Nutritionists point out that to reduce triglycerides, we need to pay attention to four major dietary blind spots. Just cutting out oil is not enough.

2026/09/11 08:25

Nutritionist Zeng Jianming pointed out that if you want to lower triglycerides, you can't just look at whether you eat oil. Giving up sugar drinks but consuming fruits may also affect triglycerides; diagram. (Picture taken from freepik)

[Health Channel/Comprehensive Report] Although we eat very lightly and eat less fried foods and fatty meats, triglycerides (TG) are still red. The problem is not necessarily just eating too much oil. Nutritionist Zeng Jianming pointed out that when sugar, refined starch, alcohol, and even overall calories exceed the body's needs, the liver may convert the excess energy back into triglycerides. Therefore, if you want to lower triglycerides, you should not just look at whether you eat fat, but also pay attention to the four blind spots in your diet. Especially if you quit sugary drinks, eating too much fruit will also increase the burden on your body.

Does high triglyceride levels mean eating too much fat? In this regard, Zeng Jianming posted on Facebook that you can think of the liver as an "energy processing factory." When the sugar, refined starch, alcohol, or even overall calories consumed exceed the body's current needs, the liver may repackage the excess energy into triglycerides and send them into the blood. Therefore, some people may still have high TG even if they do not eat a lot of oil.

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Four common dietary blind spots for high TG

Zeng Jianming further pointed out that the following four major landmines are common in daily diet. Even if they eat not oily, they may cause triglycerides to soar:

●Eat a lot of rice, noodles, and bread: Some people eat a seemingly light diet, but they eat a lot of refined starches such as rice, noodles, and bread. “No oil” does not mean that it will not affect TG.

●Quit drinking, but eat a lot of fruits: Although fruits are healthy, they cannot be taken in unlimited amounts. If you eat too much, it may also increase the burden on the body.

●I don’t usually drink, but I drink a lot at a dinner party: The impact of alcohol on TG is sometimes more direct than imagined. Even if you rarely drink, you should pay attention.

●Not overweight, but still have fatty liver and insulin resistance: High TG sometimes reminds the body that there may be something wrong with the way it handles energy. It is not only those who are overweight who need to pay attention.

Zeng Jianming added that if the diet is really well controlled but the TG value is still high, you can’t always blame yourself for eating the wrong things. You should also check your blood sugar control, thyroid function, medications, genetic constitution, weight changes, and whether you are really fasting before taking blood.

4 Key Points in Life and Diet to Reduce TG

Zeng Jianming suggested that if you are starting to reduce triglycerides, you can first master the following four principles, including:

●Less on sugary drinks, sweets and a lot of refined starch.

●Alcohol can be used as little as possible, especially when TG is very high, drinking should be avoided.

●It’s not that you don’t eat starch, but you should control the portion and change the quality.

●Paired with weight loss and regular exercise, especially those with fatty liver and abdominal obesity, they should make simultaneous adjustments.

Zeng Jianming reminded that high TG is not a report card that "you eat too much fat", it is more like your body telling you that the energy intake recently cannot be processed. A truly effective dietary adjustment is not to dare not eat anything, but to find out which link is causing the metabolic burden.