Triglycerides A Risk Factor for Heart Disease

Triglycerides are stored energy

When we get back our blood test results included in the "total cholesterol level" we find another number included, What is it? What is its significance? What is it doing in our bloodstream?

We know that our bloodstream is the conduit through which, nutrients, oxygen, and energy feed the cells and organs in our bodies.

What does the body do with the energy it doesn't need to expend immediately?

It gets stored as body fat

Most of body fat is composed of triglycerides which is mainly stored for energy.

When we eat and digest the food the body converts the extra energy that it doesn't need immediately into a form that it can use later.

It turns the energy into a triglyceride which is a binding of three fatty acids that is attached to a glycerol molecule that now has twice as much energy then a carbohydrate.

It then travels trough our bloodstreams usually piloted by a VLDL a very low density lipoprotein, where various tissues throughout the body then pick it up to be used as a source of energy.

Hormones then release it back into the blood stream as it is needed. If it isn't needed immediately, it remains stored as fat in the body.

Elevated levels can indicate diabetes and are known to be a risk factor for coronary heart disease, Too-high levels are called "hypertriglyceridemia."

The American Heart Association has set guidelines for triglyceride levels:

Reducing triglyceride levels to reduce the risks of heart disease

• If we are overweight, we should lose weight.
• We should reduce the amounts of saturated fat in our diets
• We should reduce the amounts of cholesterol we eat
• Drink alcohol in moderation. Even in small amounts, alcohol can raise triglycerides.
• Begin exercising and living an active lifestyle
• Increase the amount of omega 3, and other essential fatty acids we eat, to increase the HDL's which reduce the Triglyceride levels

These are things that you can do to avoid the risk of developing heart disease and begin living a healthy lifestyle.

• Diet and proper nutrition eating heart healthy foods such as soy, almonds and nuts that are known to lower cholesterol levels.

• Losing weight and keeping the weight off through any type of diet program that fits your personality. and start losing weight the healthy way.

• Exercising doing cardiovascular exercises and resistance exercises. Don't wait for a heart attack to occur before deciding to exercise. If You need advice on how to start you can ask the advice of online personal trainers, they can instruct you on what activities are considered to be a proper aerobic exercise for heart health.

• Quitting smoking

• Reducing stress through various relaxation techniques

• Controlling your blood pressure, through diets exercises, relaxation, vitamins and medications if the need arises

• Reducing your cholesterol levels through exercise, vitamins, natural cures, and statins if prescribed to do so by your doctor.