How to Lower Triglyceride Levels to a Healthier Range

What are triglycerides?

Triglycerides are an essential fat that the body needs to function properly. They’re the most common form of fat found in the bloodstream. Triglycerides come from food, oils, and other fats from the diet. If you eat more calories than your body needs to use immediately, your body stores the extra calories in fat cells. When you need that energy, those triglycerides are released from the fat cells and used by the body.   

When you have high triglyceride levels, you’re at a greater risk of cardiovascular problems. So, it’s a good idea to keep your triglyceride levels in the normal range.

How are triglycerides measured?

A simple blood test can be done to see if your triglyceride level is in the healthy range. The test is usually done after you’ve fasted for at least 12 hours. It’s part of a standard lipid panel that also checks your cholesterol levels.

What triglyceride levels are healthy?

There are no obvious symptoms if you have high triglyceride levels, so doing a routine screening test is the only way to know. The ranges for triglycerides are as follows: 

• Normal: Less than 150 mg/dL

• Borderline: 150 mg/dL to 199 mg/dL 

• High: 200 mg/dL to 499 mg/dL 

• Very high: Levels over 500 mg/dL (this level increases your risk of pancreatitis)

If you have high triglycerides, talk with your healthcare provider about how this may affect your risk for other conditions.

How to lower triglycerides naturally

If you get a routine blood test and discover that you have high triglycerides, there are a lot of options to help you get to a healthier place.  

1. Reduce weight 

If you have excess weight, weight loss is an important tool to get to a healthy triglyceride level. Triglycerides are essentially stored fat. So, reducing the total amount of fat in the body will lower your triglyceride level.

Even modest weight loss of 5% to 10% of your total body weight helps to lower your triglyceride level. This means that going from a body weight of 300 pounds to 285 pounds can make a big difference in your risk of heart disease, stroke, and pancreatitis.

2. Exercise

Aerobic exercise can help reduce triglyceride levels significantly. And adding a bit of resistance exercise could help even more. There are options for exercise for people in just about every circumstance. Some examples of aerobic exercise are: 

• Walking

• Cycling

• Jumping rope

• Dancing

Exercise also has the added benefit of helping with weight loss when combined with a healthy diet. 

3. Avoid certain foods

Simple sugars, like those found in table sugar and simple carbohydrates, are linked to higher triglyceride levels. Some of the foods and beverages linked to high triglycerides include:

• Sugar-sweetened sodas and fruit juices 

• High-fat meat like beef or pork ribs, pepperoni, sausage

• High-fat dairy like whole milk, cream, and cheese

• Sugary desserts that are high in fat

• Potatoes

• White bread

• Pasta

• Cereal

• Crackers

• Rice

• Condiments like salad dressing or ketchup 

Alcohol is another simple sugar that’s best avoided when you’re trying to reduce your triglyceride levels. For people who drink heavily, eliminating alcohol can lower triglyceride levels by close to 80%. It can also lower your risk of pancreatitis, too. 

Substituting water for sugary sodas and juices, even just a couple of times each day, makes a difference.

Does coffee raise triglyceride levels?

Studies have shown that unfiltered coffee can raise your total cholesterol level. The main cause for this are oils called diterpenes (cafestol and kahweol). Using a filter while brewing removes a lot of the oils in coffee.

It’s not clear how big an effect coffee has on triglyceride levels, however. One study looked at 1,000 people and found that drinking coffee raised triglycerides about 12 points. People who already had high cholesterol levels were more sensitive to the effect. They also found that the effect is dependent on how much you drink — meaning the more coffee you drink, the greater the effect.

There seems to be agreement that adding sugar and cream to your coffee, even if it’s filtered, will also raise your triglyceride level.

4. Eat foods that can help lower triglycerides

The way you prepare food can also have an effect on triglycerides. One way to lower your triglycerides naturally is to choose healthy fats, like extra virgin olive oil. You could use these instead of saturated fats, like butter and lard.

According to the American College of Cardiology, some foods that can help lower triglyceride levels are:

• Whole grains

• Nuts

• Seeds

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Broccoli

• Kale

• Cauliflower

• Chard

• Squash

• Tomatoes

• Berries

• Lean meats like chicken, turkey, and fish

Adding foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids — such as salmon, flaxseeds, and chia seeds — can also help. The American Heart Association currently recommends trying to get at least 1 gram of omega-3 fatty acids per day.

5. Go for checkups

Remember, high triglyceride levels can sneak up on you without symptoms. Usually, the only way to know if your levels are getting into the unhealthy range is a routine blood test. Make sure you go in for your regular visits. This allows your healthcare provider to get the necessary blood tests and screenings to monitor your health.

What kind of medications treat high triglycerides?

If your triglyceride levels are very high, you may need medication. Some of the medications used to treat high triglycerides include:

• Omega-3 fatty acids: Lovaza and Vascepa are prescription-strength omega-3 fatty acids. Vascepa is a good option if you’re 45 years or older with diabetes or heart disease. Evidence shows that it also reduces the risk of heart attack or stroke.

• Fibrates: Medications like fenofibrate help slow down production of triglycerides and help remove triglycerides from the bloodstream.

• Niacin: Niacin isn’t often a first-choice medication, but it still may be effective for some. It prevents the release of triglycerides from the fat cells. You can also get niacin naturally from meats, avocados, and peanuts, among many other foods. 

What are the risks of having high triglycerides?

High triglyceride levels often go along with high cholesterol. And it comes with the same elevated risk of chronic health problems. Having high triglycerides can put you at an increased risk for conditions like:

• Metabolic syndrome

• Heart disease

• Stroke

• Pancreatitis

It’s hard to say exactly how high your triglycerides have to be to cause complications. Some estimates report that triglyceride levels have to be greater than 1,000 mg/dL to greatly increase your risk of pancreatitis. 

For stroke, your triglycerides may not need to be that high to increase your risk. One study showed that triglyceride levels close to 450 mg/dL could lead to a four-fold increase in the risk of stroke. 

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Frank Schwalbe, MD

Frank Schwalbe, MD, is an assistant professor of anesthesiology at the Yale School of Medicine. He has practiced anesthesiology for 30 years.

Edited by:

Karla Robinson, MD

Karla Robinson, MD, is a medical editor for GoodRx. She is a licensed, board-certified family physician with almost 20 years of experience in health through varied clinical, administrative, and educational roles.

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