What are triglycerides? They are a specific type of fat in your bloodstream. They are used as energy by your body. Are Triglycerides and Diabetes linked? Some are good for your health, but high levels could increase your risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. High triglycerides can be an issue for sure.
Why are High Levels of Triglycerides Dangerous for Developing Diabetes?
They may also indicate a metabolic syndrome which is defined as a combination of low HDL, excess fat around the mid section, high blood sugar, high triglycerides, and high blood pressure. This can indicate an above normal risk for diabetes, stroke, and heart disease. You want to know which foods lower triglycerides. You also want to avoid the foods that increase the levels too.
Different Levels
Trigylcerides:
- Normal level: Less than 150mg/dl
- Borderline level: 150-199mg/dl
- High level: Above 200 mg/dl
- Very high level: Above 500 mg/dl
Abnormal levels of triglycerides are related to thyroid disease, diabetes, kidney disease, alcohol consumption, being pregnant, genetics, and being overweight. It’s important to know what your triglyceride numbers are. Have your physician run the lab work on you. (lipid panel)
Higher levels of triglycerides contribute to a buildup of plaque in your arteries. This can lead to real trouble if left undetected. As these deposits of plaque continue, they narrow the blood vessel wall and then there’s the possibility of a clot forming when the plaque breaks away from the wall.
This can lead to a stroke or heart attack and can in turn raise the chance of damage to your pancreas which can affect the production of insulin.
Foods to Avoid when your Triglycerides are too High
- Simple carbohydrates can raise your triglycerides like a rocket ship. Anything with white flour and refined carbs are the culprits that increase your blood sugar and trigger your production of insulin and the end result is higher levels.
- Meat that is high in fat are most likely to contain higher levels of cholesterol and in turn are a huge factor in increasing triglyceride levels. You want to avoid shellfish, red meat, lard, and butter.
- Reducing the calories is another way to decrease your triglycerides. Decrease your calories by 500 a day and you will lose one pound a day. Couple this with exercise and your results will be even better. Keeping the weight down keeps the triglycerides down as well. This will help your diabetes too.
- Processed foods are simply not good for you at all. If you want to keep those triglycerides down, then avoid crackers,chips, fries, cookies, donuts, deli lunch meats, pies, doughnuts, and hot dogs.
Foods that Help Lower your Triglycerides
Ok, so you want to keep your levels below 150mg/dl. Now what you eat is the key factor here in calculating the triglyceride numbers. High fat and high calorie foods are the enemy here.
I know it’s not fair that all the best tasting foods are the ones that aren’t good for you, but that’s life I guess,right? You don’t want triglycerides from calories turning into excess fat.
Trans fats and saturated fats come from processed and prepackaged foods, baked food products, animal products and fast foods (which we all know aren’t good for us).  By getting your calories from polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, it is much healthier for you.
These are found in canola oil  and olive oils. The fruits and vegetables are the good guys here because they will satisfy your hunger and help you avoid the bad boys.
Salmon
Fish is always good for you and I will admit that I am not a fish eater although I do eat salmon and tuna. But these cold water fish that are good for you such as cod, tuna, and salmon, have the omega 3 fatty acids that are very healthy for you and they can decrease your triglycerides substantially. Salmon is at the top of the list. (luckily for me, it’s one that I eat)
Flaxseed
Flaxseed is loaded with omega 3 fatty acids and offer more than 100% of your daily requirement with two tablespoons alone. Flaxseed is about one of the best ways to lower triglycerides.
Whole Grains
Fiber and complex carbohydrates are what you’re in need of and these are found in cereals, bread, brown rice, and pasta. They are fairly low in cholesterol, total fat, and saturated fat.
Egg Whites
They are good for you as they contain no cholesterol, but be careful of the yolks in the eggs because they contain over 200mg of cholesterol.
Beans
You want to lower your triglycerides by slowing down your digestion. This will allow your body to better absorb more nutrients from the food. Beans can accomplish exactly that. They are at the top of the list for protein and fiber. Eat your beans! Beans are very good for you.
Grapes
If you want to raise your levels, then candy, cakes, and any other foods loaded with sugar will do that for sure. But for a sweet taste and a natural food that will lower your levels, then grapes are the choice. My favorite is red grapes because they contain resveratrol which is an antioxidant that lowers triglycerides too. Blueberries are also awesome!
Check Out the Video Below about Triglycerides
Peas and Legumes
These are rich in fiber and a good source of protein.
Olive Oil
It helps preserve HDL good cholesterol levels and decrease LDL bad cholesterol levels. Olive oil is a much better alternative for saturated fats because it has low triglycerides. Caloric intake is on the high side so be careful not to have more than two tablespoons daily.
Spinach
This is without a doubt my favorite vegetable thanks to Popeye the sailor man! Triglycerides can be lowered by as much as 60% due to the content of alpha-lipoic acid.
Other vegetables and fruits that also contain this and aid in lowering triglycerides are: Brussel sprouts and broccoli and for the fruits: lemons, tomatoes, limes, grapefruit, and oranges.
Soy Protein
Soy protein compared to animal protein if consumed at the rate of twenty five grams for every one thousand calories can lower levels by 10% or more than animal protein.
Nuts
Through many studies by health experts it’s been noted  that triglycerides can be decreased by approximately 10% for those who ate an average of 67 grams of nuts daily. Nuts are excellent in reducing the levels. Nuts have really helped me with lowering my blood sugars.
Natural Ways to Decrease High Triglycerides
Alcohol
Alcohol  is something you need to avoid. If you have diabetes, alcohol should only be consumed in moderate amounts. But if you don’t want any more trouble with your diabetes and you certainly want to avoid heart disease because of high triglyceride levels, then alcohol must be off limits entirely.
Fructose
This particular sugar can definitely add to your levels. High fructose corn syrup is just plain not good. Reading labels on all foods should be a given. Make sure that you do it.
Exercising
How big is this? You’re always reading and hearing about exercising and diet. Well why not? It’s just as important to as it is to watch what your diet is. I go to the gym every other day and my favorite exercise is riding my bike. It’s a fun exercise and very beneficial for health.
Listen, you don’t have to be a bodybuilder or anything. Just walk. Get outside and walk. Do it. It will help lower your triglycerides out you’ll feel better too. Getting thirty minutes a day three to five times a week is a start. Take action!
Lose Weight
It’s always at the top of the list when it come to health and lowering your levels is no different. You don’t have deprive yourself of all foods but eat rationally and get the weight down. Losing weight can be the hardest thing for anyone to do but if you can control your mind and have a plan, it will make it easier. The less body fat you have, the less fat is released into the blood and less triglycerides and this leads to weight loss.
Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean Diet that is aimed at lowering triglycerides. You may want to try it if your plan isn’t working.
Quit Smoking
I’ve mentioned it before but there isn’t one health benefit for smoking. It’s a terrible addicting habit and one that’s very expensive and I’m not only talking money wise. The real cost is good health. No price tag on that.
Other Remedies
Medications
I don’t like drugs and always prefer the natural way but I wanted to mention drugs that are prescribed for lowering triglycerides because it’s VERY important to keep them low. Statin medication, niacin, fibrates, and Fenofibrate. If these help in the beginning and your doctor prescribes them, then fine.
But that doesn’t mean to eat the wrong foods and not exercise. Once you see results in your numbers decreasing then discuss with the doctor and they will decide if and when you can stop taking any medication.
Garlic
Garlic is another super food that is ultra healthy for many things and fighting triglycerides is one of them. It also battles levels of cholesterol and blood sugar.
Apple Cider Vinegar
To me this is the superman of products for health benefits. Apple cider vinegar reduces triglycerides and for diabetics helps to lower blood sugar. There are so many health benefits of apple cider vinegar.
Final Thoughts about Triglycerides & Diabetes
Triglycerides and Diabetes may be connected, but you don’t need either. Your health is important and it should always come first. If you don’t take care of everything, then taking care of just one, seems to be not as positive and productive as addressing all your health issues.
Triglycerides are the enemy and you must fight back so they don’t win in the battle against heart disease.
My goal here was to help you understand what triglycerides can do and why they are harmful. I always believe that natural methods are better than medications. Having too much weight can cause both high triglyceride levels and high blood sugar.
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Very nice article. I struggle with this very issue. It is also hereditary. ALL of the items that you listed are very helpful in lowering triglycerides. I know that apple cider vinegar is supposed to work wonders but I just cannot get past the taste. I have tried several things like lemon juice and cutting it with water. Do you have any other suggestions?
High triglycerides are nothing to ignore. And while there are many different ways to lower them I like apple cider vinegar the best. I do agree with you that the taste is not good at all. I drink diet fruit juice with zero sugar and mix it with one tablespoon on apple cider vinegar. The taste is very minimal and works for me. Give it a try!
You have some very good tips! I’m glad that you put an emphasis on fruits and vegetables, which a lot of people in developed countries do not get enough of.
I noticed that you put olive oil down in foods that lower triglycerides. Did you know that ALL oil is bad for you? It doesn’t matter where it comes from. It’s oil.
This means that it is 100% calories from fat, and works the exact same way as lard, butter, or vegetable oil does. It clogs our arteries which leads to heart disease, stroke, and death. Bottom line from Dr. John McDougall, a nutrition expert for over 30 years, the amount of oil that we as human beings should eat is 0.
I shall leave you with an interesting quote from him , “The fat you eat is the fat you wear.”
It is a pretty good post, though. You’re on the right track!
Thanks,
Michelle
I did some further research after reading your comment and I guess we disagree on olive oil. After conferring with my own physician, Dr. Oz’s website, and according to newsmax.com olive oil does lower triglycerides. Be that as it may, we’re not all going to agree on everything and that’s fine. There are many other avenues with which to lower triglycerides. Thank you for your comments. The bottom line is to keep those triglyceride numbers down at any cost.
I love this article. Seems as if you wrote it specially for me. It is speaking directly to me about a problem that I often think about even though I try to eat as healthy as possible, I exercise and I take niacin to help with my triglycerides.
I will have to bookmark this page because this article will be my constant reference for the foods I should exclude and include in my diet for a healthy triglyceride level. Should dairy products be excluded from the diet too?
I’m happy that I could provide some beneficial information! For whoever reads this and it helps them with triglycerides then it is meant for them too. As long as you know what to do, then taking action is all that’s needed. And yes dairy products should be avoided with high triglycerides. Thank you!
Very comprehensive study.
I specially enjoyed the joint pain and remedies as I suffer and have done for as long as I remember.
I also love “we are what we eat” which is true, junk foods in general are not good for us but I cant resist them every so often as I used to own a fast food joint.
All in all very complete and well put together, enjoyed it.
Triglycerides are the enemy when it comes to heart disease. And we are what we eat but there are so many temptations out there when it comes to food that it’s impossible to resist, isn’t it? I’m sure you had that with your fast food place. Time to kill the triglycerides before they kill us! Thanks Liz!
This is a very informative article. I suffer from high blood pressure and have been aware of it since I was in my early 20’s. It’s hereditary for me and I will have it for life. As I’ve grown older and had children it became nearly uncontrollable. I was on several medications and suffered migraine headaches and temporary blindness. I decided to change my eating habits and cut out processed foods. I began to eat nearly everything on your list as well as taking daily walks. My health changed drastically. My Triglycerides were lowered along with my cholesterol and blood pressure. I’m now on only one medication and lost weight in the process. Everything you’ve posted here is true. I’m living proof. Thank you for posting this article keep informing the public. You never know who you’ll help.
I appreciate your comments and I’m glad I could help. It sounds like you’ve been through a lot and I’m glad things turned around for you. When my doctor told me my triglycerides were so high, then it was a wake up call for me. Things can never change unless we decided to make the changes first. You are proof that by making changes you can change your health. Thank you for some very helpful comments and good luck!
Thank you for sharing this knowledge. As a teenage bodybuilder, this was super intriguing and beneficial for my health. After reading this article, I will add spinach, broccoli, and flax seeds. Also, I will be more aware of trans fat and saturated fats. I will come back for more knowledge about health. Thank you so much, keep it up!
Hey Marques,
As a bodybuilder you know how important it is to eat healthy and stay in shape.
High triglycerides are not good for you and this fat in the blood can cause heart issues at some point.
And yes fats and trans fats are absolutely not good so stick with the foods that help in lowering your triglyceride levels. The more you eat the healthier you will be.
Thanks for your input!
~Rob