Studies Show How to Treat & Reduce Recurring UTIs Without Antibiotics

A new study presented in San Diego of 140 premenopausal women in Bulgaria who found that urinary tract infections (UTIs) were reduced by half with when their water consumption increased by 1 and a half liters. The women included in the study previously had experienced UTIs more than three times a year. After dividing the test subjects in half, researchers found that the group who increased their water intake by 1 and a half liters (6 cups) averaged 1.6 infections a year and the group who did not drink more water reported an average of 3.1 infections.

Drink more water. Experience fewer UTIs. Is it really that simple? The answer is yes and no. UTIs don’t magically develop because you’re not drinking enough water, though a dehydrated body is more susceptible to infection and any number of ailments from headaches to constipation to depression to acid reflux. Consider these health issues. Consider the time, money, and effort that goes into treating these ailments. Why aren’t we putting as much effort into preventing the UTI as we are into treating it?

The Very Beginning

Conventional medicine says that a urinary tract infection occurs when bacteria enter the urinary tract through the urethra. The belief is that the bacteria comes from the rectum, and studies show that 80 to 90 percent of bladder infections are caused by E. coli, an intestinal bacteria. Many holistic health practitioners suspect that leaky gut may also be a common cause of UTIs. The E. coli bacteria has a long, hair-like appendage with the protein FimH at the end of it. That protein forms a tiny hook. The hook helps the E.coli hang on and gives it a chance to grow and irritate the urinary tract. The urinary and intestinal tracts are composed of the same mucosal tissue and much like the gut, the E. coli that end up in the urethra can be balanced by beneficial bacteria, particularly lactobacillus. If there isn’t enough lactobacillus to balance the E. Coli, the risk of UTIs increases. Other common UTI risk factors include:

Sex
Holding in urine for too long
Feminine products
Hormone shifts
Dehydration
High blood sugar or uncontrolled diabetes
Kidney stones

Treatment Options

Once you realize that you have or could soon have a UTI, time is of the essence. If you decide to go the conventional medicine route, you’ll be given antibiotics. UTIs are the second most common reason to prescribe antibiotics, but this method harms more than it helps. Yes, harmful bacteria like E. coli are eliminated, but the slow-moving lactobacillus necessary to keep the harmful bacteria in check are also destroyed. Without those beneficial bacteria to balance the vaginal ecosystem, antibiotics have turned a simple UTI that research now tells us could have been resolved with drinking more water into a breeding ground for a potentially recurring infection.

We Need Fewer Antibiotics…Start Now

Antibiotic resistance is here. By necessity, we must look somewhere other than antibiotics, and there are other options that conventional medicine is not considering. If reducing UTIs by half is accomplished with a treatment as simple as drinking more water, what do we even need them for? For years, medicine has pushed for a cure rather than prevention. As margins for error in health keep decreasing, choosing to treat and support your body with diet and lifestyle before you get sick is the best way to never get sick.

Fast UTI Protocol

Cranberry juice is the secret. But not just any cranberry juice will do, it must be 100% cranberry juice with no other juices or sweeteners added. Conventional cranberry juice with high fructose corn syrup or table sugar will more often than not feed a urinary tract infection.

Lakewood is a common brand of cranberry juice that is available in the U.S. It is pasteurized but it is not reconstituted (not from concentrate). If you can find cranberry juice that’s unpasteurized at your local farmers market, or make it yourself, even better. If you cannot find the cranberry juice get a cranberry supplement. For those with recurring UTIs. have both on hand if possible.

At the first sign of kidney problems, like slow, shy, or otherwise difficult urination, take a gulp of cranberry juice straight, and then make a gallon of cranberry lemonade. This will help detoxify the kidneys, liver, gallbladder, and to a smaller extent the gut. If the infection has set in, SF722 and a probiotic would be in order. For chronic urinary tract issues, taking SF722 daily and always having nettle leaf and this kidney tea (or tincture) on hand is advised.

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New Study Reports Pesticides In Conventional Produce Lowers Fertility

The study involved 325 women who went to a fertility clinic in Boston. Data on their eating habits and pregnancy outcomes were examined by researchers. The findings showed women in the study who ate fruits and vegetables with higher levels of pesticide residue impaired their ability to get pregnant and sustain pregnancy.

Women in this study were participating in the Environment and Reproductive Health Study. The objective was to identify determinants of fertility among couples studied at the Fertility Center. Variables were considered, including smoking, diet habits, and supplement intake. Researchers concluded:

“…intake of high–pesticide residue [fruits and vegetables] was associated with lower probabilities of clinical pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing infertility treatment.

Related: Dicamba – The Herbicide Monsanto is Promoting to Replace Roundup’s Glyphosate

They report that their findings are consistent with animal studies that have shown low-dose pesticide ingestion likely causes adverse effects to fertility.

We already knew that women occupationally exposed to pesticides and women exposed to pesticides used in agriculture by virtue of living in or near agricultural production areas experience greater risk of infertility, pregnancy loss and other adverse reproductive outcomes.” – Dr. Jorge Chavarro of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Women in the study were 35 years old on average. Most were white and had at least a college education. They all underwent fertility treatments between 2007 and 2016.

Researchers estimated that replacing a single serving day of produce containing high levels of pesticide residue with a different, lower-pesticide option could increase pregnancy odds by 79 percent, and increase the chances of a live birth by 88 percent.

Recommended: You Need Sulforaphane – How and Why to Grow Broccoli Sprouts

Women in the study were 35 years old on average, typically white, and they had at least a college education.

Dr. Chavarro stated that the study is the first to show that low doses of pesticide residue in conventionally grown fruits and vegetables can have adverse health effects. He also stated that washing produce does not reduce pesticide exposure, and buying organic fruits and vegetables makes sense for foods that typically have high levels of pesticide residue.

Pesticide Levels In Produce

The environmental working group puts out a list of the worst offenders and the better choices for conventional produce, helpful to those on a budget or who don’t have access to enough organic produce. The * indicates the item may be genetically modified. And don’t forget, grow your own!

Related: How to Regrow Your Favorite Herbs and Save Lots of Money

EWG’s Clean Fifteen

Sweet Corn*
Avocados
Pineapples
Cabbage
Onions
Sweet peas frozen
Papayas*
Asparagus
Mangos
Eggplant
Honeydew Melon
Kiwi
Cantaloupe
Cauliflower
Grapefruit

EWG’s Dirty Dozen

Strawberries
Spinach
Nectarines
Apples
Peaches
Pears
Cherries
Grapes
Celery
Tomatoes
Sweet bell peppers
Potatoes

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Too Much Sugar Can Lead to a Higher Risk of Cancer – Study Confirms

A nine-year study by scientists in Belgium found that excess sugar consumption stimulates tumor growth and increases your risk of cancer. Scientists focused on the Warburg Effect, a phenomenon where cancer cells consume glucose and turn it into tumor-feeding lactic acid. According to one of the study’s researchers, Professor Johan Thevelein:

Our research reveals how the hyperactive sugar consumption of cancerous cells leads to a vicious cycle of continued stimulation of cancer development and growth. Thus, it is able to explain the correlation between the strength of the Warburg effect and tumor aggressiveness. This link between sugar and cancer has sweeping consequences. Our results provide a foundation for future research in this domain, which can now be performed with a much more precise and relevant focus.”

Related: Healthy Sugar Alternatives & More

The study used yeast cells to examine the connection between Ras protein activity and the sugar metabolism in yeast. Ras proteins send important signals controlling growth between cells, and mutated versions of these genes are frequently found in tumors. In this study, excess sugar caused the yeast tested to produce overactive Ras proteins.

Professor Thevelein summarized the study,

The main advantage of using yeast was that our research was not affected by the additional regulatory mechanisms of mammalian cells, which conceal crucial underlying processes. We were thus able to target this process in yeast cells and confirm its presence in mammalian cells. However, the findings are not sufficient to identify the primary cause of the Warburg effect. Further research is needed to find out whether this primary cause is also conserved in yeast cells.”

Related: Gluten, Candida, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and Autoimmune Diseases

Too much sugar can increase your risk of cancer and promote tumor growth. This sugar is being consumed through any variety of foods. You could then be forgiven for assuming that a diet with too much sugar is more likely to cause cancer. Yet the Mayo Clinic places that idea firmly in the cancer myth column, which brings up an important question.

Related: Cure Cancer Naturally

As more research confirms that our health is first and foremost a direct product of what we eat, will our current food and medical system be able to acknowledge that before it’s too late?

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White Pigment In Processed Food Worsens Inflammatory Bowel

White coloring pigments in foods like marshmallows, gingerbread men, and doughnuts typically contain titanium dioxide – a nano-particle metal that food industries argue is harmless to ingest. Once again, reports are surfacing that these tiny metal particles can cause intestinal stress.

In July 2017 Medical News Today reported:

Recently, researchers from the University of Zurich in Switzerland have looked at what happens when the digestive system absorbs nanoparticles of titanium dioxide. Their findings suggest that foods containing titanium dioxide could be particularly harmful for patients with IBD.

This new study, which was led by Dr. Gerhard Rogler, is published in the journal Gut.

The scientists focused their efforts on the NLRP3 inflammasome, which is a protein complex released by the non-specific immune system to flag up potential threats. When activated, the NLRP3 inflammasome triggers inflammation as a way of counteracting the perceived hazard.

“This shows that [titanium dioxide] particles can be absorbed from food under certain disease conditions,” says Dr. Rogler.

The researchers also noted that patients with forms of IBD absorb a significant amount of titanium dioxide in their bloodstream because their intestinal barrier is damaged.” – Medical News Today

Should You Be on the Ketogenic Diet? The Pros and Cons of Limiting Carbs

There is a ton of hype surrounding the ketogenic diet. Some researchers swear that it is the best diet for most people to be on, while others can provide us with plenty of evidence that it is just another fad diet.

To some degree, both sides of the spectrum are right. There isn’t one perfect diet for everyone or every condition, regardless of how many people “believe” in it. The ketogenic diet is no exception to this rule.

However, there is also plenty of solid research backing up its benefits. In fact, it has been found to be better than many diets at helping people with:

Epilepsy
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 1 Diabetes
High Blood Pressure
Alzheimer’s disease
Parkinson’s disease
Chronic Inflammation
Obesity
Heart Disease
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Fatty Liver Disease
Cancer
Migraines

Even if you are not at risk from any of these conditions, restricting your carbohydrate consumption may be helpful for you too. Some of the benefits that most people experience are:

Better brain function
A decrease in inflammation
An increase in energy
Improved body composition

As you can see, the ketogenic diet has a wide array of benefits, but is it any better than other diets?

The Calorie Conundrum

Many researchers argue that ketosis (burning ketones for fuel) and carbohydrate restriction only play a minor role in the benefits of the ketogenic diet. Their argument is that people tend to eat fewer calories on the ketogenic diet, and this is the main reason for its benefits. The two most important selling points of the ketogenic diet, ketosis and carbohydrate restriction, may just be a red herring.

It is true that people on the ketogenic diet tend to eat less because of how satiating eating a high-fat moderate-protein diet like the ketogenic is for us. It is also true that less calorie consumption leads to improved health and weight loss. These two statements are backed up by plenty of research, but there is something that many researchers don’t consider.

The ketogenic diet elicits many mechanisms in the body and cells that are nonexistent in other diets. These unique mechanisms explain the benefits of the ketogenic diet that eating fewer calories cannot.

Related: Detox Cheap and Easy Without Fasting – Recipes Included

What Restricting Carbohydrates Does to The Body

Frist, let’s see what happens inside of the cells in our body during the ketogenic diet:

Ketones are produced, which burn more efficiently than sugar.
Burning ketones creates much less reactive oxygen species than sugar, which decreases inflammation.
Carbohydrate restriction triggers autophagy (cellular cleaning) and anti-inflammatory processes.
Mitochondrial function and production are enhanced, making our cell’s more efficient at using ketones and fat for fuel.

And here’s what happens in the body on a larger scale:

Insulin levels decrease because dietary carbohydrate isn’t stimulating its release.
Stored fat is burned because the body needs to use alternative fuel sources.
Inflammation is reduced because inflammatory fat levels decrease and less reactive oxygen species are formed.

The combination of the cellular and bodily effects of the ketogenic diet provides us with a basis for why they may be more useful than other diets in the treatment of many of the conditions we mentioned earlier.

Who Would Benefit Most From The Ketogenic Diet?

There is convincing evidence supporting that the ketogenic diet can reduce the severity of epilepsy, type 2 diabetes, type 1 diabetes (especially if dairy is eliminated), Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, obesity, heart disease, polycystic ovary syndrome, fatty liver disease, migraines, and certain types of cancer. However, it is important to keep in mind that plant-based whole food diets are also useful in helping people with most of these issues as well.

The primary issues that the ketogenic diet may help with more than a plant-based diet are probably neurological conditions like Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and epilepsy. This is due to how efficient ketones are as a source of fuel for the brain. Some studies also indicate that ketogenic diet may be best for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes and for people with certain types of cancer that cannot survive without sugar.

Who Shouldn’t Be On a Ketogenic Diet?

Although the ketogenic diet can help with a plethora of conditions, it can also deteriorate the health of others. For example, people with thyroid or adrenal issues and many women will struggle with carbohydrate restriction. This is because carbohydrates help regulate thyroid function, adrenal function, and fertility.

If you are already having issues with one or all of these things, then the limiting carbohydrates may make your health worse. This why it is important to have your lipid, blood sugar, and hormone levels checked before and during a profound dietary change like the ketogenic diet. Everything you do is an experiment on yourself. Just because someone else swears by a certain diet doesn’t mean it will work for you too.

The Takeaway — Should YOU be on the Ketogenic Diet?

Who would benefit the most from going keto? People who have:

Epilepsy
Parkinson’s disease
Alzheimer’s disease
Type 1 diabetes
Type 2 diabetes
Certain types of cancer that cannot survive without sugar

Who shouldn’t restrict carbohydrate intake?

People with adrenal issues
People with thyroid issues
Some women

So, what do you make of this information?

In general, eating more whole foods and less processed foods is what will give you the most bang for your buck. The simplest way to do this is by giving yourself an unbreakable rule like “eat less than 35 grams of carbs per day” (ketogenic diet) or “eliminate added sugar and limit animal product consumption” (plant-based diet). Both of these rules will help you consume more whole foods and less processed foods, which results in fewer calories consumed, less inflammation, less disease, and better health.

Choose whatever rule you think you can stick too and adjust your diet from there based on how your body reacts. It’s that simple. Well, at least it is that simple if you only care about your own health.

Recommended: The Way We Used To Eat – The Real Paleo Diet

The Long-Term Effects of The Ketogenic Diet vs. a Plant-Based Diet

If you have some form of diabetes, a neurological issue, a carb-reliant form of cancer or want to lose weight rapidly, the ketogenic diet may be the best diet for you — at least for the short term (less than six months). Although many research studies have found that the ketogenic diet has no adverse long-term effects and is perfectly safe (for most of the people that were studied), we must consider the impact that this diet has on the environment as well.

Animal products like meat, eggs, and dairy make up the bulk of calories on the ketogenic diets. These animal products are commonly sourced from controlled animal feeding operations that pollute the environment, destroy our soil, torture the animals, and produce nutritionally inferior food. With each purchase of mass-produced, unnaturally-raised animal products, we cast a vote for animal abuse, depleted soil that can’t grow crops, and climate change.

This is why it is best to stick to the rule of “eat whole plant foods and eliminate processed foods” rather than “limit carbohydrates.” If, however, you want to experiment with ketones or the ketogenic diet to see how it affects your health, keep reading below.

The Healthiest Way to Approach the Ketogenic Diet for You and The Environment

There are a couple of ways to get the benefits of the ketogenic diet while improving the environment.

Here’s a brief list of some options:

Source your animal products from environmentally conscious farms and businesses. If you are going to eat animal products, source them from U.S. Wellness Meats, White Oak Pastures, Polyface Farms, Vital Choice, and Udder Milk to get the healthiest animal products for you, the environment, and the animals.
Source all of your produce from local, biodynamic farms. This cuts down on transportation costs and supports local farmers that work with the environment rather than against it.
Supplement your diet with ketone boosting supplements. Ketone salts and MCT oil will put your body into ketosis quickly and provide you will most of the benefits of the ketogenic diet. (I personally prefer MCT oil because it is easy to add to salads, sauces, and smoothies, and doesn’t give me any weird side effects like ketone salts do.)
Include intermittent fasting in your daily schedule. By skipping one or two meals a day or fasting for the whole day, you can activate many of the health-promoting mechanisms that are commonly experienced by ketogenic dieters.
Do a strict environmentally-friendly ketogenic diet for 6 to 12 weeks. Think of the ketogenic diet as a short-term strategy to help improve specific health conditions. After about 6 to 12 weeks, your body will be keto-adapted and you’ll be ready to slowly increase your carbohydrate consumption by eating more whole plant foods.
Try a vegan or vegetarian ketogenic diet for 6 to 12 weeks. Eat plenty of low carb vegetables, coconut oil, olive oil, avocado, and nuts. Pasture-raised eggs are also an environmentally friendly option (if you are an ovo-vegetarian).

By following one or all of these strategies, you will experience the benefits of ketosis for yourself. The easiest way to do so is by combining intermittent fasting with MCT oil supplementation.

On the other hand, If you want to experience all of the effects of being keto-adapted, then it’s best to do a strict ketogenic diet for 6 to 12 weeks. This is enough time to see if the ketogenic diet works for you.

Whether or not you decide to try these suggestions, it is important to keep one thing in mind — there is no magical diet that works for everyone. Nutrition is so complicated that gurus, researchers, and health professionals will argue about it for centuries to come.

There is, however, one healthy eating rule that most people can agree on:

Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” – Michael Pollan

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13 Scientifically-Proven Ways to Optimize Your Triglyceride and Cholesterol Levels Naturally

When was the last time you went out to dinner with family or friends? At that table, you can say with almost complete certainty that at least one of them had high LDL cholesterol, high triglycerides, or both.

Sorry to ruin your dinner, but we cannot ignore the fact that:

Nearly 1 in every 3 Americans have high LDL cholesterol.
Almost 1 in every 3 Americans have above normal triglyceride levels.

Why does this matter? Because both high LDL and triglyceride levels are risk factors for the leading cause of death in the world — heart disease.

There is, however, plenty of good news that is hiding behind these disheartening statistics. To find the silver lining, we need a deeper understanding of triglycerides, cholesterol, and heart disease.

Related: Triglycerides – Optimize The Most Important Biomarker That Most Doctors Ignore

What’s The Deal With Cholesterol, Triglycerides, and Heart Disease?

At first glance, they seem like entirely different entities.

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that occurs naturally in all parts of the body. It floats around the blood bringing essential nutrients like fat-soluble vitamins and fatty acids to cells and get cleaned up by LDL receptors in the liver when the job is done.

Triglycerides, on the other hand, are the most energy dense molecule that provides our cells with energy and is stored in fat cells when we have enough energy.

Heart disease is the culmination of cell damage, inflammation, and plaque buildup that occurs in the blood vessels. This disease process can lead to a heart attack, chest pain (angina), or stroke.

How could cholesterol, triglycerides, and heart disease possibly be related? They don’t seem to have anything in common (yet). Let’s look a bit closer at what happens when things go wrong to find out how they are linked.

Related: Lower Cholesterol and Prevent Heart Disease Without Drugs

The Intimate Link Between Triglycerides, Cholesterol, and Heart Disease

Heart disease is a complex issue with many causes, but we do know one of the mechanisms that causes the damage, inflammation, and plaque build up that is characteristic of heart disease. This mechanism begins with a form of LDL cholesterol, which is called small, dense LDL, that can easily be damaged and cause harm to the cells that make up the blood vessels.

In response to the harm that the damaged LDL particles cause, the immune system activates and inflammation levels increase. The inflammation increases the chance that more small, dense LDL particles become damaged and destroy even more cells that line the blood vessels.

To prevent the damage from getting out of hand, the immune system neutralizes the damaged LDL particles and turns them into plaque. This mechanism of heart disease explains why high LDL and chronic inflammation increase the likelihood of heart disease, but what about triglycerides?

Let’s look at what happened before the small, dense LDL particles started circulating in the blood. As the LDL was being formed, one important factor determined which form of LDL it became — triglycerides. In fact, studies have confirmed that high triglycerides lead to the creation of more atherogenic LDL particles.

To sum up all of this complex biochemistry in one sentence: high triglyceride levels lead to the creation of more potentially atherogenic LDL cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease significantly.

Luckily, you can lower your triglycerides and optimize your cholesterol levels in one foul swoop by following these 13 simple suggestions.

13 Ways to Lower Your Triglycerides Naturally

1. Remove All Refined Sugars From Your Diet

Studies have found that each additional daily serving of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with a 2.25 mg/dL increase in triglyceride levels, as well as increases in insulin resistance, LDL cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure and a decrease in HDL cholesterol.

Luckily, the exact opposite is true as well. When you remove all sugar-sweetened beverages from your diet, you will improve your cholesterol and triglyceride levels significantly. If you take it one step further and remove all added sugar from your diet, you will be on the fast track to good health.

Related: Healthy Alternative Sugars and More

2. Focus On Weight Loss

For those who are overweight or obese, a weight loss of 5% to 10% usually results in a 20% decrease in triglycerides, a 15% reduction in LDL-C, and an 8% to 10% increase in HDL-C. That is a win-win-win-win situation for your health.

One of the quickest ways to lose weight is by eliminating all processed foods from your diet and replacing it with whole foods. Have delicious detox cranberry lemonade instead of fruit juice or soda. Instead of fast food for lunch, make this surprisingly delicious salad

3. Stop Drinking Alcohol

Based on the data from many studies on alcohol consumption and triglycerides, it is estimated that the ingestion of 1 oz of alcohol per day corresponds to a 5% to 10% higher triglyceride concentration than found in nondrinkers. If you have high triglycerides, it is best to abstain from alcohol completely.

4. Eliminate All Trans Fats

Trans fatty acids are found in all partially and fully hydrogenated oils. They consistently cause significant increases in triglycerides and atherogenic LDL cholesterol levels, which increases cardiovascular disease risk dramatically. Stick to natural fats from nuts, olives, avocado, coconut, fish, meat, and dairy.

5.Establish a Sleep Schedule

One way to improve cholesterol, triglycerides, and energy levels at the same time is by prioritizing sleep. Make sure you are sleeping at around the same time every night and getting enough sleep (7-9 hours).

If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, turn off all lights and electronics at-least 30 minutes before bedtime and meditate. By doing this, you will increase melatonin and decrease stress levels, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. Follow the same meditation and sleep schedule every week to wake up feeling more refreshed and healthier each morning.

6. Eat More Fiber

In seven studies that compared high fiber diets and low fiber diets, triglyceride levels decreased by 8% in the high-fiber groups. The same pattern emerges even when the high fiber diet contains many more carbohydrates than a moderate-carbohydrate low-fiber diet.

What does this mean for you? Eat more high-fiber plant foods like vegetables and your body will thank you.

Related: Start Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet

7. Exercise

Many studies have found that the most active people have the lowest fasting triglyceride levels. For example, men who jogged for 10 miles a week had a 20% lower fasting triglyceride level than sedentary men, while men with even higher activity levels (>20 miles of jogging weekly) had the lowest mean fasting triglyceride level (~86 mg/dL).

The good news is that if you are not a fan of jogging, you can get results from walking as well. Studies on overweight people with higher triglyceride levels experienced triglyceride reductions (of about 26%) after walking at a brisk pace for 12 miles each week. To get these results, all you have to do is walk for about 30 minutes at a brisk pace every day.

Not a fan of walking either? Bring an audiobook or podcast with you to make it more enjoyable.

8. Include Nuts In Your Diet

Nuts provide a concentrated dose of fiber and healthy fats, which work together to lower blood triglycerides and improve cholesterol.

An analysis of 61 studies on the effects that nuts have on our health showed that each serving of tree nuts decreased triglycerides by 2.2 mg/dL. Other epidemiological studies found that you will get the greatest health benefits if you consume between 3–7 servings of nuts per week.

9. Increase Your Omega 3 Intake

Studies have found that consuming around 4 g of marine-derived omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids per day can decrease triglyceride concentrations by 25% to 30%. Because of these findings, the American Heart Association recommends getting 2 to 4 g of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) plus docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) per day for people with high triglycerides. This recommendation can be met by taking a fish oil supplement or eating 2 to 4 3-ounce servings of wild caught (not farm-raised) sardines or salmon.

Another important thing to mention is that there is a particular reason why “marine-derived” omega 3s are mentioned, rather than other types of “plant-derived” omega 3s. This is because non–marine-based omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids from foods like walnuts, canola oil, and flaxseeds have not demonstrated a consistent reduction in triglycerides like marine-derived DHA and EPA.

Related: How to Reverse Fatty Liver Disease (With Diet Plan)

10. Supplement With Niacin

This natural B vitamin has been shown to reduce triglycerides by 20-50% and increase “healthy” HDL cholesterol levels. However, it is important to take niacin as a part of a natural b-complex supplement for best results.

Related: Mental Health, Physical Health & B Vitamins – Nature’s Valium

11. Eat More Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCTs)

Yes, you read that correctly. To improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels, you should consume more triglycerides. But make sure they are the medium-chain kind of triglyceride.

MCTs are different from the long chain triglycerides that we commonly find in dairy and meat because MCTs skip the normal process of fat digestion and go straight to the liver. In the liver, the MCTs are often converted into ketones for fuel.

For this reason, many studies have found MCTs to increase weight loss when compared to other healthy fats like olive oil. MCTs also have been found to decrease triglycerides more than olive oil as well.

Coconut oil is the best natural source of MCTs (and despite the bad press, it provides us with many health benefits). However, if you need an unmistakable energy boost that will improve your health more rapidly, then supplement with pure MCT oil. Use it as the oil for your salad dressings or blend it into your smoothies.

12. Use More Garlic

Garlic has potent anti-inflammatory properties that can help improve cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Garlic extract’s triglyceride and cholesterol-lowering effects continue to be confirmed in several animal studies.

13. Supplement With Curcumin

Curcumin is an anti-inflammatory compound that is found in turmeric. It has been found to have many powerful effects on the body from improving brain health to relieving chronic pain.

One of turmeric’s benefits is blood triglyceride reduction. In fact, A 2012 study found that a low dose of curcumin can cause a significant drop in blood triglycerides.

Putting It All Together

Improving triglyceride and cholesterol levels is simple. By doing so, you can prevent and reverse heart disease.

For the best results:

Eliminate all processed foods to improve health and increase fat loss.
Implement a sleep schedule and improve sleep quality.
Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day.
Supplement with marine-derived omega 3s, curcumin, niacin, and/or garlic extract.
Eat more MCTs from coconut oil or an MCT oil supplement.
Avoid alcohol, trans fats, and added sugar.

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Triglycerides – Optimize The Most Important Biomarker That Most Doctors Ignore

Hey, just wanted to let you know that your triglycerides are probably a bit high. Three out of every ten people in the United States have above normal triglyceride levels.

This sounds like the beginning of a drug commercial, but don’t worry — this problem has a simple and natural solution.

However, before we find the solution, we must properly identify the problem.

The Problem With High Triglyceride Levels

In the shadow of our cholesterol numbers are our — often overlooked — triglyceride levels. Your doctor may tell you that “your triglycerides are a little high,” but what does this really mean? Does it really matter?

Must Read: How to Detoxify and Heal the Lymphatic System

First, let’s clear up what having “high triglycerides” actually means. According to the American Heart Association, here is how our triglyceride levels are categorized:

Optimal	Less than 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL)
Normal	Less than 150 mg/dL
Borderline-high	150 to 199 mg/dL
High	200 to 499 mg/dL
Very high	500 mg/dL or higher

You won’t experience any symptoms if you have borderline-high or high triglycerides, which is why many doctors will just shrug it off. However, it is important to know that triglyceride levels that are even just “a little high” are associated with:

Heart Disease

Studies suggest that high triglyceride levels impair cholesterol levels, increasing the amount of atherogenic (plaque forming) cholesterol particles in the blood.

Obesity

Obesity and high triglyceride levels are intimately linked. One study found that approximately 80% of people who are obese or overweight had triglyceride levels ≥150 mg/dL.

Metabolic Syndrome

The prevalence of triglyceride levels ≥150 mg/dL is nearly twice as high in people who have metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a condition that is commonly diagnosed when the person has high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels.

Excess Visceral Fat (fat around the organs)

Excess body fat is associated with elevated triglyceride levels, but visceral fat is a greater contributor than subcutaneous fat (fat that is found under the skin rather than near vital organs).

Type 2 Diabetes

Around 35% of people with type 2 diabetes have high fasting triglyceride levels. This suggests that blood sugar and triglyceride levels are intimately linked (more on that later).

Hypothyroidism

When the levels of thyroid hormone are low, cholesterol and triglycerides stay in the blood for a longer period of time, which increases the likelihood of heart disease and fatty plaque build-up in the arteries.

Kidney Disease

Triglyceride levels of >200 mg/dL are present in about half of those with chronic kidney disease, which is commonly caused by diabetes and high blood pressure.

All of this seems worrisome at first — especially if you have high triglycerides — but there is some good news. Actually, it’s great news.

Knowing what conditions high triglyceride levels are associated with provides us with important clues. Clues that give us a clearer picture of what causes high triglyceride levels and how to optimize them. First, let’s figure out what they are.

Related: Lower Cholesterol and Prevent Heart Disease Without Drugs

What Are Triglycerides?

Triglycerides are the most potent fuel source that is stored in your body. They are so energy-dense that stored that these molecules can keep the body running for about a month.

Where exactly are triglycerides stored in your body? Well, you already know. You just call it “fat” instead of “stored triglycerides.”

Yes, that’s right — triglycerides are those things that are being stored in your fat cells. While we are fasting, restricting carbohydrates, or limiting calories, these triglycerides are liberated from our fat cells to provide us with energy. This process is what helps us lose fat and reduce our triglyceride levels. However, one big problem arises if we live in westernized societies — there is an overabundance of processed food at all times.

Why Do You Have High Triglycerides?

If you are reading this right now, you probably live in an area where many different varieties of food are always available. In this abundant food environment, it is easy for our emotional and instinctual desires to override all logical sense, so most of us end up eating more calories and sugar than we actually need.

In response to the massive influx in calories, the cells become stuffed with so much energy that they reject the signal to take in more energy that they receive from insulin (an energy storage hormone that is stimulated the most by carbohydrate consumption). This is otherwise known as insulin resistance, and it causes a cascade of hormonal changes that increase blood sugar and triglyceride levels. On top of that, sugar consumption (especially the consumption of fructose) stimulates the creation of fat in the liver.

What all of this means is that eating excess calories increases your triglyceride levels and eating too much sugar increases your triglyceride levels even more, especially if that sugar is mostly composed of fructose.

Hold on. What about the fat?

After all, we are talking about triglycerides — a type of fat. How could I talk about calories and sugar and neglect to mention fat as a contributor to high triglyceride levels as well? Well, there is a good reason for that.

Related: Start Eating Like That and Start Eating Like This – Your Guide to Homeostasis Through Diet

Carbs Raise Triglycerides The Most

It would only make sense for dietary fat to increase triglycerides more than carbs, but the science shows us that just the opposite is true.

In one study, people with high triglycerides and normal triglycerides were put on a 15% fat, whole-food diet after eating a high-fat diet (35%). After only one meal of the low-fat diet, their triglyceride levels were elevated for higher and longer than during the high-fat diet.

By the end of the diet the low-fat group’s fasting triglyceride concentrations increased by 60% and the production of atherogenic LDL cholesterol increased as well. This occurred in people with normal and high triglycerides in response to a whole-food based low-fat diet. (Imagine what would happen if the diet contained more simple sugars!)

So, What Is The Best Triglyceride Lowering Diet?

Let’s start by comparing two ends of the dietary spectrum — Low-carb versus low-fat.

A recent meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found significantly greater reductions in triglyceride levels on the low-carb diet. This meta-analysis of the literature confirms what we discovered above.

Eat more carbohydrates and less fat, and you’ll increase your triglyceride levels. Eat fewer carbs and more fat, and the opposite will occur. In fact, researchers found that for every 5% decrease in total fat, triglyceride level was predicted to increase by 6% and HDL cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol) to decrease by 2.2%. More specifically, for every 1% isoenergetic replacement with saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, and polyunsaturated fat, there was a reduction in triglycerides by 1.9 mg/dL, 1.7 mg/dL, and 2.3 mg/dL, respectively.

These findings suggest that replacing all carbohydrates with fat will get your triglycerides to optimal levels the quickest. However, when we look closer at the research, a different pattern emerges.

Which is Better? The Low-Carb Diet vs. The Mediterranean Diet

In a randomized controlled trial, the effects of a Mediterranean-style weight-loss diet were compared with a low-carbohydrate diet. After six months, triglyceride levels were reduced the most in the low-carb diet group. However, after 12 months, the Mediterranean-style diet showed similar reductions in triglycerides as the low carbohydrate diet.

These results show us that there may be a limit to how much restricting your carbohydrates can reduce triglycerides. So, instead of counting your carbs, it may be best to follow the eating principle that both the low-carbohydrate and Mediterranean diets follow: eliminate the crap and eat more whole foods.

Related: The Way We Used To Eat – The Real Paleo Diet

The Most Important Crap to Eliminate to Optimize Your Triglycerides

Avoid these triglyceride train wrecks, to ensure optimal triglyceride levels:

1. Alcohol

Based on the data from many studies on alcohol consumption and triglycerides, it is estimated that the ingestion of 1 oz of alcohol per day corresponds to a 5% to 10% higher triglyceride concentration than found in nondrinkers. If you have high triglycerides or if you want to have flawless triglyceride levels, it is best to abstain from alcohol completely.

2. Trans Fats

Trans fatty acids are found in all partially and fully hydrogenated oils. They consistently cause significant increases in triglycerides and atherogenic LDL cholesterol levels, which increases cardiovascular disease risk dramatically. Stick to natural fats from nuts, olives, avocado, fish, meat, and dairy.

3. Added Sugar

Studies have found that each additional daily serving of sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with a 2.25 mg/dL increase in triglyceride levels, as well as increases in insulin resistance, LDL cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure and a decrease in HDL cholesterol. It is best to avoid sugar completely and most of your carbohydrates from vegetables, legumes, and nuts for best results.

Related: Healthy Alternative Sugars and More

The Takeaway — The Best Triglyceride Lowering Diet

By cutting out all processed foods and eating a whole food diet, you will naturally cut down on the carbs, calories, and sugars. This way of eating will lower your triglycerides and improve your health dramatically.

To get you started, follow these guidelines:

Every meal should consist primarily of local, beyond organic, or bio-dynamic vegetables.
“Garnish” each meal with high-quality fish, meat, eggs, or dairy.
Order from U.S. Wellness Meats,White Oak Pastures, Polyface Farms , Vital Choice, and Udder Milk to get the healthiest animal products for you, the environment, and the animals.
Have a handful of nuts, seeds, and/or berries with each meal.
Don’t eat any sugar-sweetened beverages, added sugars, processed meat, refined grains, refined oils, hydregonated fats, and other highly processed foods.
Limit your alcohol intake.
Follow the suggestions for lowering triglycerides and cholesterol in this article.

However, even if you implement the triglyceride lowering diet flawlessly, you can only verify if it worked by getting a blood test.

How To Know If Your Triglyceride Levels Are Optimal

All you have to do is set up an appointment with your doctor to get a standard blood lipid panel test done. Ask your doctor to print the results for you, and track your progress at after appointment.

Where do you fall in these categories?

Optimal	Less than 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL)
Normal	Less than 150 mg/dL
Borderline-high	150 to 199 mg/dL
High	200 to 499 mg/dL
Very high	500 mg/dL or higher

Aim for optimal triglyceride levels, but don’t forget about cholesterol and blood sugar levels as well.

To see if you have healthier cholesterol levels, check your total-to-HDL cholesterol ratio. A ratio between 3 and 4 indicates that you have healthy cholesterol levels. Your fasting blood sugar levels should be below 100 mg/dl for optimal health.

It is also important to take note of your posture before you get your blood drawn. For example, different positions, like sitting, standing, and laying down, can cause triglycerides to vary significantly. Because of this, the American Heart Association recommends that you sit for at least 5 minutes in the same position each time you get your blood drawn to minimize variability in triglyceride measurements.

After you implement our suggestions, please comment with your results to inspire others to take their health into their own hands.

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1. Remove All Refined Sugars From Your Diet

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