How to Lower Triglycerides, Improve Your Heart Health and Reduce Your Risk of Dying
Heart disease is one of the major killers in our society and the risk of heart disease, including the risk of heart attack, has risen dramatically over the last century.
One of the primary risk factors is high cholesterol as well as elevated triglycerides in the blood, and anyone suffering from these conditions, namely high cholesterol and high triglycerides, should take some steps to control triglycerides and cholesterol levels and improve their overall heart health.
Both cholesterol and triglycerides are blood fats, or what is known as blood lipids, and elevated blood levels of both these blood fats have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
Triglycerides are a form of fat that is both manufactured in the body and also taken into the body by way of the fats in the food we eat.
They are found in the blood plasma as the blood carries these fats to various parts of the body for use in our body cells.
And if we have excess triglycerides these will be stored in the cells.
There is stronger evidence linking heart disease to high cholesterol levels, however there is also evidence that elevated blood triglycerides can contribute to heart disease, and in particular lower your levels of good cholesterol, and that high triglycerides can also cause other health problems, for example diabetes.
The causes of high triglycerides are reasonably well known and are primarily lifestyle related, including being overweight, eating a diet low in fresh fruit and vegetables and high in animal products and lack of exercise.
And alcohol consumption and also have a role in increasing triglycerides levels in the blood.
The usual medical approach to elevated blood triglyceride levels used to recommend a range of lifestyle changes reversing those lifestyle habits such as low levels of exercise and poor diet.
Stronger approaches to lowering triglycerides levels include the use of drugs.
Research has also shown a strong link between increasing the intake of Omega 3 essential fatty acids, commonly found in fish, and improvements towards optimal heart health.
The American Heart Association recommends minimum levels of Omega 3 fatty acid intakes for all of us as most of us have inadequate Omega 3 intake.
This can be achieved through dietary means such as eating more oily fish, though is often achieved through the use of nutritional supplements.
High quality Omega 3 fish oil supplements are usually more cost-effective and easier to take daily than it is to eat more fish, and fish can also be contaminated with various chemical toxins.
It would seem clear that anyone suffering from high levels of triglycerides and/or cholesterol in the blood should take some significant steps to control triglycerides and cholesterol levels.
There is no doubt that all us would benefit from reducing our risk for heart attack, and controlling triglycerides and cholesterol levels can also have other health benefits, for example reducing the risk of diabetes.
Elevated triglycerides, and elevated cholesterol, are usually detected in a blood test.
All of us, particularly those of us of a more advanced age, should have regular checkups by a doctor which include a blood test, not just to check for high cholesterol and triglycerides but for other health risks as well.
And increasing our intake of Omega 3 essential fatty acids, either by eating more fish or more commonly by taking high quality fish oil supplements can have a wide range of positive health impacts, including in helping to control triglycerides.
One of the primary risk factors is high cholesterol as well as elevated triglycerides in the blood, and anyone suffering from these conditions, namely high cholesterol and high triglycerides, should take some steps to control triglycerides and cholesterol levels and improve their overall heart health.
Both cholesterol and triglycerides are blood fats, or what is known as blood lipids, and elevated blood levels of both these blood fats have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
Triglycerides are a form of fat that is both manufactured in the body and also taken into the body by way of the fats in the food we eat.
They are found in the blood plasma as the blood carries these fats to various parts of the body for use in our body cells.
And if we have excess triglycerides these will be stored in the cells.
There is stronger evidence linking heart disease to high cholesterol levels, however there is also evidence that elevated blood triglycerides can contribute to heart disease, and in particular lower your levels of good cholesterol, and that high triglycerides can also cause other health problems, for example diabetes.
The causes of high triglycerides are reasonably well known and are primarily lifestyle related, including being overweight, eating a diet low in fresh fruit and vegetables and high in animal products and lack of exercise.
And alcohol consumption and also have a role in increasing triglycerides levels in the blood.
The usual medical approach to elevated blood triglyceride levels used to recommend a range of lifestyle changes reversing those lifestyle habits such as low levels of exercise and poor diet.
Stronger approaches to lowering triglycerides levels include the use of drugs.
Research has also shown a strong link between increasing the intake of Omega 3 essential fatty acids, commonly found in fish, and improvements towards optimal heart health.
The American Heart Association recommends minimum levels of Omega 3 fatty acid intakes for all of us as most of us have inadequate Omega 3 intake.
This can be achieved through dietary means such as eating more oily fish, though is often achieved through the use of nutritional supplements.
High quality Omega 3 fish oil supplements are usually more cost-effective and easier to take daily than it is to eat more fish, and fish can also be contaminated with various chemical toxins.
It would seem clear that anyone suffering from high levels of triglycerides and/or cholesterol in the blood should take some significant steps to control triglycerides and cholesterol levels.
There is no doubt that all us would benefit from reducing our risk for heart attack, and controlling triglycerides and cholesterol levels can also have other health benefits, for example reducing the risk of diabetes.
Elevated triglycerides, and elevated cholesterol, are usually detected in a blood test.
All of us, particularly those of us of a more advanced age, should have regular checkups by a doctor which include a blood test, not just to check for high cholesterol and triglycerides but for other health risks as well.
And increasing our intake of Omega 3 essential fatty acids, either by eating more fish or more commonly by taking high quality fish oil supplements can have a wide range of positive health impacts, including in helping to control triglycerides.
