How Do I Get My Triglycerides Down? A Comprehensive Guide

December 31, 2025 •

4 min read

High triglyceride levels, a common form of fat in the blood, are a growing concern, affecting up to one in four adults in the U.S.. While essential for energy, excess triglycerides can raise the risk of heart disease and stroke. Fortunately, a combination of lifestyle changes and, if necessary, medication can effectively lower your levels and protect your health.

Quick Summary

Lifestyle modifications are the primary method for reducing elevated triglycerides. Focus on dietary changes like reducing sugar, refined carbohydrates, and unhealthy fats, while increasing fiber and omega-3s. Regular physical activity, weight management, and limiting alcohol intake are also crucial for achieving and maintaining healthy levels.

Key Points

Dietary Changes: Drastically reduce sugar, refined carbohydrates, and unhealthy fats while increasing your intake of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids from fish, nuts, and seeds.
Consistent Exercise: Engage in regular physical activity, aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week, to burn stored triglycerides.
Weight Management: Losing 5-10% of your body weight can lead to a significant drop in triglyceride levels.
Medication and Supplements: If lifestyle changes are insufficient, your doctor may prescribe statins, fibrates, or high-dose omega-3s, which are more potent than over-the-counter supplements.
Reduce or Eliminate Alcohol: For many people, and especially those with very high levels, alcohol intake can dramatically increase triglycerides and should be limited or avoided.
Seek Professional Guidance: Always consult your healthcare provider before starting a new diet, exercise, or supplement regimen, especially if you have other health conditions.

Understanding Triglycerides

Triglycerides are the most abundant type of fat in your body and a crucial energy source. After you eat, your body converts any excess calories not immediately needed into triglycerides, which are then stored in fat cells. Later, hormones release these triglycerides for energy. While a normal level is essential, persistently high levels (hypertriglyceridemia) can lead to serious health complications, such as a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, and pancreatitis.

Lifestyle Changes to Lower Triglycerides

Making heart-healthy lifestyle changes is the most important step for controlling high triglycerides and is often the first line of treatment.

Prioritize Your Diet

Your diet has a powerful effect on your triglyceride levels. Small, consistent changes can make a big difference.

Reduce Sugar and Refined Carbs: Excess sugar and simple carbohydrates are converted into triglycerides and stored as fat. Limit sugary drinks, sweets, and products made with white flour. Focus on whole, unprocessed foods instead.
Choose Healthier Fats: Replace saturated fats from animal products with healthier monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Good sources include olive oil, nuts, seeds, and avocados.
Increase Omega-3s: The American Heart Association recommends two servings of fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines per week. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to significantly reduce triglyceride levels.
Boost Fiber Intake: Soluble fiber from foods like oats, beans, apples, and flaxseed helps lower triglycerides.
Limit Alcohol: For some, even small amounts of alcohol can significantly raise triglycerides. If levels are very high, complete abstinence is often recommended.

Embrace Regular Physical Activity

Consistent exercise is highly effective for managing triglyceride levels. It helps mobilize stored triglycerides to be used for energy.

Aerobic Exercise: Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, like brisk walking, cycling, or swimming, per week. Studies have shown regular aerobic exercise can significantly decrease blood triglycerides.
Resistance Training: While aerobic exercise is key, resistance training also helps by building muscle, which burns more calories throughout the day.

Manage Your Weight

For those who are overweight, losing even a modest amount of weight (5-10% of body weight) can lead to a significant reduction in triglycerides. Extra calories are converted to triglycerides and stored as fat, so weight management is crucial.

Medications and Supplements for High Triglycerides

When lifestyle changes aren't enough, your doctor may recommend medication or supplements, especially for very high triglyceride levels.

Comparison of Treatment Options


Treatment Type	Primary Use	Mechanism	Key Considerations
Statins	Mixed hyperlipidemia, elevated LDL and triglycerides	Reduces triglycerides by up to 50%	Often a first-line treatment if cholesterol is also an issue
Fibrates	Isolated hypertriglyceridemia	Increases lipoprotein lipase activity, which breaks down triglycerides	Can significantly lower triglycerides, but requires renal dose adjustments
Prescription Omega-3s	Very high triglycerides (>500 mg/dL)	Reduces triglyceride synthesis in the liver	More potent than over-the-counter supplements; fewer capsules needed for therapeutic dose
Niacin (Vitamin B3)	Can be used for high triglycerides, low HDL	Inhibits hepatic secretion of VLDL cholesterol	Side effects like flushing are common; liver toxicity risk with certain formulations

Creating a Sustainable Plan

Lowering triglycerides is a journey, not a sprint. The key to long-term success is to adopt sustainable habits rather than extreme, temporary measures. Incorporate heart-healthy choices into your daily routine and work closely with your healthcare provider to monitor your progress.

Make Gradual Changes: Instead of overhauling your diet overnight, start with one or two small changes, like swapping white bread for whole grains or drinking water instead of soda.
Find Activities You Enjoy: If you hate running, try brisk walking, cycling, or dancing. The best exercise is the one you will do consistently.
Plan Your Meals: Meal planning can help you avoid last-minute, unhealthy choices. Keep healthy snacks like nuts and fruit on hand to prevent cravings for high-sugar foods.
Monitor and Adjust: Regular blood tests will show the impact of your changes. Your doctor can help you adjust your plan, including medication, based on your results.

By taking a proactive approach, you can effectively manage your triglyceride levels and significantly reduce your risk of serious health issues. For further reading, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) is an excellent resource on high blood triglycerides and cardiovascular health(https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/high-blood-triglycerides).

Conclusion

High triglycerides are a manageable risk factor for serious health problems like heart disease, stroke, and pancreatitis. While lifestyle interventions focusing on diet, exercise, and weight management form the foundation of treatment, medications and supplements can also be effective when needed. The most successful approach involves consistent, long-term commitment to heart-healthy habits. By working with a healthcare provider and making informed choices, you can effectively get your triglycerides down and pave the way for better overall health.

Frequently Asked Questions

A normal fasting triglyceride level is below 150 mg/dL. A reading between 150 and 199 mg/dL is borderline high, 200 to 499 mg/dL is high, and 500 mg/dL or higher is considered very high.

With committed lifestyle changes, some people can see a noticeable reduction in triglycerides within a few weeks to a couple of months. The speed of the change depends on the severity of the initial levels and the consistency of the interventions.

Often, high triglycerides don't cause any symptoms. However, very high levels (above 500 mg/dL) can lead to serious complications like pancreatitis, which causes severe abdominal pain, nausea, and fever.

Focus on foods rich in fiber, healthy fats, and omega-3s. Examples include fatty fish (salmon, mackerel), nuts (walnuts, almonds), seeds (flax, chia), legumes (beans, lentils), and whole grains (oats, brown rice).

While fruit contains natural sugars (fructose), it is also full of beneficial fiber and vitamins. Whole fruit is a better choice than fruit juice. Opt for lower-fructose fruits like berries and citrus in moderation.

Regular exercise is highly effective and can reduce triglycerides by up to 30%. However, the best results are achieved when exercise is combined with a heart-healthy diet and weight management.

Triglycerides are fats used for energy, while cholesterol is a waxy substance used to build cells. Both are lipids and are measured together in a lipid panel, but high levels of either pose different risks to heart health.