Triglycerides

Triglycerides are a type of lipid, which is a fancy word for fat. When you eat, your body converts any calories it doesn't need to use right away into triglycerides. These triglycerides are stored in your fat cells. Later, hormones release triglycerides for energy between meals. If you regularly eat more calories than you burn, especially from high-carbohydrate foods, you may have high triglycerides. Think of triglycerides as the fuel your body stores for later use.

High levels of triglycerides can increase your risk of heart disease. When you have too many triglycerides in your blood, they can contribute to the hardening of arteries or thickening of the artery walls (atherosclerosis), which increases the risk of stroke, heart attack, and heart disease. High triglycerides can also be a sign of other conditions that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, including obesity and metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions that includes too much fat around the waist, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and abnormal cholesterol levels. Additionally, very high triglycerides can cause inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). Therefore, keeping your triglyceride levels within a healthy range is important for maintaining overall cardiovascular health.

• Dietary factors: Eating a lot of sugary foods, refined carbohydrates, and alcohol can raise triglyceride levels. Foods high in saturated fats and trans fats, like fried foods and baked goods, can also increase triglycerides.

• Lifestyle factors: Lack of physical activity, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption can lead to higher triglyceride levels. Being overweight or obese is another significant factor.

• Related biomarkers: High triglycerides are often associated with other lipid abnormalities, such as low HDL (good cholesterol) and high LDL (bad cholesterol).

• Micronutrient impacts: Deficiencies in certain nutrients, like omega-3 fatty acids, can affect triglyceride levels. Omega-3s, found in fish oil, can help lower triglycerides.

• Environmental influences: Chronic stress and certain medications, such as beta-blockers, steroids, and diuretics, can also impact triglyceride levels.

If you have high triglycerides:

Small, consistent changes add up. Aim for habits you can keep doing and watch how your triglycerides respond across months and years.

• Prioritise weight loss if you have excess body fat. Even modest, steady weight loss is one of the strongest levers for lowering triglycerides, because it improves how your body handles sugars and fats. Diet-and-activity programs typically lower triglycerides meaningfully as weight comes off.
  

• Cut back on added sugars and refined starches. Sugary drinks, sweets, white breads and biscuits drive triglycerides up by flooding the liver with simple sugars. Swap to water or sparkling water, whole fruit, high-fibre grains and legumes. People often see improvements within weeks of consistently reducing added sugar.
  

• Choose healthy fats and oily fish. Replace butter, processed meats and deep-fried foods with extra-virgin olive oil, nuts, seeds and avocado. Include oily fish such as salmon, sardines or mackerel 2–3 times per week. Diet is most important but prescription-strength omega-3s (EPA or EPA+DHA at about 4 g/day) have been shown to lower triglycerides by roughly 20–30 percent.
  

• Move most days, and add short “movement snacks.” Regular aerobic activity lowers fasting triglycerides. Even a single bout can push triglycerides down for up to 72 hours, so aim for near-daily movement. Try a 10–15 minute brisk walk after meals, cycling, swimming, or dancing, plus 2–3 sessions of resistance training each week.
  

• Go easy on alcohol. Alcohol can raise triglycerides, especially in people who are genetically sensitive to it. Try alcohol-free weeks or swap evening drinks for herbal tea, sparkling water with lime, or alcohol-free alternatives. Many people see noticeable improvements when they cut back.
  

• Build a blood-sugar friendly routine. Pair carbohydrates with protein and fibre, front-load more of your carbohydrates earlier in the day or around exercise, and space meals to avoid constant snacking. These steps improve insulin sensitivity and can lower triglycerides over time.
  

• Sleep and stress matter. Consistent, good-quality sleep and regular stress-management (breathing drills, mindfulness, time in nature) support healthier triglycerides by improving metabolic balance. Keep a simple wind-down routine and a regular sleep schedule.
  

Keep experimenting with the habits above, stick with what works for you, and use your rechecks to see how your numbers trend. Long-term control is about stacking small wins.

• Optimal < 1.7 mmol/L

• Borderline high 1.7–2.0 mmol/L

• High 2.0–6.0 mmol/L

• Very high > 6.0 mmol/L

1. ACC Consensus on ASCVD Risk Reduction in Hypertriglyceridemia, American College of Cardiology, 2021. Available from: https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/ten-points-to-remember/2021/07/27/21/04/2021-ACC-ECDP-Hypertriglyceridemia

2. Triglycerides, Better Health Channel, Victorian State Government, 2024. Available from: https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/triglycerides

3. Omega-3 Fatty Acids for the Management of Hypertriglyceridemia, American Heart Association Scientific Statement, 2019. Available from: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000709

4. Triglycerides Revisited: A contemporary perspective on the assessment and management of hypertriglyceridemia, International Atherosclerosis Society (IAS), 2024. Available from: https://athero.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IAS_Triglycerides-Revisited-Consensus_Aug2024.pdf

5. Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health: Effects on Blood Lipids, American Heart Association Statement, 2003. Available from: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/01.CIR.0000075572.40158.77