- What are triglycerides?
- What happens when we have out of control triglyceride levels in the blood?
- Fish oil is proven to reduce triglyceride levels
Triglycerides are a form of lipid, or fat, in the blood. When you eat more calories than the body can use, those extra calories are converted to triglycerides and stored in your fat cells. Ever sensible and self-preserving, the human body releases these added triglycerides to provide energy between meals. If you constantly overeat and you consume more calories than your body needs, you may develop elevated levels of triglycerides in your blood, a condition known as hypertriglyceridemia.
The American Heart Association1 provides the following triglyceride ranges to determine what’s healthy and what’s not:
- Normal: Lower than 150 mg
- High normal: between 150-200 mg/dl.
- High: between 200-500 mg/dl.
- Very high: greater than 500 mg/dl.
Medical doctors consider triglyceride levels below 100 mg/dl to be optimal. Higher levels are associated not only with coronary heart disease but with a host of other health challenges, including cancer, stroke, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes. Your family doctor can order a blood test to determine where you fall in the triglyceride range.
Although poor diet and being overweight can contribute to soaring levels of triglycerides, according to WebMD7 ,you are at a higher risk for developing this disorder if you:
- Regularly consume alcohol
- Have kidney disease
- Take birth control pills
- Take certain beta-blockers
- Suffer from malabsorption syndrome (A condition in which the small intestine does not absorb fats properly)
In addition to the disorders mentioned above, high triglycerides may also contribute to hardening of the arteries or thickening of the artery walls, a condition known as atherosclerosis. Medical experts warn that these factors all contribute to stroke and heart attack. Having elevated triglyceride levels can be a sign of other ailments that increase the risk of heart disease, including obesity, packing too many pounds around your midsection, having high blood pressure, high blood sugar and rising cholesterol levels. This is why doctors say it’s greatly important to keep your triglycerides within the normal range listed above. According to the Mayo Clinic, high triglycerides can also be symptomatic of type 2 diabetes, low levels of thyroid hormones and liver disease.2
If you suffer from high triglycerides, don’t despair. There are natural alternatives to medication that can lessen this condition. Fish oil has been proven to significantly reduce increased amounts of triglycerides in the blood. As early as 1985, the New England Journal of Medicine reported that fish oil caused a substantial reduction in triglycerides in normal people as well as those suffering from hypertriglyceridemia.3
In the above case study, more than 200 participants were given six grams or more of fish oils to test their effectiveness on elevated triglyceride levels and cholesterol. At the conclusion of the study, it was determined that fish oil significantly lowered triglyceride levels – some levels that were as high 1,800 mg/dl! – and no major side effects were reported.
Where does fish oil get its fighting power? The blockbuster omega-3 fatty acids DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid.) contained in fish oil are said to battle triglycerides by preventing their production in the liver. DHA and EPA are also considered very important in preventing and managing heart disease.
A 2002 study published by the American Heart Association reports that omega-3s from fish oil are particularly effective for combating triglyceride levels right after a meal, and they also offer the extra advantage of raising high-density lipoproteins (HDL), the “good” cholesterol, by three percent.4 The study further acknowledges that the omega-3s found in fish oil are effective in reducing the incidence of cardiovascular disease, lowering the risk of heart disease and heart arrhythmias, and reducing the level of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), or the “bad” cholesterol. It is thought that triglyceride accumulation can be prevented by the regular consumption of quality fish oil supplements.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that healthy people consume fatty fish at least twice a week. For people who suffer from coronary artery disease, the AHA suggests one gram of eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid per day.5
OmegaMx is a highly concentrated fish oil supplement that is rich in essential omega-3 fatty acids, delivering 840 mg of EPA and 560 mg of DHA.
In addition to decreasing unhealthy triglyceride levels, the omega-3s found in fish oils are said to:6
- Lower blood pressure
- Reduce the likelihood of stroke
- Slow the development of plaque in the arteries
- Prevent sudden cardiac arrest deaths
The above research illustrates the need to take charge of your cardiovascular fitness. Even if you are currently in the high normal to high triglyceride range, it’s never too late to embrace healthy habits to reduce your risk of coronary heart disease. In addition to shedding the pounds if you are obese, working up a sweat on a regular basis and reducing the amount of carbohydrates you eat and junk foods containing saturated fats, consider implementing fish oil supplements as part of a balanced plan for getting unhealthy LDL levels under control. A wealth of scientific evidence supports the triglyceride-busting properties of fish oil capsules. Learn how these supplements can promote wellness and a return to vitality.
- http://www.goodnutritioncenter.com/wp-content/themes/global-theame/images/fish oil as one therapy.pdf – from Journal of Orthomolecular Medicine