Triglycerides: Why They Matter and How to Lower Them

Triglycerides are a type of fat. Actually, they're the most common type of fat in foods and in your body. When you eat foods containing fat and oil, such as butter, French fries, and chocolate chip cookies, the body takes the fat and stores it in your body as triglycerides. So, all those "fat cells" in your body are made up of triglycerides. You want your triglycerides to be below 200 mg/dL. Borderline high triglycerides are from 200-500 mg/dL. Triglycerides are high risk above 500 mg/dL.

By Lisa Nelson, RD LN

Limit simple sugars

Limit simple sugars

Unlike other types of cholesterol, triglycerides are affected by sugars you eat.  You need to limit foods such as soft drinks, candy, baked goods, syrup, table sugar, jelly, and honey.  A high intake of fruit juice can also raise triglyceride levels since juice contains a high content of natural sugars.

Source: Triglycerides: Why They Matter and How to Lower Them, by Lisa Nelson, RD LN

By Lisa Nelson, RD LN— Last Modified: 11/08/2012, First Published: 03/06/2012