Foods to Have:
Salmon (cooked) 3 ounces
Oats (cooked) 1.5 cups
Psyllium husks 2 teaspoons
Soybeans (cooked) 1 cup
Best food groups: Whole grains; legumes; vegetables; protein such as fish, lean meats, or poultry
Also consider: Sweet potatoes, chia, cocoa
Do not consider: All sugars and alcohol! Bummer. Although alcohol raises HDL cholesterol, it can also raise triglycerides.
What are triglycerides and why is it a concern if they are high?
Quite simply, triglycerides are fats . . . or more technically, a molecule that contains three fatty acids attached to a glycerol backbone (a fancy term for a molecule that can hold up to three fatty acids).
If you have ever poured oil (pure triglycerides) into vinegar or water, then you can imagine what happens when we consume foods with triglycerides. In our intestines, triglycerides clump up into little balls called micelles. Our body cannot digest or break down the triglycerides in this form, so to break them down further, our liver secretes bile, which breaks up these little fat balls into tinier fat balls. Then a fat digestive enzyme called lipase breaks apart the triglycerides into smaller bits capable of being absorbed into the intestines. Once absorbed, these molecules travel into the bloodstream to fuel our entire body.
While triglycerides play a vital role in keeping us healthy, too much can be a bad thing. Just as with bad cholesterol, having a high level of triglycerides increases your risk of cardiovascular problems. Aim for a fasting level of less than 150 mg/dL.
Level Triglycerides (mg/dL)
Normal Less than 150
Borderline high 151–200 mg/dl
High 201–499 mg/dl
Very high 500 mg/dl or higher
Did you know?
A small percentage of the population has high triglycerides as a result of a genetic condition whereby small deposits of fat will form under the skin. Numerous mechanisms have been shown to contribute to high triglycerides for the rest of us, but a key component is an increase in the availability of fat in the liver. The liver gets fat from three sources: fat in the diet, carbs in the diet, or circulating free fatty acids from the breakdown of fat in fat cells. (Free fatty acids also prevent glucose from being absorbed in cells of the body and the glucose wanders around aimlessly in the blood, resulting in diabetes.) More common causes for high triglycerides include such medications as tamoxifen, steroids, beta-blockers, diuretics, estrogen, and birth control pills; obesity; poorly controlled diabetes; kidney disease; and excess alcohol intake.
You can reduce triglycerides with medications, as well as by losing weight if overweight, reducing simple sugars, avoiding daily alcohol consumption, and exercising regularly. Portion control is one of the best ways of decreasing both triglycerides and your waistline, which often go hand in hand.
Supplements:
A 2011 study published in the Journal of Metabolism and Cardiovascular Disease found that those who consumed 4 g of fish oil per day "experienced significant triglyceride lowering." The American Heart Association supports that people who have high triglycerides take a daily fish oil supplement that supplies 2 to 4 grams of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids. Fish oil therapy has been found to reduce triglycerides by 25 to 50 percent after one month of treatment. Omega-3 fatty acids appear to release the triglycerides from the liver.
Salmon
In a randomized crossover feeding study, twenty-five adults who had normal to mild elevations in their lipids were assigned three different diets: a control diet, a walnut diet (about 1.5 ounces daily), or a salmon diet (twice per week). Total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were reduced to a greater extent in the walnut diet, but the fish diet produced an 11 percent reduction in triglycerides.
Oats
To lower triglycerides and cholesterol, 1½ cups of cooked oatmeal daily is recommended, which supplies 3 grams of soluble fiber. Oatmeal contains beta-glucans, a special type of carbohydrate shown to help lower bad cholesterol as well as triglycerides. Oats in animal, human, and combined studies with other foods, such as soy and chia seed, have demonstrated significant impact on triglycerides. A seven-week randomized, controlled study of 150 men and women with moderately high cholesterol and triglycerides found that in those who consumed four servings per day of high-soluble fiber foods from either oatmeal or psyllium (and had weekly telephone conversations with a personal coach who instructed them on National Cholesterol Education guidelines), total cholesterol decreased by 5.6 percent, LDL cholesterol by 7.1 percent, and triglycerides by 14.2 percent, compared to the control group whose triglycerides decreased by only 1.9 percent.
Psyllium
In 2006, the FDA authorized a health claim that psyllium husk and beta-glucan in oats and barley can reduce the risk of heart disease. Many experimental and clinical studies have shown that psyllium lowers cholesterol, controls glucose and insulin, and lowers triglycerides. In a study of type 2 diabetics, the intervention group that consumed psyllium husks for two months had significantly lower triglycerides.
Soybeans
Soy and soy protein have been the subject of much research for their ability to reduce cholesterol; however, this legume's impact on triglycerides has not been as well promoted. Several animal and human studies have shown a positive impact on triglycerides. In a study of a cereal bar that contained soy protein rich in isoflavones, twenty-two adults who had elevated cholesterol and triglycerides consumed the bar daily for forty-five days. Triglycerides decreased by 20 percent and protective HDL cholesterol rose by 8 percent without additional diet restrictions in the group that consumed the soy cereal bar.