What You Need To Know About TrygliceridesTriglycerides are converted into stored energy that gradually releases and metabolized between meals depending on the metabolic needs of your body. Triglycerides are not only present in the body through the consumption of fats, but also through consuming carbohydrates. Most carbohydrates naturally are converted into triglycerides by the body. Triglycerides are essentially the body's fats, each comprised of three fatty acids and a glyceride molecule, making up some 95% of dietary fat and 90% of body fat. Triglycerides are another component commonly measured by a lipid or cholesterol test. Triglycerides are compounds used by the body to transport fatty acids (formed when fats or oils are consumed) through the bloodstream. Triglycerides are considered a risk factor for heart disease when the levels are above 150 mg/dL, coupled with an HDL level below 40 mg/dL. If your triglycerides are too high, restrict your intake of simple sugars and alcohol, exercise regularly, and lose weight if you are overweight. When you eat, your body converts any excess calories it doesn't need right away into triglycerides, which are stored in fat cells and released later for energy. This kind of fat is similar to cholesterol. Triglycerides are then stored in the body as adipose tissue. Triglycerides are carried through the blood by very low-density lipoproteins. Only a small amount of triglycerides is normally found in the blood, most of it is stored in fat tissue. Unlike cholesterol, triglycerides are made in the body principally from carbohydrates that you eat. Triglycerides are typically elevate after a meal and lower when fasting. Elevated triglyceride levels are linked to elevated total cholesterol and reduced HDLs. Triglycerides also serve as a fuel source for the heart and the muscles. Under normal circumstances triglycerides are released back into the bloodstream from the fat cells when glucose and insulin levels are low, as a substitute source of energy for the cells. Triglycerides form when a person eats more food than is needed as fuel for the body. This excess fuel is converted into the fat that sometimes settles in the waist or other areas on the body, and can also cling to artery walls. Cholesterol and triglycerides are two kinds of lipids carried that are carried through the blood. Cholesterol is a white powdery substance, where the "good" cholesterol is smaller and denser than the other kinds of lipoproteins. There are two other types of lipoproteins: Intermediate density lipoproteins (IDL) and Very low density lipoproteins (VLDL), both of which tend to transport triglycerides. The Cholesterol comes from the diet primarily through the consumption of animal products, and it is also manufactured by the liver. In order for cholesterol to easily move through the body, it is packaged with a protein. Elevations of blood triglycerides may promote atherosclerosis by altering the size, density, and composition of LDLs. Elevated triglyceride levels have been linked to serious illnesses including heart disease, kidney disease, and pancreatitis. The risk of developing coronary artery disease doubles when triglyceride levels are consistently above 200 mg/dL. Elevated triglycerides are an even more significant risk factor for women than men, where an increase in triglyceride levels of 88 mg/dL increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by 37% for women, compared to that of 14% for men. |