Best Foods to Lower Triglycerides Naturally
Eating the best foods to lower triglycerides is essential if you want to lower triglycerides naturally. It will make your heart happy and offer many other health benefits too. But there's another triglyceride side of food.
It's also essential that you don't eat the foods that raise triglycerides.
What are the foods to lower triglycerides naturally? And which foods raise triglycerides? The answer to these questions may surprise you.
Research Supports Foods to Lower Triglycerides
For many years cholesterol has gotten most of the attention. Then recently, scientists discovered that it's not high cholesterol, but high triglycerides that are probably the most significant indicator of cardiovascular disease.
Here are 3 important reasons to lower triglycerides naturally:
- A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows, if you have high triglycerides, your risk of heart disease or stroke is 2-3 times greater – even if you have low cholesterol. [Vol. 86: 943-49]
- Drugs for lowering triglycerides have serious side effects. The American Heart Association recommends that medications only be considered after all ways to lower triglycerides naturally have been exhausted.
- Eating certain foods to lower triglycerides naturally have been shown to cut a person's risk of stroke and sudden cardiac death in half.
- To totally minimize risk factors, aim for a count below 150 mg/dl.
- Levels of 150 to 199 mg/dl are thought to be borderline-high.
- Over 200 mg/dl are still high and put you at serious risk.
- Triglyceride levels of 500 mg/dl are extremely high.
Since triglycerides are forms of fats, you might think less fat in your diet would be the most important dietary step to lower triglycerides. It's not.
The main culprit is sugar!
That's right, the most important foods to avoid for high triglycerides are the refined carbohydrate foods high on the glycemic index. Sugar is the reason even a little alcohol creates large increases in blood plasma triglycerides.
So begin eating these good healthy heart foods to lower triglycerides:
- Switch from high glycemic carbohydrates to a low glycemic diet.
- Replace bad fats with good fats, like fish oil and olive oil.
- Increase your high fiber foods, fruits and vegetables.
- Eat more healthy lean high protein foods.
- If you smoke or drink, quit immediately.
- Add at least a half-hour of physical activity a day.
- Lower your dietary fat intake to 25% to 30% of calories.
- Reduce calories to achieve healthy permanent weight loss.
Articles you may also enjoy:
Best Foods to Eat for Great Health
The Glycemic Diet of Low Glycemic Foods
How to Lower Cholesterol Naturally in 7 Steps
Sugar Addicts Guide to Overcoming Sugar Addiction
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Posted in: Diet & Nutrition, Health Conditions
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