Triglycerides Overview: Our body consists of several essential fat molecules designated for different tasks where each and everyone has a different role in the body. Therefore, triglycerides possess some important functions within the body but if the levels fluctuate in respect of dietary intake or any medical conditions then there are major risk factors related to high triglycerides. So, we are going to discuss the relevance of body fat percentage and how much fat is considered healthy. How can we control high Triglyceride levels without any side effects? We will discover some amazing benefits depending upon its usage.
What are triglycerides?
Triglycerides commonly known as fat add extra pounds to your body which makes you overweight and in some extreme cases obese. This fat compound also known as (Lipid) is attached to the blood and is usually used by the body for energy purposes. Most people correlate lipids with cholesterol as they both sound similar but don’t get confused, fat is very different from cholesterol. Triglycerides are the most common type of lipid molecule and usually come from food sources which often get stored in the body as fat. However, when your body requires energy to perform several actions, it utilizes triglycerides for energy production. However, having high triglyceride levels could be dangerous to your health.
High triglycerides cause and their effect on the body
High triglyceride levels or dyslipidemia can be caused by various reasons which have been defined below with their pivotal role in storing excess body fat and making us overweight. So, let’s discuss some of the vital ones:-
- Poor Dietary Choices- This is indeed the most common reason for getting high triglycerides because it is made of oil, butter and fat you usually eat without having second thoughts. However, people often eat foods which are high in sugar and simple carbs could be the very reason behind high triglyceride levels. In addition to this, high alcohol consumption is the very reason behind such complications.
- Absence of physical workout- Exercise or workout plays a crucial role in burning excess calories which later on gets converted into triglycerides. Physical workout boosts lipoprotein lipase which in turn will benefit the removal of triglycerides from the bloodstream. You can do aerobic exercises to start your day.
- Few medical conditions- Some of the listed below medical conditions could also elevate triglyceride levels in the body. So, you must be aware before falling victim to such diseases:-
- Chronic kidney diseases- Damaged kidneys elevate the production of triglycerides making your bloodstream full of high lipid formula causing congestion in the blood vessels.
- Type 2 Diabetes- It commonly refers to a metabolic disease due to its insulin-resistance aspect which ultimately elevates triglyceride levels in the body. As a result, it will cause plaque buildup in the blood vessels.
- Liver diseases- Apart from chronic liver diseases there are severe liver problems that affect the metabolic state of the body disrupting your liver’s ability to turn triglycerides into energy resources ultimately clogging the arteries.
- Obesity- This is no joke because it makes your body release fatty acids under overeating disorders and gradually convert fatty acids into triglycerides in the bloodstream raising blood pressure in the arteries.
- Hypothyroidism- This is a hormonal imbalance resulting in slow thyroid functions where your body slows down the energy production caused by metabolic syndrome and eventually fatty acids get converted into triglycerides causing harm to the body.
- Smoking- People smoke and drink as per their needs or pleasure but there is something that they often ignore about their health. By doing excess smoking they often target their health by raising triglyceride levels at an alarming rate.
Proper testing of triglycerides levels for treatment
A normal blood test is enough to get your triglyceride levels checked properly. In this test, your lipid score and cholesterol levels are being monitored. Generally, the doctor will ask for intermediate fasting( meaning you don’t eat for a minimum of 9-12 hrs except drink water). After the fasting period, your blood test will begin. So, anyone who is getting their blood work done should know the normal range of triglycerides which have been given below:-
- Normal Triglycerides levels- Less than 150 milligrams per deciliter.
- Borderline Triglycerides levels- Between 150-199 mg/
- High Triglycerides levels- 200-499 mg/dl
- Alarming Triglycerides levels- 500 mg/dl or above
Everyone should get their lipid profile test to know the real condition of the body. Most importantly, it will highlight the triglyceride levels which marks the beginning of new treatments depending on advanced methods rather than taking medications. Always keep in mind, that if the triglycerides levels are above 500 mg/dl then it is very high and you need immediate treatment.
People who are suffering from high triglyceride levels often experience bad pancreas or kidney problems. However, there are some people whose triglyceride levels are recorded above 1500 mg/dl which can be death-causing because the body stops breaking down fat for energy production. It will result in memory loss, severe stomach pain and chronic kidney diseases.
High Triglycerides diseases
High Triglyceride levels could be an alarming sign that you need to make some drastic changes depending on your dietary choices and start taking your health seriously. This is really important as people don’t dig up about the health conditions that they have to suffer while ignoring their body indicators about being overweight or obese. So, listed below are some of the most common health complications you will experience if you don’t take the necessary steps to control high Triglycerides levels:-
- CHD(Coronary Heart Disease)- Having a heart problem is nothing new but often ignored due to several reasons. But high triglyceride levels could expose your body to Coronary heart diseases making the heart lose its vital function due to the clogging of arteries.
- Strokes– The sudden feeling of getting your body numb and the soul leaving the body are similar experiences that anyone would go through in a stroke incident. It commonly occurs due to the blood vessel blockage which inhibits oxygen or blood from passing through causing blackouts in the brain.
- Pancreatitis– It happens due to the high triglyceride levels getting exposed to the liver and the pancreas starts to react. In other words, insulin resistance could be easily controlled with proper energy production but couldn’t be regulated properly which overrides the pancreas.
- Lipemia retinitis– It is a condition that changes the blood vessels’ colour around the eyes making them quite pale.
- Multifunctional Chylomicronemia– It usually occurs when your body undergoes certain symptoms which highlight liver swelling, abdomen pain, and short-term memory loss.
Steps taken to regulate Triglycerides levels
First of all, you need to accept the truth about having high triglyceride levels and start seeing it as a concerning problem. But, there are several steps highlighting a promising result in regulating triglyceride levels naturally. Therefore, the very first thing is to keep your dietary habits in check and try to opt for a healthy lifestyle as quickly as possible. Listed below are some steps that you can follow properly:-
- Start with physical workout- Exercises force our body to move past our limits making us stronger from doing regular physical workouts. So, if you only do 30 minutes of workout daily then you will notice some pretty surprising benefits. However, the workout is also linked to reducing triglyceride levels as it helps to burn calories.
- Weight loss– This is undoubtedly one of the best ways of cutting down on triglycerides by weight loss. Doing both regular workouts and taking calorie deficit seriously will ultimately help you to lose a few extra pounds. By the time your body starts losing fat then you start noticing some visible changes in the body. Apart from that, high triglyceride levels could easily come down once excess fat is lost.
- Switching to healthy fat- You should be aware of unhealthy fats which are commonly found in meat, butter cheese, oil and trans fat which often lead to higher levels of cholesterol in your bloodstream. On the other hand, you should be looking for healthy fat sources known as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in nuts, fish and olive oils.
Final words
We fill our stomachs with anything we want to eat. Our body doesn’t complain while eating but it surely makes you uncomfortable when the high triglyceride levels start crawling up and you can’t do anything. That’s the kind of helplessness we all want to avoid as quickly as possible. For that, we really need to understand some of the most basic concepts of healthy eating habits and incorporate a balanced diet into our daily lifestyle. That’s the only way to keep our body healthy and regulate triglyceride levels naturally.