I’ve really been zooming in on bad ingredients lately when it comes to blogs, but I think for today we will go to a frequently asked question we get a lot. What are triglycerides? This fat that people talk about a lot has become synonymous with “bad” or “unhealthy.” The truth is triglycerides are a large part of the body’s energy source. There are a lot of misconceptions around this fat in the body and I want to break some of those down with an honest look at how triglycerides and keto interact.
What are Triglycerides?
The simple answer according to the Mayo Clinic is triglycerides are a fat found in your blood. Any food you take in that is not needed for energy is converted into triglycerides and stored for energy to be used later. If you don’t use up that energy that fat stays in storage and weight gain occurs. Triglycerides are a necessary function for our body and are perfectly ok. If blood tests show a level in the 150 range you’re fine. Above that, your health can be at risk.
If you have high triglycerides there are several serious side effects, you will be facing. High levels have contributed to things such as heart disease, stroke, metabolic syndrome, and an inflamed pancreas. Don’t confuse triglycerides with cholesterol. Cholesterol builds cells, whereas triglycerides are primarily an energy source. Although you will notice high levels of both have similar outcomes.
Triglycerides and Keto: The Link
It’s not as much a link as it’s an obvious association. Keto puts your body in a state of ketosis switching your body over from burning carbs to fat. When you tap into your fat stores for energy to become that fat burning machine triglycerides are obviously a big part of that process. Much more than when you are on a traditional carb rich diet.
The major news when it comes to keto and triglycerides is recent studies have shown switching to a ketogenic way of eating lowers them. It’s not hard to see why. The major points heath practitioners bring forward to lower triglycerides are. Exercise, limit alcohol, stop smoking, lose weight, eat healthier fats, and avoid sugars/refined carbs. Three of those are staples on the keto diet. If losing weight, eating healthier fats, and avoiding sugars/refined carbs bring that number down it stands to reason keto will help.
Triglycerides and Keto: The Differences
Wendy and I like to look at both sides of the equation so we will give you some of the key differences with keto and lowering triglycerides. One of the recommendations are eating less saturated fats. Without getting into a long-drawn-out definition. Saturated fats are in things like butter, coconut oil, cheese, and fatty cuts of meat. Those are all things eaten as part of a steady diet on keto.
Other key differences are recommendations to eat more whole grains and soy products. Whole grains are a no on keto and although many people eat soy, it’s potential to create hormone imbalances is not something we promote. These could be recommendations based on cutting out those refined carbs and fatty proteins, but there are other ways to do that more in line with a ketogenic lifestyle.
My Personal Conclusion on Keto and Triglycerides
For me personally I think triglycerides have become another “boogey-man” in the health world. They are a necessary part of our body’s functions, but like anything we need to keep them in check. Excess of anything is bad and will have side effects. Blood tests can easily show you where your numbers are at and if they need to come down. If you stay on your current path of being overweight, even if you have low triglycerides the obesity will give you the same issues. This is where keto comes in.
From a scientific standpoint a recent studey submitted to the National Library of Medicine showed decreased levels of triglycerides in overweight patients put on a ketogenic diet. From a personal standpoint, before starting keto my blood test showed at 295. That is heading well into the danger zone. 15-months after starting keto my triglyceride levels were at 140. That is proof enough for me that keto can help. It’s not going to hurt to try.
Bill
