The two primary fat sources in the bloodstream are cholesterol and triglycerides. Both are vital for optimal health. Cholesterol helps build healthy cells, and triglycerides provide energy. However, if either is too high, problems develop. High cholesterol levels clog arteries. High triglycerides also cause vascular disease associated with low HDL cholesterol levels (good cholesterol). You then have fat elements in your blood, which can eventually harm your heart. The disorder is called hypertriglyceridemia.
Triglycerides (TGs) are composed of three fatty chains linked together. People with diabetes often have high TG levels. Effectively dealing with diabetes will often reduce TGs. The second primary cause of high TGs is drinking alcohol. Sugar also increases them. Smoking or chewing tobacco is another major cause. Obesity also causes it.
How to Lower Triglycerides Naturally
You can manage your triglyceride level: and you want to keep it below 150. Here are several ways how to lower triglycerides naturally:
Consume a lot of complex carbohydrates. Racial groups doing this do not have a triglyceride problem: Cook beans, rice, and other grains, not including fat in the cooking or the serving.
Do not eat candy, sweets, and sugar. Eating simple carbs in the diet is a significant factor in high triglyceride levels.
Include fiber in the diet. A high sweet, low fiber diet is even unhealthier than high sweets alone. Water soluble fibers, such as pectin in fruit and beta-glycan in oats, are especially helpful in lowering triglycerides. Psyllium seed also reduces triglycerides.
Omega -3 fatty acid (most affluent in raw flaxseed oil) lowers triglycerides. Take 3000 mg per day. Do not take cod liver oil; it contains too many vitamins A and D.
Consuming garlic also lowers triglycerides. Taken over a 1 to 4-month period, garlic can reduce them by 8 to 27 percent. You can take garlic tablets, with their allicin content at 900 mg daily (providing 5000 mcg allicin). Carnitine is another supplement that has lowered triglycerides.
Go on a brown rice diet for a couple of days. In 1944, Dr. Walter Kempner discovered that a rice diet significantly lower triglycerides. This is a diet of fruit and rice alone, and no other food, for 2 to 3 days or as long as you can stand to remain on it. The diet is not tasty, but it works.
One patient went down from 1000 mg/dl to 117 mg/dl in a couple of months. In just 2 to 3 days, triglycerides will go down a fair amount. You can do it again later for another couple of days. Doing this will help you lose some weight. The fruit/rice diet is fat-free. But do not stay on a rice diet! It does not supply sufficient nutrients when eaten alone.
Try to lose weight. Even losing ten pounds can decrease triglycerides in those who are 20 to 30 percent overweight. Ultimately, try to maintain a weight of 5 to 10 percent above what is typical for your age-weight range.
Abstain from consuming alcoholic beverages. It decidedly increases triglycerides. Using tobacco also does.
Exercise is beneficial in lowering triglyceride levels. Studies reveal that it does this even when weight is not reduced.
Herbs that reduce triglycerides include wild yam, fenugreek, and reishi (a type of mushroom).
REFERENCES
Vance Ferrell Harold M. Cherne, M.D. The Natural Remedies Encyclopedia [Book]. – Altamont, TN: Harvestime Books, 2010. – Vol. Seventh Edition: 7: pp. 531, 532.
