What are triglycerides and high triglycerides?

The easy answer is fat. Since there are a variety unique kinds of fat we must dig a little further into
the fatty world of triglycerides and high triglycerides. Triglycerides are regarded to be serious fats
consisting of one molecule glycerin and three molecules of fatty acids. Glycerol is a water soluble
carbohydrate that holds fats through the human body.

Where do Triglycerides arrive from?

For most humans this fat baddy comes from their local grocery store. Ideally, when more than
enough calories are converted into fat and stored in your fat cells this is called triglycerides. The next
step in the process are, hormones release triglycerides for energy in between eating. If you mainly
consume more calories than you burn there is a high chance that you just might have high
triglycerides.

What is an adequate level of triglycerides?

An pleasing level of triglycerides according to the AHA, 150 milligrams for each deciliter of blood.
150-199 mg/dl is thought of as ambiguous high and according to them 200 mg/dl or more is
considered high and may require triglycerides treatment or some sort of triglycerides medication.


While the puzzle of triglycerides hasn't been fully revealed what we know is that those who fail to
keep up a healthy level of triglycerides are at bigger risk of hardening or thickening of the arteries.
Additionally, a high level of triglycerides also known as high triglycerides leads to increased weight
and another condition known as (MS) or metabolic syndrome which is a series of conditions
including fat around the waistline, high blood sugar and high blood pressure. It is most important to
discover ways to maintain a healthy level of triglycerides. Others may feel more at ease going the
organic route and employing side effect free cholesterol and triglyceride reducing supps or
medication. Whichever route you choose to go down, there is no better time to get started than
right away, to ship those dangerous high triglycerides packing and achieve a healthy level of
triglycerides. A triglyceride (TG, triacylglycerol TAG, or triacylglyceride) is a chemical compound
made up of glycerol and three fatty acids. It is the main component of vegetable oil and animal fats.
The glycerol molecule has three hydroxyl (HO-) groups, and each fatty acid has a carboxyl group
(COOH). Many kinds of triglycerides are known. Most natural fats contain a complex mixture of
individual triglycerides, and because of this, they melt over a wide range of temperatures. They are a
type of lipid (organic compound) found in the blood that the body creates to store extra calories it
doesn't need. The body stores them in fat cells. After some time, hormones release the stored
triglycerides for energy between meals. One who regularly eats more calories than he or she burns,
especially abundant calories like carbohydrates and fats, can build up triglycerides, resulting in,
hypertriglyceridemia. A healthy triglyceride level is less than 150 milligrams per deciliter or less than
1.7 millimoles per liter. A high level is 200-499 milligrams per deciliter. Triglycerides and cholesterol
are separate types of lipids circulating in the blood. Where triglycerides are the calorie-storing lipids,
cholesterol is used to build cells and certain hormones.

Triglycerides Symptoms

High triglycerides do not cause symptoms. Instead, a high triglyceride count is more often a
symptom of other conditions that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, including obesity.
Metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that includes too much fat around the waist, high blood
pressure, high triglycerides, high blood sugar and abnormal cholesterol levels, is also a risk.
Sometimes high triglycerides are a sign of poorly controlled type-2 diabetes, low levels of thyroid
hormones (hypothyroidism), liver or kidney disease, or rare genetic conditions that affect how the
body converts fat into energy. High triglycerides can also be a side effect of medications such as beta
blockers, birth control pills, diuretics, steroids, or tamoxifen (a breast cancer drug). Although the
reason is unknown, high triglycerides may contribute to hardening of the arteries and thickening of
the artery walls (atherosclerosis), which is what increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, and heart
disease. Triglycerides are measured using a common test called a lipid panel, which is the same
blood test used to check cholesterol levels. The levels are checked after an overnight fast, as fat
from a meal can artificially raise the triglyceride levels on the test. The American Heart Association
recommends that everyone over the age of 20 be tested.

Triglycerides Treatment

The best high triglycerides treatment is by making changes toward a healthier lifestyle through diet
and exercise. Moderate physical activity five or more days a week can help lower levels as well as
lead to weight loss, which lowers both triglycerides and cholesterol. Reducing saturated fat, trans
fat, and cholesterol intake can improve triglyceride levels as well. Alcohol has a strong effect on
triglyceride levels. Consuming more than one drink per day for women, or two for men, can
considerably raise triglyceride levels, and some with high triglycerides may need to remove alcohol
from their diet completely. One should cut back on calories, because extra calories are converted to
triglycerides stored in body fat, and eliminate trans fat intake, which are prevalent in fried and
commercially baked foods. Eating fish high in omega-3 fatty acids, instead of red meat, which is high
in saturated fat, can help maintain healthy triglyceride levels. Some examples are mackerel, lake
trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, and salmon. Medicine may be prescribed for those with
dangerously high triglycerides. Several medications include fibrates, nicotinic acid (Niacin), high
doses of omega-3, and Lovaza. Triglyceride treatment will not only lower levels but likely improve
overall health, fitness, cholesterol levels, and risk of heart disease.