How To Lower Cholesterol And Triglycerides – With a growing epidemic of childhood and adult obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease remains the leading cause of death and disability in the United States, affecting more than 13 million Americans. An estimated 31 percent of the US population has high triglycerides, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
A 2007 meta-analysis of a total of 3,582 cases of fatal and nonfatal coronary heart disease showed a significant association between triglyceride levels and coronary heart disease risk. (1)
How To Lower Cholesterol And Triglycerides
Triglycerides are a type of lipid or fat in your blood. Any calories you don’t need when you eat are converted to triglycerides and stored in your fat cells. Your hormones then release triglycerides for energy between meals. This cycle only becomes problematic when you consume more calories than you burn, resulting in high triglycerides, also known as hypertriglyceridemia.
How To Lower High Triglycerides: Calories, Fats, And Carbs
Triglycerides and cholesterol are different types of lipids that circulate in the blood. While triglycerides store unused calories and provide the body with energy, cholesterol is used to build cells and produce certain hormones. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) helps remove fat from the body by binding to it in the blood and returning it to the liver for disposal. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) transports mostly fats and only a small amount of protein from the liver to other parts of the body.
Although elevated LDL cholesterol is a major predictor of coronary heart disease, evidence suggests that elevated triglycerides are also an independent risk factor. Until recently, researchers believed that high triglycerides were not as significant as cholesterol in predicting plaque formation and heart disease, but that view has changed. Most experts now consider triglycerides to be the third most important risk factor for plaque buildup in the arteries, along with levels of “good” HDL cholesterol and “bad” LDL cholesterol.
In fact, in studies where LDL cholesterol was significantly reduced with statins, many patients still had elevated triglycerides, putting them at continued risk of cardiovascular disease. This proves that in addition to the critical role that LDL cholesterol plays in the buildup of plaque inside the arteries, called atherosclerosis, high triglycerides also play a significant role. (3)
Reviewed data on the association of triglycerides, HDL, and LDL cholesterol with coronary heart disease risk factors. The researchers found that among men and women with low HDL cholesterol and high triglycerides, smoking, diabetes, a sedentary lifestyle, hypertension, and obesity were much more common than among those at low risk with high HDL cholesterol and low triglycerides. (4)
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Hypertriglyceridemia is often observed in patients with type 2 diabetes because insulin plays an important role in regulating lipid homeostasis. When the body is resistant to insulin, organs that are sensitive to insulin regulation, such as adipose tissue, the liver, and skeletal muscle, cannot function properly.
Research shows that triglyceride levels predict cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Western society. (5) People with high triglycerides may have a significant risk of heart disease, even if their LDL cholesterol is at target.
A 2010 study at Harvard Medical School evaluated the relative contributions of triglycerides and HDL cholesterol to coronary heart disease risk after lowering LDL cholesterol. The study, which included 170 cases and 175 control patients, suggested that high triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol were associated with coronary heart disease even in patients with lower LDL cholesterol. The odds of coronary heart disease increased by about 20 percent for every 23 milligrams per deciliter increase in triglycerides. (6)
High triglycerides also increase the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes. It’s not that high triglycerides actually cause diabetes, but it does indicate that the body isn’t converting food into energy properly. Normally, the body produces insulin, which carries glucose into the cells, where it is used for energy. Insulin allows the body to use triglycerides for energy, but if a person is insulin resistant, the cells do not let insulin or glucose through, leading to a build-up of glucose and triglycerides in the blood.
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A 2011 study published in the Oman Medical Journal found that there was a close relationship between elevated serum triglycerides and elevated blood glucose, but high cholesterol did not have the same effect. Samples were collected from 438 men and women, both without diabetes and with non-insulin-dependent type 2 diabetes. In patients, the level of glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood serum was measured simultaneously. The results showed that raising triglycerides, but not cholesterol, had the same effect as raising both triglycerides and cholesterol on raising blood glucose. (7)
Hypertriglyceridemia also plays an increasingly important role in the current obesity epidemic. Studies show that triglyceride levels correlate more closely with waist circumference, and weight loss significantly improves hypertriglyceridemia. In a randomized trial of people with diabetes, those who received an intensive lifestyle intervention lost 8.6 percent of their baseline weight (compared to 0.7 percent in the control group) and more than doubled their triglyceride levels , than in the control group, despite taking a smaller amount of hypolipidemic drugs. Research proves that weight loss can achieve significant improvements in metabolism, and there is indeed a correlation between weight loss and lower triglycerides. (8)
Recent research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that high cholesterol and triglycerides can also keep vitamin E, an important micronutrient, in the blood, preventing it from reaching the tissues that need it. This can be especially problematic because vitamin E is very important for places like the brain, liver, eyes, skin, and artery walls. (9)
The two most common conventional treatments for high triglycerides are statins and fibrates, both of which have their own side effects.
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These prescription medications, like Lipitor or Zocor, are used by people who also have low HDL cholesterol and high LDL cholesterol. A study published in the American Journal of Cardiology found that statins are effective in treating high triglycerides, but only in patients with hypertriglyceridemia. Evidence shows that the more effective statins are at lowering LDL cholesterol, the more effective they will be at lowering triglycerides. (10)
The most common side effect of statins is muscle pain, and sometimes patients suffer from liver damage, increased blood sugar, and neurological problems such as memory loss and confusion.
Fibrates are used to lower triglyceride levels. Studies show that in patients with cardiovascular disease, moderately elevated triglycerides, and low HDL cholesterol, fibrates have been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events. Side effects of fibrates include nausea, upset stomach, and diarrhea. Fibrates can also irritate the liver and cause gallstones if used for several years. Fibrates and statins are sometimes used together in combination therapy, but this raises safety concerns and should be used with caution. (11)
Because of the association between increased body weight and high triglyceride levels, reducing caloric intake and losing weight can have a large effect on triglyceride levels. Stick to cholesterol-lowering foods like vegetables, nuts, seeds, garlic, and sweet potatoes.
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In a study conducted at the School of Medicine and Pharmacology in Australia, compared to weight loss, weight loss significantly reduced body weight, plasma insulin, triglycerides, total cholesterol, and LDL cholesterol. (12) To lose weight fast, start by avoiding empty calories throughout the day. This means cutting back on sugary drinks, refined carbohydrates and baked goods.
A study published in the American Journal of Physiology found that when rats were given fructose, triglyceride production increased by 20 percent. The results indicate that dietary fructose not only increases the production of triglycerides, but also impairs their excretion. Fructose is a natural simple sugar found in fruits, vegetables and honey. Instead of eating too many of these high-fructose foods, focus on incorporating complex carbohydrates and healthy fats into your diet. (13) Also, always avoid high fructose corn syrup, one of the worst ingredients.
A 2000 study at the Rogozin Institute in New York found that a very low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet rich in simple sugars increased the fraction of newly synthesized fatty acids along with increased plasma triglyceride concentrations. High in soluble fiber, complex carbohydrates keep you feeling fuller for longer periods of time, helping you lose weight and naturally lower triglycerides. Stick to sprouted seeds and nuts, quinoa, and other high-fiber foods. (14)
Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids lower serum triglycerides by reducing the supply of free fatty acids to the liver and decreasing the activity of triglyceride-synthesizing enzymes. Eat foods rich in omega-3s, such as wild-caught salmon and mackerel, chia seeds, flax seeds, grass-fed beef and bison, and eggs. ( 15a ) A keto diet high in healthy fats may actually reduce the risk of heart disease markers, including high cholesterol and triglycerides. (15b)
How To Lower Triglycerides With Lifestyle Changes
According to a study published in Current Opinion in Lipidology, heavy alcohol consumption may be harmful because it is associated with increased plasma triglyceride levels, as well as cardiovascular disease, alcoholic fatty liver disease, and
