Ranking right up there next to cholesterol in terms of
heart health concerns are triglycerides.
While triglycerides are your body's main type of fat,
they're also the primary form in which your body stores
energy for future use and serve several crucial functions.
So, like cholesterol, triglycerides are not the demons that
people think they are.
Trouble is, most people have far too much. So much, in
fact, that we indeed have a worldwide health epidemic on
our hands.
Dangers of excess triglycerides & an apple figure
====================================
High blood levels of triglycerides increase your risk of
heart disease by building up and damaging your arterial
walls.
The danger is similar to not changing the oil in your car.
When neglected, both human blood and engine oil get thick,
which makes the heart (or engine) work harder to pump the
fluid. The fluid also picks up excess debris and forms
nasty deposits, which eventually cause a breakdown.
A car engine will burn up. In humans, the end result is a
heart attack or a stroke.
And it's especially risky for people with an "apple
figure" (having excess weight around their middle).
For men with diabetes and the apple figure, the risk for
heart disease goes up two and a half times. For women with
diabetes and this shape, this rises eight times.
Here's why that happens:
Fat cells located in the abdomen release fat into the
blood more easily than fat cells found elsewhere in your
body. Release of fat begins just 3 to 4 hours after you
eat, compared to many more hours for other fat cells.
This easy release shows up as higher triglyceride levels.
How triglycerides get too high
==========================
Although the most common cause of high triglycerides is
diet (more on that below), there are also a multitude of
other causes and contributing factors including:
* Obesity
* Type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance
* Prolonged stress and/or depression
* Heavy caffeine use
* Smoking cigarettes
* Alcohol abuse - heavy drinking or alcoholism
* Lack of exercise
* Chronic liver disease or kidney damage
* Pancreatitis--infection of the pancreas
* Dialysis
* Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
* Cystic fibrosis
* Lupus
* Gout
* Cushing's syndrome
* Estrogens like "the pill" or hormone replacement therapy
(HRT), such as Premarin
* Corticosteroids like Hydrocortisone, Prednisolone, and
Prednisone
* Beta-blockers - used to treat high blood pressure,
cardiac arrhytmias, angina and coronary artery disease
* Diuretics - also known as water pills
* Tamoxifen - the number one recommended drug treatment
for women recovering from breast cancer
* Accutane - a powerful drug used in the treatment of acne
* Quinapril (Accupril), an antihypertensive (blood
pressure lowering agent) known as an ACE inhibitor with
numerous side effects, including high triglyceride levels
* Mirtazapine - a newer antidepressant
* Cancer
But far and away, the leading cause of elevated
triglycerides is:
Eating lots of refined carbohydrates such as white flour,
processed grains, sweets, and other sugar-containing foods...
PLUS
Eating too many sticky, saturated fats...
AND
Having too few antioxidants in your system.
So, in addition to the obvious (lowering your intake of
refined grains and saturated fats like meats), there's
another very important step you can take..
Supplement with omega-3 essential fatty acids.
This is because Omega-3 EFAs can safely lower blood
triglyceride levels by up to 65%.
Studies have shown that people who maintain a rich supply
of omega-3 EFAs remain free of cardiovascular disease and
other degenerative conditions far longer than those with
lower Omega-3 levels.
That translates into feeling great well into your golden
years.
Attaining and maintaining healthy triglyceride levels are
yet another important reason to use Blue Rock Holistics'
VitalMega-3 fish oil supplements.
Just 2 capsules a day give you a whopping 2,000 mg of the
purest, medical grade fish oil LOADED with 1,200 mg of
triglyceride-lowering Omega-3 fatty acids.
And, unlike dangerous drugs from big pharma, Omega-3 fish
oil is natural, safe and good for you in so many ways.
**The FDA has not evaluated all of these statements. The
contents of this email are not to be considered medical
advice and are for educational purposes only. If you are
experiencing health challenges, always consult your doctor
for medical advice and follow it even if it contradicts the
contents of this email.**
