High Triglycerides:
Getting Them Down




Why High Triglycerides Can Be A Problem
In short, having high triglycerides increases your risk of heart disease.

Like cholesterol, triglycerides are a type of fat. They are designed to be a storage system. When we eat, excess calories are converted into triglycerides and stored in fat cells. When the body needs energy it taps into this storage system.

However, too much of a good thing is… well… not very good. High triglycerides are associated with a number of very serious conditions including…

Of course all of these conditions are related. Elevated triglycerides promote the development of atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis (the buildup of plaque in blood vessels) is the foundation of coronary heart disease (CHD). CHD is the number one killer of men and women in many countries often resulting in the other conditions mentioned above.
High triglycerides are serious because coronary heart disease is serious.

The Good News About High Triglycerides

The bad news can be rather bad. Don’t neglect your triglyceride levels. But there is a silver lining. That is…
Triglycerides are affected by what we do.
If your triglycerides get very high there is medication your doctor can prescribe for you including some cholesterol lowering medications. Examples might include fibrates and nicotinic acids.

But before that happens you can adjust your lifestyle. For most people lifestyle modifications are very effective. For example…

If you smoke please quit. Smoking has many negative ramifications for all areas of health. In particular smoking promotes atherosclerosis and therefore coronary heart disease. It may not affect your triglycerides directly but avoiding CHD is the main goal we want to achieve.



Get some exercise. Moderate exercise can bring down your triglycerides and have a very positive effect on coronary heart disease reversal.

If you are overweight then losing the extra pounds can help bring down your triglyceride levels.

Closely associated with weight loss is consuming less calories. As mentioned, excess calories are converted into triglycerides for storage in fat cells. By not consuming excess calories less triglycerides are created.

The types of food you consume also affect triglyceride conversion. You can see more details on foods to avoid as well as a good diet to lower triglycerides in other sections of this website. But here is a quick reference…
  • Avoid sugary foods
  • Stay away from alcohol (alcohol converts to triglycerides easily)
  • Limit cholesterol intake
  • Choose healthier fats

Heart Health Note:

This last point is a big one. Some fats promote triglyceride production. But there are other fats which actually lower triglycerides significantly.

For example Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to lower triglycerides. That is why the American Heart Association recommends 2-4 grams of Omega-3 per day for anyone with high triglycerides. Omega-3 also helps prevent and reverse coronary heart disease. You can use the links below for further reading.

High potency Omega-3 supplement at a very good price

Omega-3 and Lowering Triglycerides

Omega-3 and Reversing Coronary Heart Disease




What You Should Do


Start by taking your high triglycerides seriously. Just because you can’t feel them does not mean everything is alright. Heart disease does not develop overnight. Reversing the damage takes time. Every bit of progress is worth the effort.

Read the sections on foods to avoid and a good diet to lower triglycerides. Change your diet and other habits that keep your triglycerides high. For more info you can go to the main triglycerides page.

Study the pages on Omega-3 listed above. Or go to the main Omega-3 page and read everything on the topic. But by all means…
Just do it.
Optimal Heart Health is worth the effort.


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