27 Mar Try This Triglycerides Lowering Diet
A clinical trial reports that a high triglycerides diet that is naturally rich in polyphenols significantly lowers triglycerides.
Most people with high triglycerides are told to cut down on certain types of foods, like trans fats and added sugars. Rarely, however, do health care providers offer advice about which specific foods patients should enjoy more often. A new study might just change that.
A high triglycerides diet that contains foods that are naturally rich in polyphenols lowers triglycerides and reduces oxidative stress, according to results of a randomized controlled trial recently published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
What are polyphenols?
Polyphenols are naturally occurring compounds that exist in plants and plant products, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs, cocoa, and tea. While polyphenols are not essential nutrients, research in the last decade has revealed their dramatic role in improving health. For example, consuming plenty of foods high in polyphenols is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
Thousands of different polyphenols exist and are classified based on their chemical structure.
- Flavanols, such as quercetin, are ubiquitous in plant foods and most concentrated in spices, berries, and cocoa.
- Flavanones, such as naringenin and hesperetin, are found in citrus fruits.
- Flavan-3-ols, such as epicatechin and gallocatechin, are found in black and green tea.
- Flavones, such as luteolin, are found in certain green vegetables and herbs such as green peppers, parsley, thyme, and celery.
- Anthocyanins, such as proanthocyanidins, are prominent in foods that are red/purple in color, such as berries, apples, plums, and red wine.
Foods high in polyphenols create the perfect high triglycerides diet
In the recent study, one of the first controlled studies of its kind, researchers at Federico II University in Naples, Italy, evaluated the effects of diets naturally rich in polyphenols and/or omega-3 fatty acids from fish on triglycerides and oxidative stress. The study involved 86 overweight or obese subjects with a large waist circumference plus one or more of the following components of the metabolic syndrome: high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, or high fasting blood sugar (glucose).
After eight weeks on the various diets, only the groups eating the high polyphenol diets experienced significantly reduced triglyceride concentrations. Both fasting triglycerides and triglycerides after eating were significantly reduced.
How to lower your triglycerides using a polyphenol-rich diet
To follow a high triglycerides diet and lower your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes, eat plenty of darkly pigmented fruits and vegetables, aiming for a vibrant, rainbow-like spectrum of these foods:
- extra virgin olive oil
- green tea
- berries, especially blueberries
- fruits such as citrus fruits, plums, apples, and grapes
- dark chocolate
- vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, and other leafy greens, peppers, and celery
- fresh herbs such as parsley and thyme
- spices such as cinnamon and turmeric
- red wine
Also include non-farmed fish (and/or a fish oil supplement) and large green leafy vegetables for extra cardiovascular risk reduction. Your body will thank you for years to come, especially if you take care of your cholesterol and heart health using additional natural therapies.
Have you had a full cardiovascular health profile done? Do you know your relative risk value and have a treatment strategy? If you want to lower your triglycerides naturally or want to achieve healthy cholesterol levels without drugs, I’m here to help.
Resources:
- Am J Clin Nutr, 2014 Mar;99(3):463-71.
- Clin Chim Acta, 2014 Apr 20;431C:131-142.
- J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012 Sep;97(9):2969-89.
- Curr Atheroscler Rep. 2013 May;15(5):324.
- J Nutr Biochem. 2014 Feb;25(2):151-6.