Fish Oil To Lower Triglycerides
Posted by Michael Byrd on May 12 2007 | Tagged as: Omega 3
Following an eating plan to lower triglycerides is a smart thing to do.
And this is the reason why. High triglycerides can double and triple your risk of heart disease and stroke. And it makes no difference at all whether you have low cholesterol or not. (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 86: 943-49)
High cholesterol has been getting most of the press for years. Recently, however, researchers discovered high triglyceride counts may be the most significant indicator of stroke and heart disease risk, no matter what your total cholesterol count is.
And there’s more. The risk of high triglycerides is just as significant after the researchers adjusted their data for age, family history of heart disease, angina, diabetes hypertension and smoking.
Blood plasma triglycerides over 200 mg/dl are considered high and put you at serious risk. Anything over 500 mg/dl is extremely high. Between 150 to 199 mg/dl is thought of as borderline-high. To minimize your risk, the goal is to get your count below 150 mg/dl.
But how can diet help you lower your triglyceride levels?
The answer is simple, but probably surprising! The problem is not eating a high cholesterol diet. The latest state-of-the-art research concludes high glycemic carbohydrates as the most important dietary predictors of high triglycerides. That’s right, sugar’s the main culprit. Check here for a Glycemic Index List of Foods.
To lower triglycerides, you need to eliminate or cut way back on sugar in your diet. Once you have sugar under control, the next step is to begin a lower calorie diet low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. Moderate exercise for a half hour four to five days a week will help you maintain your optimum weight and lower your blood pressure too.
And, for sure, if you smoke, you need to stop ASAP.
Another important step you can take to reduce triglycerides is to eat broiled fish a couple of times a week rather than high saturated fat cheeseburgers and beef burritos. Eating fatty fish such as salmon on a regular basis reduces triglycerides by 25% to 30% and significantly cuts risk of ischemic stroke by at least 44% and sudden cardiac death by 45%. Which is lot better and a lot safer than taking a daily aspirin.
And there’s more good news about fish oil and your heart.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), omega 3 fish oil fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) help reduce irregular heart beats, decrease blood clotting, decrease hardening of the arteries and reduce blood pressure.
The AHA, in fact, is so confident about omega 3 fish oil health benefits, they recommend everyone with high triglycerides also take daily fish oil supplements that include at least a combined 2 grams of DHA and EPA. And that’s no matter how much fish they eat.
