What Foods Help to Lower Triglyceride Levels?

Triglycerides are produced when we eat fatty foods and foods high in sugar. They are the most common form of fat found in our digestive systems, because our bodies use triglycerides to produce energy. However, high triglyceride levels can be dangerous, as they can lead to artery blockages and heart disease.

What Causes High Triglyceride Levels?

Although poor eating habits can be a contributing factor, underlying medical conditions can also exacerbate the negative effects of high triglyceride levels. High triglyceride levels are typically found in people who are obese, have uncontrolled type-2 diabetes, liver or kidney disease or hypothyroidism. Ideally, you want to have triglyceride levels below 150 mg/dL. Anything in the 200 to 500 range is considered too high and eating healthier foods can help dramatically reduce your triglyceride level to a healthy number.

What to Eat

There are several foods you can eat to help you reduce your triglyceride levels.
When selecting items, you want to focus on foods that will not cause your body to do extra work to digest them and which will not cause your system to store more fat than is needed. These sorts of items include healthy fats like the monounsaturated fat found in olive, peanut and canola oils. Three ounces of lean red meat (trimmed of fat), chicken, turkey or veal a day are good substitutions for fish that is high in omega-3 fatty acids (such as salmon or mackerel).

Drink mainly water to avoid the high sugar content of most flavored drinks and sodas. Limit fresh fruit juice (100 percent juice) to 4 oz. a day. Black coffee and herbal teas are fine, as are soft drinks with sugar substitutes. Skim milk is better than whole milk.

Fresh vegetables are highly encouraged to help lower triglyceride levels, as they have virtually no fat content and are high in mineral nutrition. As a general rule, you will want to include at least one serving (1/2 a cup) of a dark green vegetable per day (string beans, spinach), as well as a serving of fiber-rich veggies like broccoli and celery. Aim for three servings of fresh fruits daily, including at least one citrus fruit (oranges, grapefruits).

Whole grain and/or whole wheat bread and pasta are recommended, as is margarine over butter (used sparingly). Desserts should be limited, since most are high in sugar content, but items like water sherbet, unbuttered popcorn and skim milk pudding are acceptable in small portions (1/4 cup).

What Not to Eat

Avoid high-sugar content, trans-fats and highly processed foods. White sugar and white (bleached) flour can cause spikes in triglyceride levels. Additionally, alcohol should be avoided at all costs.