Nuts have been promoted as heart healthy because eating them can lower triglycerides and cholesterol but many of us tend to avoid them because we don’t want to gain weight due to the high fat content in nuts. However, a recent study printed in the Nutrition Journal 2012 concluded that eating nuts does not lead to weight gain. Can we eat heart healthy nuts without fear of weight gain?
The unfortunate thing about our modern day lifestyle is that we are now faced with the task of lowering high triglycerides in kids. Not only are more than 30% of Americans struggling with high triglycerides, also known as hypertriglyceridemia, but so are children.
The number of children who have this problem is unknown because lipid panels, which measure the level of triglycerides, are seldom done in children. But, if your child is overweight, chances are his or her triglycerides are elevated.
In order to effectively lower high triglycerides in children, we need to first understand what has caused the problem to begin with. So, let’s start by looking at the causes of high triglycerides in kids.
While the lipid panel has been used for years to diagnose high cholesterol and triglycerides, there are other tests that can give us more helpful information, thanks to advances in technology. One of these tests is the VAP test developed by Atherotech Diagnostic Lab.
The problem with the standard lipid panel is that it does not give us enough information to detect hidden heart disease risk. Most of us know someone who has heart disease or who had a heart attack despite having a normal cholesterol level. Because this is happening, this tells us that there is more to cholesterol than what the lipid panel tells us.
Knowing how often you should have your triglycerides checked is an important step in monitoring your overall health and wellness. Checking your triglycerides, cholesterol and blood sugar routinely can help to catch problems early on. It is also a great way to see if you are on track with your diet and exercise program. Fortunately, one test, the lipid panel, will measure your triglycerides level, your total cholesterol, and your HDL and LDL cholesterol. Some tests may even cover your blood sugar.
Despite all the controversy about the triglycerides diet, there are no arguments that there are certain foods that endanger heart health. And, as research continues to be done, that list is growing longer. Even foods once thought to be health, or at least neutral when it came to heart health are making the list. Here are some of the foods that can put you at increased risk for having a heart attack or developing heart disease.
You can have high triglycerides for a long time and not even know it. That is because there may be no symptoms with high triglycerides. People can have triglyceride levels of 1000 mg/dl and have no clue that this is happening. Just for a reference point, optimal triglycerides are below 100 mg/dl after fasting.
What are the health effects of years of high triglycerides? Can you reduce any damage caused by them? Can you reverse the effects of high triglycerides? Can you minimize the danger of high triglycerides after having them for years?
The Dash diet is eating plan with a well-established reputation for lowering high blood pressure. A study done in 2001, and supported by the National Institutes of Health, found that the Dash diet was also effective in significantly lowering cholesterol levels. But does the Dash diet lower triglycerides?
In this same study, known as the DASH study, the levels of triglycerides of the 459 participants were not significantly changed on the Dash diet. However, Harvard Medical School published the following information in their publication titled The Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide:
Type 2 diabetes affects over 25.8 million people in the United States today. That number is predicted to grow to over 170 million by the year 2020. Type 2 diabetes is growing at an epidemic pace.
Amazingly, about one-third of the people who have Type 2 diabetes today don’t even know that they have it. This is a serious situation because, over time, diabetes can cause blindness, heart disease, nerve damage and major organ damage. Knowing the warning signs of Type 2 diabetes is vital for all of us. It can save our live. It can save the lives of our children.
From previous articles on high-trigycerides.org we know that alcohol and triglycerides don’t mix, but what about alcohol and cholesterol? Does drinking alcohol increase the level of cholesterol in your body like it does with your triglycerides? Surprisingly, no, it does not. In fact, alcohol may even help improve cholesterol levels. But before you rush off to buy that six pack of beer or bottle of wine, continue on to read the specifics of the effect of alcohol on cholesterol.
Diabesity® is the medical term for a modern disease caused by lifestyle and diet. Diabesity® refers to diabetes caused by obesity. Few have heard of this condition but it has been around for years. In 1998, UCLA started a Diabesity® Research Program:
To further increase awareness of the connection between obesity and diabetes, the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition has started a diabesity involving research on the use of innovative approaches to weight loss which may be useful for treating the patient with obesity and diabetes.
—”UCLA Center for Human Nutrition Starts Diabetes & Obesity Research Program,” PR Newswire, February 25, 1998
The term diabesity® has been trademarked by Shape Up America. According to Shape Up America, 97% of all cases of Type 2 diabetes is caused by excess weight. 97%!