Triglycerides

Triglycerides are fatty substances that are found in the blood and stored in the fat cells of your body. The excess calorie in the body that is not used up immediately is stored in the fatty tissues as triglycerides. They are composed of three molecules of fatty acids combined with glycerol. When the body requires energy in between meals, hormones release triglycerides from the fat tissues to meet the requirements.

Harm caused by excess triglyceride levels

•Hardening of arteries: This leads to heart disease and stroke.
•Risk of developing diabetes
•Metabolic syndromes: A combination of heart disease, diabetes, obesity and hypertension.
•Fatty liver disease: High triglycerides lead to more fat cells in the body can lead to liver complications.
•Xanthoma: Excess triglycerides spark the eruption of itchy, pimple-like xanthomas on the hands, feet, arms, legs, and buttocks.

Factors contributing to high triglyceride levels

• Food habits: Eating fatty meals and refined products like pasta, white bread, and maida (refined flour) products.
• Medical problems: Diabetes, hypothyroidism, and kidney disease.
• Medications: Certain medications contribute to high triglyceride build up.
• Hormonal imbalance: Over production of cortisol and aldosterone.
• Smoking/alcohol: Both smoking and excess alcohol intake leads to excess triglycerides.
• Sedentary lifestyle: Leading a sedentary life style without any physical activity.
• Obesity: As mentioned before, excess calories leads to it being stored as fat, forming triglycerides.
• Hereditary: Familial hypertriglyceridemia, familial hypercholesterolemia.

Tips to control triglycerides:

• Choose the right fat: Avoid red meat, butter, ghee, margarine. Avoid trans-fats that are present in fried fast foods like fries and wedges.
• Choose the right carbs: Choose complex carbohydrates like whole wheat flour, brown bread, broken wheat, oats, and brown rice.
• Fruits and veggies: Having plenty of fruits and veggies can never go wrong. These provide fibers, both soluble and insoluble, that helps with controlling weight, thereby bringing down triglyceride levels.

Life style modification:

• Limit Alcohol Intake
• Watch Your Weight
• Exercise