My Blood Test Shows a High Triglyceride (Fat) Level

Your doctor has identified that on your recent blood test, you have a higher-than-average triglyceride (fat) level. The information below outlines what this means, what it could suggest for your health, and what can be done to change it.

What are Triglycerides?

When we think about food, we think about it being made up of carbohydrate, proteins and fat. These are the three ‘macronutrients’ of our diets and a balanced proportion of each is essential to our function and survival. We often think about fat as being bad, but it is no less important than any other nutrient. Issues can arise however when the body’s fat levels are higher than average. When we measure fat levels (also known as your lipid profile), we tend to distinguish between two types of fat: triglycerides and cholesterol. We often hear about the importance of having healthy cholesterol levels but having healthy triglyceride levels is just as vital.

Why do I Need Healthy Triglyceride Levels?

To be Written.

What is a Normal Triglyceride Level?

If your doctor has not already told you, you should ask what your own triglyceride level is. Normal levels are less than 1.7 mmol/l. You should make a note of these numbers in order to set yourself a target before your next blood test.

How Can I Lower My Triglyceride Levels?

Luckily, the lifestyle changes that have been found to improve triglyceride levels are very similar to the changes that can also improve blood pressure, cholesterol levels, diabetes risk and cardiovascular health. By learning about and adopting these changes, you would be helping to improve all of these aspects of health.

It’s easy enough to say, ‘improve diet and exercise’, but what exactly does this involve and what specific changes do I need to make? We’ll start by covering simple modifications that can be made to our diet, and then we’ll cover the types of exercise that can be slotted into our lifestyles.

What Changes can I Make to My Diet?

Reduce Daily Calorie Intake

Our bodies will convert excess calories into fats (triglycerides) which are then stored in the liver. This is a normal process which is used for energy storage, but by consuming too many calories we will end up with larger fat stores than we need. These fats can make their way to other tissues in the body, including the blood vessels. It is therefore important to reduce our overall daily calorie intake in order to reduce triglyceride levels. Don’t forget that there are plenty of calories in alcohol so make sure to take this into account also when thinking about your daily calorie intake. Alcohol also contains a high sugar concentration which can result in higher triglyceride production (more on this below) so you may even want to consider cutting out alcohol completely until your triglyceride levels are under control.

Explore a Plant-Based or Mediterranean Diet

You will hear of information these days about the benefits of a plant-based diet. Fats in foods are essential to our survival but not all fats are equal. The sorts of fats you tend to find in plant-based foods are generally better than the types you find in meat products. You will want to avoid saturated fats found in meats and opt for plant-based fats and oils, such as olive oils instead. If you are not keen on a purely plant-based diet, try to limit your meat consumption to one or two days a week (and on these days, stick to leaner cuts of meats such as skinless chicken breast). You will find that oily fish such as mackerel and salmon contain high levels of healthier omega-3 fatty acids which are more beneficial for triglycerides and cardiovascular health. Two portions of oily fish a week would be a suitable inclusion in a weekly meal plan. There has been lots of evidence to suggest that a Mediterranean diet (which consists of vegetables, fish, legumes, nuts, seeds and wholegrains etc.) has a positive effect on life expectancy and cardiovascular health. You can find out more about the Mediterranean diet here and you can also read about some of the evidence regarding good cardiovascular outcomes here.

Avoid Sugars and Simple Carbohydrates

We are all aware of the link between sugar consumption and the risk of diabetes, but continuous sugar exposure can also increase the body’s levels of triglycerides. If your body’s energy requirements are fuelled by sugar intake, it is less able to break down and get rid of its triglyceride stores. By reducing your sugar intake, the body relies more on its fat stores for energy, reducing the overall triglyceride levels. It also means that less carbohydrate is converted into fat for storage. We can cut down on our sugar and unrefined carbohydrate levels by limiting sweet deserts, alcohol, sugary drinks and sugary breakfast cereals. Also think about swapping out white bread and pasta for the whole-grain variety as these are lower in calories and sugars but higher in fibre. If you also happen to be diabetic, having stable sugar levels is even more important here and it would be worth discussing your diabetic control with your doctor if you have concerns.

What Sort of Exercise Should I Do?

To be Written.