What are triglycerides and what is a normal level?
Triglycerides are fats the body uses as an energy store and transports in the blood. They come from food and are made in the liver. A fasting level below 150 mg/dl (1.7 mmol/l) is considered normal; higher values should be interpreted by a doctor.
Triglycerides explained
Triglycerides (also triacylglycerols) consist of one glycerol molecule and three fatty acids. They are the most common form of fat in food and body fat. After a meal they enter the circulation as blood fats and are stored in fat tissue or used for energy. The liver makes them too, mainly from excess carbohydrates and alcohol.
In blood, triglycerides travel in lipoproteins alongside cholesterol. Your doctor usually measures them fasting, at least eight to twelve hours after the last meal, because levels rise strongly after eating.
Classifying fasting triglycerides
Common categories of blood values
| Range | mg/dl | mmol/l |
|---|---|---|
| Range Normal | mg/dl below 150 | mmol/l below 1.7 |
| Range Borderline high | mg/dl 150–199 | mmol/l 1.7–2.2 |
| Range High | mg/dl 200–499 | mmol/l 2.3–5.6 |
| Range Very high | mg/dl 500 and above | mmol/l 5.7 and above |
What influences triglyceride levels?
Common factors are overweight, a lot of sugar and alcohol, lack of exercise, raised fasting blood glucose or diabetes, and inherited predisposition. Very high levels can, among other things, burden the pancreas. In nutrition literature, fish oil with EPA and DHA is also mentioned, for which a triglyceride-lowering effect is well documented. Decisions on measures belong in medical hands.
Triglycerides and curcumin in studies
The turmeric article mentions that a reduction in triglycerides was observed in studies. Meta-analyses give no uniform picture: a smaller pooled analysis of 5 trials found no significant effect on triglycerides, while a larger one of 20 trials (Simental-Mendía et al., published 2019) found a significant average reduction, with large variation between studies. Participant groups (for example people with metabolic disease or healthy people), doses and preparations differ widely. No robust statement for an individual can be derived; curcumin replaces neither dietary change nor prescribed therapy. How well a statement is supported is described by the evidence.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference to cholesterol? Cholesterol is a building block for cell walls and hormones, whereas triglycerides mainly serve as energy storage. Both travel in lipoproteins in the blood and are often measured together in a lipid profile.
Do I really have to be fasting for the test? For triglycerides this makes sense because they fluctuate strongly after eating. Whether a non-fasting test suffices is for the doctor to decide.
Can triglycerides fall quickly? Yes, they respond relatively fast to changes in alcohol, sugar, weight and exercise. That makes them a value that is easy to follow over time.
Why do studies look at them? Triglycerides are part of the metabolic profile and are considered together with blood glucose and cholesterol as outcome measures. Whether a lab change is also relevant for cardiovascular risk must be shown separately each time.
Raised blood fats should be checked by a doctor. Do not stop prescribed medication such as statins or fibrates on your own. This page is not medical advice.
