What Are Triglycerides?

• Triglycerides are a common type of fat in foods and in the human body. Fried foods, butter and cookies all contain fat that the body stores as triglycerides. If you often eat more calories than you burn, you may have high triglycerides.
  
  

What Is a Normal Level?

• A normal triglyceride level for a teenager is less than 150mg, while borderline high is 150 to 199mg, high is 200 to 499mg, and very high is 500mg or higher.
  
  

What Elevates Triglyceride Levels?

• High triglyceride levels may be caused by diabetes, kidney disease, hypothyroidism or liver disease. Obesity and consumptions of large amounts of fat, sweets and alcohol can also raise triglyceride levels.
  
  

Why Do High Triglycerides Matter?

• High triglycerides levels can contribute to stroke, heart attack and heart disease.
  
  

How to Lower Triglyceride Levels

• In order to lower triglyceride levels, cut calories, lose weight and exercise regularly. Skip sugar and processed foods and eat no more than 300mg of cholesterol per day. Pick healthy fats such as omega-3 fatty acids and do without trans fats, which are found in fried foods and cookies, and alcohol.