What are Triglycerides? What foods contribute to High Triglycerides?
When getting blood tests done, the biggest concern we often keep is regarding cholesterol and our sugar levels. However, there is yet another marker which decides our overall health which are called the Triglycerides. Triglycerides are one form of fat found in the body, the high levels of which can cause major damage to the heart.
Let’s find out how.
Triglycerides are formed in the body when calories put in the body are more than what can be burnt. In a nutshell, they are stored as fats which do release energy but only when the body in the fasting phase. Under regular circumstances, if we do not work-out to burn this excess fat, they can lead to increased inflammation of the pancreas. This eventually accentuates the risk of heart attack and other related illnesses. In many cases, it may also called arteriosclerosis.
What increases the level of high triglycerides in the body?
Baring a few rare reasons leading to high triglycerides in the body such as over doses of immune-suppressants, steroids and diuretics, the commonest causes are lifestyle and wrong eating habits. Let’s take a look at some regular food items causing such high lipids in the body.
Alcohol
Alcohol is indirect sources of sugar in the body which eventually gets stored as triglyceride in the fat cells.
Corn and baked beans
Corn is a rich source of starch which contributed to elevated level of fat in the body. On the other hand if cooked with sugar it can cause serious trouble to the body.
Pasta and Noodles
Anything made up from refined flour such as pasta, noodles, bread and other bakery items call increased levels of triglycerides in the cells.
Honey and sugary syrups
Against the notion that honey is a natural sugar and can be consumed in any amount is false. Any form of sweeteners can boost triglycerides in the body.
Butter
Butter has high content of saturated fat which is an absolute no for a healthy living. Instead one can use flaxseed oil or olive oil for cooking meals.
An important point to note here is even though fatty food can contribute to increased triglycerides in the body, a few lifestyles changes such as regular exercise, weight loss and replacing rich carbs with healthy ones can drastically reduce them as well. Any level less than 150 mg/dl of Triglycerides is considered healthy
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