Ask the Expert: Health

Question: My doctor says my triglycerides are high. What are they and how can I adjust my diet to reduce them?
Lili Marshall, Claverack, NY

Answer: Triglycerides are a type of fat in your blood. Elevated triglyceride levels are often found in people who have heart disease, diabetes, or high cholesterol or those who are overweight. It is important to reduce your triglycerides because high levels are an independent risk factor for strokes. Persistently high triglycerides can contribute to plaque formation in your arteries and may lead to coronary heart disease. High levels may also be a symptom of an underlying disease such as uncontrolled diabetes.

The National Cholesterol Education Program levels for triglycerides, based on fasting plasma triglyceride levels, are as follows:

Normal: Less than 150 mg/dL
Borderline-high: 150 – 199 mg/dL
High: 200 – 499 mg/dL
Very high: 500 mg/dL or higher
These numbers are based on fasting plasma triglyceride levels.

Making changes in lifestyle is the first step in lowering elevated triglycerides. If you are overweight, reducing calories can help you lose weight. Aim for a slow, steady weight loss of about one to two pounds per week. Next, reduce the saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol in your diet. You can do this by cutting back on packaged foods, bakery items, and fried foods. Switching to mono- and unsaturated fats such as canola and olive oil is also recommended. You should also reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption since even small amounts of alcohol can raise triglycerides.

Add foods high in omega-3 fatty acids to your diet such as fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines, and herring. You might consider an omega-3 fatty acid supplement if you don't consume fish regularly. If your triglycerides are higher than 500 mg/dL, you can ask your doctor about Omacor® (omega-3-acid ethyl esters), the first and only FDA-approved prescription omega-3 fatty acid product for elevated triglycerides. And finally, make sure you are getting thirty minutes of exercise per day, and if you smoke, quit.

Remember, even small changes in behavior can lead to better health, so even if you can’t do everything on this list, pick one step to start with and go from there.

—Nancy Collins, PhD, RD, LDN, is a registered and licensed dietitian based in south Florida and executive director of RD411.com, a centralized online resource for nutritionists. With degrees in foodservice management and human nutrition, she brings unique perspective to food as a culinary pleasure and healthy choice.