Understanding the role of Triglycerides in our bodies

What are Triglycerides made of?

Triglycerides are a type of fat in your blood. Oil, margarine, butter, and most other fats in your food are triglycerides and your blood absorbs them after you eat. But that’s not the only source. Your body also turns extra calories -- especially from “simple carbs” such as pastries, white bread, candy, sugar, and alcohol -- into triglycerides and stores them in fat cells.

How are Triglycerides different from Cholesterol?

Both triglycerides and cholesterol are known as “lipids,” but only triglycerides are fats.

Can Triglycerides Be Good for You? Yes - in the right amounts. Your body uses them to transfer and store energy for later use. But, too many can raise your risk of heart disease, especially if you already have high levels of LDL “bad” cholesterol.

How Many Triglycerides are too many?

How do you know if you have too many triglycerides floating around or stored in your body? A lipid profile tells you the levels in your blood of triglycerides along with “good” (HDL) cholesterol and “bad” (LDL) cholesterol. Your doctor may plug those numbers into a formula to get a single number that shows “total blood cholesterol.” A high number can raise your risk for heart disease.

Other Reasons for High Triglycerides?

Age, family history, obesity/ overweight, smoking, alcohol, and blood pressure, can all affect your numbers so you want to be very proactive about lifestyle changes.

Now if you have unhealthy levels, will you have symptoms? Not usually -- at least not until it’s late in the game. That’s why it’s a good idea to test your lipid levels, including triglycerides, on a regular basis.

Understand Why you have high numbers?

If your numbers are high you first need to know the cause. It may be that you simply need to change your diet and get more exercise. But problems with your liver, thyroid, or other conditions like diabetes can also cause high levels. Or it may be a combination. Once your doctor figures this out, you can treat the root of the problem. In prevention though, diet matters – a lot!

What You Eat Matters!

Most triglycerides are made by your body from extra carbohydrates especially simple carbs and sugars so, greatly reduce your overall carb intake, as we advise here at BonVie Weight Loss, and be sure the carbs you do eat are complex like low glycemic vegetables and whole grains. If you are overweight losing those excess lbs of fat can be a major factor in lowering your triglyceride levels. When you overeat or eat the wrong foods, your body turns extra calories into triglycerides and stores them as fat.

Too Much Alcohol is Risky

Even moderate amounts of alcohol can raise your triglyceride levels. Alcohol use can lead to a fatty liver, a condition that is often a precursor to hepatitis and/or cirrhosis of the liver. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, or NIAAA, alcohol intake reduces the liver's ability to oxidize compounds correctly, which in turn can lead to an increased process by which free fatty acids are transformed into triglycerides.

Exercise Helps

Physical activity can make a significant difference in improving your triglyceride and cholesterol levels. Incorporating physical activities of at least moderate intensity (such as brisk walking) for a total of at least 150 minutes per week may contribute a 20% to 30% triglyceride-lowering effect.