Fighting Those High Triglycerides

A type of fat found in your blood, triglycerides are a valuable source of energy for your body. Any calories not used immediately by your body are changed into triglycerides and stored in your fat cells. As a source of stored energy, it's normal to have a certain level of them in your body at any time. When the level gets too high, however, you could be at a higher risk of heart disease.

What's a normal level? Less than 150 milligrams per deciliter of blood is normal. Anything over 200 is high, and over 500 represents an extremely high risk of cardiovascular complications.

There are many ways to decrease your triglyceride levels, and most of them have to do with changing your diet. Eating fewer calories will help, as will increasing your consumption of fish that contain the essential omega-3 fatty acids (like salmon and fresh tuna). Losing weight in general will decrease fat cells as well as triglycerides, and getting regular exercise will also strengthen your heart and keep it less likely to succumb to disease or attacks.

If you're a smoker, you will notice a decrease in triglycerides if you quit. Increasing your amount of "good" cholesterol (HDL, rather than LDL) can also help manage your triglyceride levels.

Ever ready to find a cure for any ailment, the pharmaceutical companies have also developed medication to help lower your triglyceride levels. While these drugs can be beneficial and necessary in some extreme cases, it's always better in the long run to manage your levels through proper diet and exercise.

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