The bad news about triglycerides is this: they are a type of blood fat associated with heart disease and other health problems. The good news is this: a recent review of 500 scientific studies suggests that by changing our diets and lifestyles we can drop the level of triglycerides by 20 to 50 percent. HealthDay reports on the research, and offers these tips, from the American Heart Association, to lowering triglycerides:
— Reduce added sugar to less than 5 percent to 10 percent of calories consumed – about 100 calories per day for women and 150 calories per day for men.
— Eat less than 50 to 100 grams per day of fructose in processed foods and naturally occurring foods. (Here's listing of fructose content in certain fruits.)
— Keep saturated fat to less than 7 percent of total calories.
— Keep trans fats (partially hydrogenated oils) to less than 1 percent of total calories,
— Minimize alcohol intake especially if triglycerides are greater than 500 mg/dL.