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What are triglycerides?
Triglycerides are a type of fat. Most of the fat we
eat and the fat stored in our body is in the form of triglyceride. A high level of triglycerides in the
blood stream (hypertriglyceridemia) is linked to
coronary artery disease in some people.
Triglycerides are formed in different ways
• Eating too much fat
• Eating too many calories
• Drinking alcohol
Why are triglycerides measured?
Your health care provider may check your
triglyceride levels when total blood cholesterol
is measured, especially if you have:
• High total cholesterol (over 200 mg/dL)
• Two or more risk factors for heart disease,
such as smoking and obesity
• Health problems related to high triglycerides,
such as diabetes or obesity
What is a normal triglyceride level?
• Triglycerides should be less than 150 mg/dL
• Borderline high level is 150 to 199 mg/dL
• High triglycerides are 200 to 499 mg/dL
• Very high level is greater than 500 mg/dL
What lifestyle changes can you make to help lower your triglycerides?
• Stop smoking
• Drink less (or avoid) alcohol
• Exercise most days for 30 to 60 minutes
• Reach and maintain a healthy weight; even a
5 to 10 pound weight loss can reduce triglycerides
• Make healthy food choices
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What food choices can you make to help lower your triglyceride levels?
• Eat moderate amounts of carbohydrates
– Choose whole grains (whole grain bread,
brown rice, barley, oats, etc.) in place of
refined carbohydrates (white bread, white
rice, and pasta)
– Enjoy more whole vegetables and fruits (2 to
3 cups vegetables and 11/2 to 2 cups fruit daily)
– Choose fewer sweets (candy, desserts,
cookies, cakes, pastries)
– Limit intake of regular soda, sweetened
beverages and juice
• Choose fats wisely
– Include small amounts of monounsaturated fats
(olive, canola, and peanut oil, natural peanut
butter, nuts, avocado, olives)
– Include more foods high in omega-3 fats (tuna,
salmon, mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines,
flaxseed and flax oil, walnuts, soybeans and tofu)
– Eat very little saturated fat (fat from animals,
dairy products, also coconut and palm kernel oils)
– Eat very little trans fats (foods made from
hydrogenated oils such as stick margarine,
packaged and fried foods)
A registered dietitian can help
One-on-one diet counseling with a registered
dietitian may include information on:
• Label reading, grocery shopping
• Food preparation, recipe modification
• Dining out
• Combining other diet restrictions
• Additional resources to meet your needs
x17619 (4/1/2020)
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