Of course not. Your body couldn't function without cholesterol. The same is true of triglycerides - another type of fat that your body stores for quick energy. But problems occur when your calorie intake is high, and your body isn't energized by physical activity. That's when triglyceride levels rise - along with heart disease risk.
So - other than making sure you get frequent exercise, how can you lower triglycerides?
Triglycerides are a lipoprotein formed and stored in the liver when we have an excess intake of carbohydrates above what the body requires for its use. For most people above the recommended triglyceride level of 100mg/dl, the reason is usually due to high intake of processed foods containing high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup is present in most processed food products. Sugar provokes insulin release; but high fructose corn syrup does not. This leads to abnormal liver response, including making more triglycerides. This can lead to more weight gain and diabetes.
The best way to lower triglycerides is to cut down on carbohydrates such as processed baked products (cakes, cookies, chips etc) and try to get more vegetables and other natural foods containing Omega 3's, fish, nuts and seeds, such as flaxseed into the diet. Fish oil capsules at up to 4 per day have been reported to lower triglycerides as well as taking a supplement called L-carnitine and taking some form of regular exercise every day also would help.
If you want to lower triglyceride levels, you must remove animal protein and dairy from the diet. Also, increase fiber to 40-50 grams per day, and exercise is crucial. Drinking plenty of spring water and green juices will also help.
However, I really can't agree too much with restricting animal protein. This goes against years of research that points to the complete opposite. No matter what faults a high-protein, low-carb diet may have, negatively impacting triglycerides is not one of them. I`m only suggesting this if your health is at risk. I`m a bodybuilder. Bodybuilders need animal protein. But if you`re into health and not into heavy lifting with weights, and do have a triglyceride problem, which could lead to high bad cholesterol levels, then you should take precautions with what you eat.
Also, if you could eliminate all sugar and grains for 30 days, I think your triglycerides would go down dramatically.
Remember, always consult your doctor before ANY diet or exercise regimen.
Till next time,
