What Are Triglycerides?
Having a healthy body means enjoying a longer life. In addition to regular exercise, a person should always be conscious of the different kinds of healthy foods and learn about their components. A well-balanced diet should consist of appropriate levels of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals. But when it comes to ensuring a healthy heart, you should be familiar with lowering triglycerides. Which brings you to the question: what are triglycerides?
Defining Triglycerides
You may be familiar with cholesterol and LDL but what are triglycerides? Basically, triglycerides are lipids that play a significant role in metabolism. They can be obtained from vegetable oils and animal fats. During metabolism, they are broken down into fatty acids and glycerol. Since these triglycerides are a form of fat and contain high amounts of calories, they can be stored in the body as a good source of energy. In addition to this, they can also transport fat to the other parts of the body by binding with cholesterol and other proteins; and mix with the blood.
When triglycerides are not used as an energy source, they can remain in the blood and increase the risk of blockage and clotting. This is perhaps the reason why their level in the bloodstream should always be within normal range. If for example, you have a high level of triglycerides in your blood, you will be at risk for certain heart diseases like atherosclerosis and stroke as well as pancreatitis. Lowering triglycerides should help you minimize the risks for these diseases. Triglyceride levels have always been linked to HDL (high density lipoprotein) - cholesterol levels. In fact, some nutritionists believe that these two have an inverse relationship. Lowering triglycerides within the normal range will certainly help you manage the delicate balance between these two and provide you with optimum health. Lowering Triglycerides As soon as you understand the answer to the question: What are triglycerides? – You will be able to manage your triglyceride levels. Levels of triglycerides in your bloodstream can be tested. The American Heart Association has even released a guideline for interpreting triglyceride levels. A healthy level is within the range of 100 – 199 mg/dl. If you are found to have a high level of triglycerides, then lowering triglycerides in your body should be your priority. Otherwise, you will expose yourself to many health complications. Lowering triglycerides will mean monitoring your consumption of food rich in carbohydrates and fats. Following a low carbohydrate diet is ideal if you are serious in keeping your triglyceride levels down. This means cutting back on foods that contain BAD fats such as those found in processed foods, refined foods and especially fast foods. These fats are referred to as transfats and are usually chemically-altered. Another safe way for lowering triglycerides is to load up on foods rich in fiber such as fruits and vegetables. You should also include flax seed and fish oils, which contain Omega-3. In addition to eating healthy, physical activity is also important. Burning off those excess calories would definitely mean lowering triglycerides in your body. There have also been studies that linked being overweight or obese to high triglyceride levels. You should keep track of your BMI or Basic Mass Index in order to manage your weight more effectively. Knowing the answer to “what are triglycerides” is very important in being healthy. It is never too late to get tested and determine whether or not your triglyceride level is within normal limit. Lowering triglycerides is perhaps the single most important thing you can do to ensure a longer life.
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