
- Choose 100% whole grain bread, cereals, brown rice and noodles
How to lower triglycerides quickly (and naturally) in 7 steps
I wish you good luck in your endeavor to learn about triglycerides, and it’s treatment.
Please send me your questions. Or go to the comments section and let me know what you think.
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