The other day I went for my blood test. According to my doctor, she said generally I am physically fine. From my test results, other than the so-called good and bad cholesterol, I noticed this word "triglycerides".
When I asked my doctor about it, she just brushed off and mumbled that it was nothing important.
She just focused on the cholesterol levels. When I got home, out of curiosity. I looked it up in the internet and check out more about this medical terminology called triglycerides. And to my surprise, it seems triglycerides are in fact MORE important than cholesterol.
These are some of the information I found out from various sources, which I would like to share with you.
So, what are triglycerides? It is said that triglycerides are a type of fat that are important sources of energy to our muscles and our heart and other parts of our body.
Triglycerides are a type of fat (known as lipid) which you can’t control or get rid of them out of your diet because your body produces them from what you eat. And if you don’t cut off those calories you’ve ingested, your body will turn the rest into triglycerides and store them in fat cells.
In other words, if you have a high triglycerides, it simply means you have too much fat in the bloodstream. And according to many medical reports, it is a big problem.
From I have read, if you have problem burning those fat, it could lead you to chronic diseases of aging, and the risk of coronary heart disease.
Another thing which I found out was high triglycerides could be an early symptom of an increased risk of diabetes. According to a number of doctors, cholesterol or rather the bad cholesterol (LDL) is not the major culprit in heart disease.
Interestingly, some claim that there is so such thing as good and bad cholesterol. Both are lipoprotein. Or fats combined with proteins.
I also found out that the amount of cholesterol that one consumes has very little contribution to your cholesterol levels. It is said that most of the cholesterol in your bloodstream comes from what your liver; which manufactures and distributes it.
In fact we all need cholesterol in our body. It is a necessary ingredient in any kind of cellular repair. One of its function is to keep your cell membranes from falling apart.
There have been so many reports which said that those with high risk of heart attack, do not need to take cholesterol-lowering drugs; particularly the so-called "statins".
It was revealed that basically it is all about business. The multi-billion dollar sales of statin drugs. They discovered that eight of the nine "experts" who recommend the use of statin drugs, were on the payroll of pharmaceutical companies that manufacture those drugs.
In fact, cholesterol-lowering drugs have said to be harmful to muscles causing them damage. Many people who take statin, experience muscular aches and pains. This drug also said to cause nerve damage and to greatly impair memory.
So, it appears to me, I should be concerned with the level of triglycerides. In other words, triglycerides matter. So, how much triglycerides is considered normal or safe? Check the information below:
Normal — Less than 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), or less than 1.7 millimoles per L (mmol/L)
Borderline High — 150 to 199 mg/dL (1.8 to 2.2 mmol/L)
High — 200 to 499 mg/dL (2.3 to 5.6 mmol/L)
Very High — 500 mg/dL or above (5.7 mmol/L or above)
From what I read in Mayo clinic, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that a triglyceride level of 100 mg/dL (1.3 mmol/L) or lower is considered "optimal." This optimal level would improve your heart health.
The AHA doesn't recommend any drug treatment to reach the optimal level. What it suggests is, make lifestyle changes, such as diet, weight loss and physical activity.
So for those of you who have high triglycerides, you better start to follow a healthier diet with more fruits, vegetables, fiber, and whole grains. Plus, watch your weight and most of all, exercise more regularly. Start off by doing brisk walking and it can burn your calories, thus lowering your triglycerides.
When I asked my doctor about it, she just brushed off and mumbled that it was nothing important.
She just focused on the cholesterol levels. When I got home, out of curiosity. I looked it up in the internet and check out more about this medical terminology called triglycerides. And to my surprise, it seems triglycerides are in fact MORE important than cholesterol.
These are some of the information I found out from various sources, which I would like to share with you.
So, what are triglycerides? It is said that triglycerides are a type of fat that are important sources of energy to our muscles and our heart and other parts of our body.
Triglycerides are a type of fat (known as lipid) which you can’t control or get rid of them out of your diet because your body produces them from what you eat. And if you don’t cut off those calories you’ve ingested, your body will turn the rest into triglycerides and store them in fat cells.
In other words, if you have a high triglycerides, it simply means you have too much fat in the bloodstream. And according to many medical reports, it is a big problem.
From I have read, if you have problem burning those fat, it could lead you to chronic diseases of aging, and the risk of coronary heart disease.
Another thing which I found out was high triglycerides could be an early symptom of an increased risk of diabetes. According to a number of doctors, cholesterol or rather the bad cholesterol (LDL) is not the major culprit in heart disease.
Interestingly, some claim that there is so such thing as good and bad cholesterol. Both are lipoprotein. Or fats combined with proteins.
I also found out that the amount of cholesterol that one consumes has very little contribution to your cholesterol levels. It is said that most of the cholesterol in your bloodstream comes from what your liver; which manufactures and distributes it.
In fact we all need cholesterol in our body. It is a necessary ingredient in any kind of cellular repair. One of its function is to keep your cell membranes from falling apart.
There have been so many reports which said that those with high risk of heart attack, do not need to take cholesterol-lowering drugs; particularly the so-called "statins".
It was revealed that basically it is all about business. The multi-billion dollar sales of statin drugs. They discovered that eight of the nine "experts" who recommend the use of statin drugs, were on the payroll of pharmaceutical companies that manufacture those drugs.
In fact, cholesterol-lowering drugs have said to be harmful to muscles causing them damage. Many people who take statin, experience muscular aches and pains. This drug also said to cause nerve damage and to greatly impair memory.
So, it appears to me, I should be concerned with the level of triglycerides. In other words, triglycerides matter. So, how much triglycerides is considered normal or safe? Check the information below:
Normal — Less than 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), or less than 1.7 millimoles per L (mmol/L)
Borderline High — 150 to 199 mg/dL (1.8 to 2.2 mmol/L)
High — 200 to 499 mg/dL (2.3 to 5.6 mmol/L)
Very High — 500 mg/dL or above (5.7 mmol/L or above)
From what I read in Mayo clinic, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that a triglyceride level of 100 mg/dL (1.3 mmol/L) or lower is considered "optimal." This optimal level would improve your heart health.
The AHA doesn't recommend any drug treatment to reach the optimal level. What it suggests is, make lifestyle changes, such as diet, weight loss and physical activity.
So for those of you who have high triglycerides, you better start to follow a healthier diet with more fruits, vegetables, fiber, and whole grains. Plus, watch your weight and most of all, exercise more regularly. Start off by doing brisk walking and it can burn your calories, thus lowering your triglycerides.
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