American Heart Association: Watch Your Triglycerides

Healthy lifestyle changes can significantly lower elevated levels of triglycerides, a type of blood fat associated with heart disease and other health problems, says the American Heart Association (AHA).

About one-third (31 percent) of adults in the United States have elevated triglyceride levels, defined as more than 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), writes U.S. News and World Report. These levels can be lowered 20 percent to 50 percent by replacing unhealthy saturated fats with healthy unsaturated dietary fats, being physically active, and losing excess weight, according to the AHA.

This distinguishes triglycerides from high cholesterol levels, which can be helped by a healthy lifestyle but may also require medication to keep in check.

The AHA recommends dietary changes for people with high triglyceride levels. These include limiting:

• added sugar to less than 5 to 10 percent of calories consumed, or about 100 calories per day for women and 150 calories for men
• trans fat to less than 1 percent of total calories
• alcohol
• fructose from both processed and natural foods to less than 50 to 100 grams per day

Moderate exercise – at least 150 minutes per week – is the other key to keeping high triglyceride levels down. Check out these eight simple ways to lower triglycerides.