How to Decrease Triglycerides

By Ray Baker

Up to one in four adults are affected by raised blood triglycerides, and the condition usually does not cause any symptoms [1]. Learning how to decrease triglycerides is mostly about a handful of habits you repeat each week, not one magic food. That is why the question how to decrease triglycerides often starts with a number on a lab sheet, not a symptom. A fasting blood triglyceride level of 150 milligrams per deciliter or higher may lead to a diagnosis of raised blood triglycerides, and heart-healthy lifestyle changes may lower triglycerides in your blood [1]. This is general information, not medical advice. Always talk with your own clinician about your numbers and plan.

How to decrease triglycerides safely?

For most people, the answer is a quieter daily routine: control weight, move regularly, limit sugar and refined foods, reduce alcohol, and swap saturated fats for unsaturated fats like olive oil, nuts and fish. Some people also need medicine, but food and activity are usually the first lever. Talk with your clinician about your own target.

Key takeaways

• High blood triglycerides usually do not cause any symptoms, and levels of triglycerides are checked using blood tests [1].
• For adults, healthy triglycerides are below 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), and 150 to 199 mg/dL is borderline high [1].
• Lifestyle changes that may lower triglyceride levels include not smoking, limiting sugar and refined foods, and limiting alcohol [2].
• Switching from saturated fats to healthier fats is one lifestyle change that may lower triglyceride levels [2].
• Controlling your weight and regular physical activity are lifestyle changes that may lower your triglyceride levels [2].

What should I eat first?

When you look at a plate, the type of fat matters more than the total fat number. Unsaturated fats include vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, and fish, while saturated fats are best consumed in moderation and foods containing large amounts include red meat, butter, cheese, and coconut oil [3]. When you cut back on foods like red meat and butter, replace them with fish, beans, nuts, and healthy oils instead of refined carbohydrates [3].

Omega-3 fats have a particular role here. The strongest evidence for a beneficial effect of omega-3 fats has to do with heart disease: these fats appear to help the heart beat at a steady clip, and at higher doses they lower triglycerides [4]. Salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines contain high amounts of EPA/DHA, while ALA is found in nuts (especially walnuts), flax seeds, and leafy vegetables [4]. A couple of fish meals a week is a sensible pattern, but you do not need a special supplement to begin. If you want a deeper look at omega-3 foods, see our guide to omega-3 fatty acids.

Portions matter as much as choices, especially with oils and nuts, which are healthy but calorie-dense. A tablespoon of olive oil on vegetables and a small handful of walnuts is plenty for most people. Tinned sardines, dried lentils and frozen vegetables keep the cost down, so a Mediterranean-style week does not have to be an expensive one. Buy fish when it is on special and keep a couple of tins in the cupboard for the days you have not planned.

What 5 easy daily swaps can I make?

Factors that can raise the level include regularly eating more calories than you burn off, especially if you eat a lot of sugar, and limiting sugary and refined foods is a lifestyle change [2]. These five swaps are where I would start with how to decrease triglycerides, because they fit into meals you already cook.

1. Swap a sweet drink for water or sparkling water with lemon. Limiting sugary and refined foods is one of the lifestyle changes that may lower triglyceride levels [2].
2. Choose whole fruit instead of fruit juice, which gives you fibre along with the sweetness.
3. Keep alcohol to a modest level, or skip it. Excessive alcohol use is one of the factors that can increase your triglyceride level [2].
4. When you cut back on foods like butter, replace them with healthy oils such as olive oil [3].
5. It is important to eat fish or other seafood 1-2 times a week, particularly fatty fish that is richer in EPA and DHA [4].

If sweet cravings are the hard part after 50, our practical guide to foods that reduce sugar cravings may give you a few more levers.

What are healthy triglyceride levels?

Triglyceride numbers usually come from a fasting blood test. In adults, below 150 mg/dL is healthy; 150 to 199 is borderline high; 200 to 499 is high; and 500 and above is very high [1][2]. Levels measured without fasting that stay higher than 175 mg/dL for a long time can raise the risk for heart complications [1]. High blood triglycerides usually do not cause any symptoms, and levels are checked using blood tests [1]. Ask your doctor which target applies to you, and do not self-diagnose from one reading.

Ask for a copy of your results rather than a quick glance, so you can compare the next test with the last one. Numbers move for reasons other than food, including illness, some medicines and recent meals, so one high reading is a prompt to retest, not a verdict. Bring your food and drink notes to that appointment if it helps.

Does body weight matter?

Being overweight or having obesity is one of the factors that can raise the level [2]. But you do not need a dramatic overhaul before you see movement. Small, steady calorie reductions from sweet drinks, fried snacks and oversized portions often add up. If your clinician has suggested weight loss, aim for a pace you can keep. This is not a diet of suffering, more a return to vegetables, beans, whole grains, fish and olive oil.

How do I start in the first week?

Start with the drinks cupboard and the snack shelf, because those are the easiest changes to make without learning new recipes. Write down what you actually drink in a normal week, including juice, soft drink, beer and wine. Then pick two drinks to swap for water or sparkling water and leave the rest alone for now. Add one fish meal, one bean meal and one nut snack to the shopping list. Keep the plan on the fridge where you will see it. If you cook for two, serve the same meal on a smaller plate rather than making a separate dish. That is a week you can repeat, and repeatable weeks are what most people need. That is how to decrease triglycerides in practice: small choices, repeated often.

What if my levels stay high?

Sometimes lifestyle is not enough on its own. Some people will also need to take cholesterol medicines to lower their triglycerides, and certain medicines and health conditions can raise the level [2]. If your number stays high after a few months of food and activity changes, take the readings back to your clinician rather than guessing. Thyroid diseases and poorly controlled type 2 diabetes are among the factors that can raise it [2].

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between cholesterol and triglycerides?

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance your body uses for hormones and digestion. Triglycerides are the most common type of fat in your body and store unused calories for energy. A cholesterol check, also called a lipid panel, usually checks the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in your body [5].

Can I lower triglycerides without giving up all fat?

Yes. Focus on swapping saturated fat for unsaturated fat from olive oil, nuts, seeds and fish rather than removing fat completely. When you cut back on butter, replace it with fish, beans, nuts, and healthy oils [3].

Is fish oil the only omega-3 source?

No. Salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines provide EPA and DHA, while walnuts, flax seeds and leafy greens provide ALA. Foods high in omega-3 include certain fish and seafood, some vegetable oils, nuts (especially walnuts), flax seeds, and leafy vegetables [4].

How quickly can triglycerides change?

There is no single timetable. After a few weeks of consistent changes, many people see movement at their next blood test, but it depends on starting level, genetics and other conditions. Ask your clinician what follow-up makes sense.

Should I fast before a triglyceride test?

Often yes, because triglycerides rise after meals. Follow the exact fasting instructions from your lab or doctor. Your healthcare provider may diagnose you with high blood triglycerides if your fasting blood triglyceride levels are regularly 150 milligrams mg/dL or higher [1].

Honest take

Here is my honest take on how to decrease triglycerides: do not chase a single superfood or punish yourself with a fad. The boring, repeatable work is less sugar, less alcohol, better fats, regular movement and enough sleep. Give it a few months, keep the lab sheet, and bring it to your doctor if the number stays high. Simple consistency beats a dramatic two-week effort.

References

1. High Blood Triglycerides. NHLBI, NIH. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/high-blood-triglycerides
2. Triglycerides. MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/triglycerides.html
3. Fats and Cholesterol. The Nutrition Source. https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/
4. Omega-3 Fatty Acids: An Essential Contribution. The Nutrition Source. https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/types-of-fat/omega-3-fats/
5. About High Cholesterol. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/cholesterol/about/index.html

Get well and stay well,
Ray Baker