Heart, Blood & Circulation
High Triglycerides
Elevated blood triglycerides (above 150 mg/dL) caused primarily by alcohol, sugar, refined carbohydrates, obesity, and diabetes. Controllable through plant-based diet, flaxseed oil (omega-3), garlic, brown rice, and elimination of alcohol and sugar.
Also known as: Hypertriglyceridemia, Elevated blood fats, High blood triglycerides, pancreatitis (definition: inflammation of the pancreas), atherosclerosis (definition: buildup of plaque in arteries), elevated triglycerides
📝 At a glance
Likely root causes: Diabetes (elevated triglycerides are nearly universal in diabetes); Alcohol consumption -- the second most common cause; Simple sugars and refined carbohydrates (candy, sweets, white flour, soft drinks).
First thing to try: Target triglyceride level: below 150 mg/dL.
See a doctor if: Very high triglycerides can inflame the pancreas — severe upper-abdominal pain with nausea is an emergency
🙏 Begin with prayer
Prayer is the first remedy, not the last resort. Whether you are facing this yourself, caring for someone who is, or simply reading to understand — here is a simple prayer you are welcome to make your own, in your name or in theirs:
Lord, this number in my blood test is a quiet warning I should not ignore any longer. Give me wisdom to change my table, to move my body more, and patience for results that come slowly rather than overnight. Bless the simple, plant-based means I use, and guide me as I recheck and adjust. If ever sudden, severe stomach pain should strike, give me sense to seek care fast. In Jesus' name, Amen.
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”— 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
🔎 Start with the cause
Lasting relief rarely comes from covering a symptom. First find what is feeding the problem, change what you can, and then help the body do what it was designed to do — heal.
Likely root causes
- Diabetes (elevated triglycerides are nearly universal in diabetes)
- Alcohol consumption -- the second most common cause
- Simple sugars and refined carbohydrates (candy, sweets, white flour, soft drinks)
- Obesity and excess weight
- Smoking and chewing tobacco
- Low fiber diet
Change what you can
- Target triglyceride level: below 150 mg/dL.
- Reduce total fat intake to less than 30% of daily calories (ideally 20%), and saturated fats to under 10% -- effectively done by eliminating meat and dairy products.
- Eat complex carbohydrates abundantly (rice, beans, whole grains cooked without fat).
- Eliminate all candy, sweets, and sugar (simple carbohydrates are the most significant dietary factor in raising triglycerides).
- Include abundant soluble fiber: pectin (in fruit), beta-glucan (in oats), psyllium seed.
- Take omega-3 fatty acids: raw flaxseed oil (ask your practitioner about the right amount for you) -- this directly and powerfully lowers triglycerides; do not use cod liver oil (excess vitamins A and D).
- Take garlic (or garlic tablets standardized for allicin, 900 mg providing 5,000 mcg allicin daily) -- reduces triglycerides 8-27% over 1-4 months.
- Try the brown rice diet for 2-3 days (rice and fruit only) -- can help lower triglycerides and often leads to some weight loss as a bonus.
- Do not drink alcohol -- it decidedly increases triglycerides.
- Stop smoking.
- Exercise regularly: studies show exercise lowers triglycerides even without weight loss.
- Herbs: wild yam, fenugreek, and reishi mushroom reduce triglycerides.
🌿 Overview
Triglycerides are fat particles in the bloodstream providing energy to cells. Normal is below 150 mg/dL; high is above 200 mg/dL. When elevated (especially with low HDL cholesterol), they cause vascular disease and increase heart attack risk. Alcohol is the second primary cause (after diabetes) of high triglycerides. Simple sugars (candy, sweets, sugar) also raise triglycerides markedly. Smoking and obesity are additional causes. The good news: triglycerides are among the most responsive of all lipid values to dietary change. Walter Kempner's 1944 rice-and-fruit diet could drop triglycerides from 1,000 mg/dL to 117 mg/dL in a matter of months. Omega-3 fatty acids (flaxseed oil) and garlic are among the most effective natural agents for reducing them.
Triglycerides are a type of fat carried in the blood, and high levels (generally above 150 mg/dL) are a risk factor for heart disease and, when very high, for inflammationThe body's natural response to injury — like redness, swelling, or heat around a sore spot. More → of the pancreas. Levels are strongly influenced by diet and lifestyle — particularly excess sugar, refined carbohydrates, and alcohol — as well as by being overweight, inactivity, and sometimes genetics or other conditions like poorly controlled diabetes.
The encouraging news is that triglycerides respond very well to lifestyle changes, often more so than other blood fats: cutting back on sugar, refined carbohydrates, and alcohol, choosing whole plant foods and healthy fats (such as those rich in omega-3), losing excess weight, and being regularly active can lower them substantially. These are the foundation of treatment. Because high triglycerides usually cause no symptoms, they are found through a blood test, so knowing your numbers matters. Very high levels, or levels that do not respond to lifestyle changes, should be managed with a doctor, who may also check for underlying causes.
Common signs
- High triglycerides have no direct outward symptoms
- Abdominal pain (in very high triglycerides, 500+ mg/dL, pancreatitis is a risk)
- Associated with symptoms of atherosclerosis or cardiovascular disease in severe cases
🌿 Assist nature: remedies & protocols
With the cause being addressed, these are the actual things people do for this — ranked by the community. Vote ▲ on what helped you and ▼ on what didn't, and open How to do it for the steps. Each shows two quick signals: Evidence (how much science backs it) and Gentleness (how safe and in keeping with whole, natural health).
Cutting added sugar and refined carbohydrates is the most foundational, well-supported step for bringing triglycerides down and is safe for almost everyone to start with.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Excess sugar and refined starches are converted by the liver into triglycerides, so lowering intake reduces the raw material available for triglyceride production.
- Replace sugary drinks, candy, and desserts with water, fruit, and naturally sweet foods.
- Swap white bread, white rice, and pastries for whole grains like brown rice, oats, and whole-wheat products.
- Read labels and watch for added sugars hiding in sauces, cereals, and packaged snacks.
- Make these changes gradually and consistently rather than all at once, so they become lasting habits.
ongoing · daily
Caution: Very high triglycerides (above 500 mg/dL) need medical attention, since dietary change alone may not be enough in the short term. People with diabetes should coordinate diet changes with their care team to avoid blood sugar swings.
Comments & experiences ▾
This works well alongside cutting sugar and refined carbs as a steady, food-based way to support healthy triglyceride levels.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Omega-3 fatty acids reduce the liver's production of triglyceride-carrying particles, which can meaningfully lower blood triglyceride levels over time.
- Aim to include oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel, or sardines, a couple of times a week if you eat fish.
- If you prefer plant sources, add ground flaxseed, chia seeds, or walnuts to meals regularly.
- Prepare these foods simply, such as baking or steaming fish, rather than frying, to keep the meal heart-healthy.
- Talk with your provider before starting any concentrated omega-3 supplement, since dosing and quality vary.
ongoing · several times a week
Caution: Avoid cod liver oil for omega-3s, since it can lead to excess vitamin A and D intake. People on blood thinners should check with their provider before increasing omega-3 intake significantly.
Comments & experiences ▾
Exercise is a well-supported companion to dietary changes and helps lower triglycerides through a different pathway than diet alone.
How to do it ▾
Why it works: Exercise increases the body's ability to clear triglycerides from the blood and improves how the body processes fat, independent of changes in weight.
- Check with your provider about what level of exercise is right for you before starting.
- Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate activity, such as brisk walking, most days of the week.
- Build up gradually if you are not currently active, starting with short walks and increasing duration over weeks.
- Pair exercise with the dietary changes above for the best combined effect on triglyceride levels.
30 minutes · most days of the week
Caution: Check with your provider before starting a new exercise program, especially if you have heart disease or other health conditions. Stop and seek care if you experience chest pain, severe shortness of breath, or dizziness during activity.
Comments & experiences ▾
★ = Remy Recommended — hover the star to see why.
How the numbers work: a weighted voting system — trusted published sources cast endorsement votes for each protocol, and your ▲/▼ adds to them.
🩺 When to see a doctor
- Very high triglycerides can inflame the pancreas — severe upper-abdominal pain with nausea is an emergency
- Recheck levels with your doctor and review medicines that can raise them
- Chest pain or pressure never waits — call 911
🌿 The seven pathways to health
Seven pathways for your high triglycerides — tap the circle to check one off (saved on your device), or ask Remy for help.
“Disease is an effort of nature to free the system from conditions that result from a violation of the laws of health... In case of sickness 1cause should be ascertained, 2go to work intelligently to remove the disease. 3Unhealthful conditions should be changed, 4wrong habits corrected. 5Then nature is to be assisted in her effort 6to expel impurities and 7to re-establish right conditions in the system.”
🍃 Supporting foods & habits
The gentle, everyday foods and supports that help in the background — secondary to the active remedies above. Vote on what helped you.
The beta-glucan in oats reduces the glycemic load of meals, directly lowering the carbohydrate-driven triglyceride synthesis that occurs in the liver after meals.950
Soluble fiber from oats, beans, and vegetables slows carbohydrate absorption and reduces the liver's conversion of excess sugar into triglycerides.930
Replacing saturated fats with monounsaturated fats from olive oil reduces triglyceride levels and shifts the LDL:HDL ratio favorably.900
Two tablespoons of ground flaxseed daily provide ALA omega-3 fatty acids that have been shown to reduce triglyceride levels by 10–20% when added to a healthy diet.870
Cinnamon improves insulin sensitivity and reduces the blood sugar elevations that drive liver triglyceride production; half a teaspoon daily in food is the typical amount studied.870
Chia seeds are rich in omega-3 ALA and soluble fiber; consuming them regularly has been shown to lower postprandial triglyceride spikes and reduce fasting triglyceride levels.850
Fenugreek seeds contain a unique soluble fiber (galactomannan) that may help reduce post-meal blood sugar and triglyceride levels when taken regularly.840
Curcumin reduces hepatic fat accumulation and improves lipid metabolism; regular turmeric consumption has been associated with modest reductions in triglyceride levels.820
Garlic extract has been shown in multiple clinical trials to reduce triglyceride levels, likely through inhibition of hepatic triglyceride synthesis and improved lipid clearance.790
Hawthorn has modest lipid-lowering effects and supports cardiovascular health as an adjunct to dietary changes in managing high triglycerides.780
Apple cider vinegarTaken by mouth, vinegar can irritate and inflame the stomach lining — something health reformers have long cautioned against. (Used on the skin, as in some remedies here, it's fine.) To swallow for flavor or as a tonic, fresh lemon juice gives a similar brightness gently. Gentler choice: lemon juice. improves insulin sensitivity and slows gastric emptying, both of which reduce the postprandial triglyceride spikes that raise fasting levels over time.710
How the numbers work: this is a weighted voting system — every published book or article recommending a remedy counts as an endorsement vote, and your ▲/▼ counts too. *Ties are broken by our editor score (sources, safety, simplicity, cost, lifestyle fit, eight-laws alignment).
🍽️ Eating to help
Food is one of the gentlest medicines — small, steady changes help most.
Favor these
- complex carbohydrates
- fiber
- flaxseed oil
Go easy on
- fat
- sugar
- alcohol
- tobacco
Keep triglycerides below 150; do not stay on a rice diet.
⚖️ Good to know
- Very high triglycerides (above 500 mg/dL) can cause pancreatitis, a medical emergency.
- Have blood lipids checked regularly.
- Diabetes management is the single most effective intervention for diabetics with high triglycerides.
- Do not take cod liver oil for omega-3 (excess fat-soluble vitamins).
- Do not stay on a rice-only diet for more than a few days.
⚕️ What a doctor may offerConventional treatments for this condition — for your information.Show ▾
RemedyRank's heart is natural healing — and honest information. Here is what conventional medical care commonly involves for this condition, listed to inform, never to promote. Decisions about treatment belong with you and your own physician.
High triglycerides are primarily treated through dietary and lifestyle changes; when levels remain very high (above 500 mg/dL), medications are added to prevent pancreatitis.
Commonly offered
- Dietary changes: reducing refined carbohydrates, sugar, and alcohol–
- Omega-3 fatty acid prescriptions (icosapentaenoic acid / Vascepa, Lovaza) for very high levels–
- Fibrates (fenofibrate, gemfibrozil) — most effective prescription TG-lowering agents–
- Niacin — raises HDL and lowers TG, though side effects limit use–
- Statins for combined hyperlipidemia–
- Regular aerobic exercise–
- Weight loss in overweight patients–
👍/👎 shares whether a treatment helped you — community experience, not medical advice. For full professional details, see the sources under “Learn more” below.
📚 Learn more
Sources for further reading. These open in a new tab.
🌿 Deeper natural detail
Curated links coming for this one.
💬 Ask Remy about High Triglycerides
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