Written by
Louise W Lu, PhD, MPH, BMLS
Written/Reviewed by
Alexandra V Goldberg, Registered Dietitian
You followed the rules. No snacks after 8pm. No drinks. You showed up to your blood test truly, seriously, properly empty-stomached.
But when the results came back? “Your triglycerides are high.”
Wait, what?
How can your fasting triglycerides be high when you haven’t eaten anything since last night?
Fasting triglyceride levels don’t just reflect what you ate for dinner — they reflect what you’ve been eating for the past 24 to 72 hours.
This blog is for you if you’ve ever wondered: What even are triglycerides? Why does eating cake on Sunday still mess with your blood test on Tuesday? And what can you actually do about it?
Let’s break it down. No medical jargon, no scare tactics. Just real answers your body will thank you for.
Jump to Sections:
What Are Triglycerides, Really?
Let’s keep this simple.
Triglycerides are a type of fat that travels through your bloodstream. After you eat, any calories your body doesn’t immediately need—especially from sugar and carbs—get turned into triglycerides and stored in fat cells. Between meals, your body taps into those triglycerides for energy.
So far, so good. But here’s the issue: when you consistently eat more than you burn—especially refined carbs, sugars, or alcohol—those triglycerides start piling up in your blood.
That’s when doctors start mentioning things like:
- “Borderline high” blood lipids
- “Fatty liver”
- Or even “risk of pancreatitis” if your levels get very high
Healthy fasting triglycerides = below 1.7 mmol/L (or 150 mg/dL).
If you’re over that, your body may be struggling to clear or store fat efficiently.
Many people assume that triglycerides are different from cholesterol—that high cholesterol leads to cardiovascular disease, but high triglycerides aren’t really a problem.
Here’s something most people don’t realise—
When we test “triglycerides” in a blood panel, we’re not directly measuring fat. We’re actually measuring a transporter called VLDL (Very Low-Density Lipoprotein).
VLDL is made by the liver, and each VLDL particle is packed primarily with triglycerides—its “cargo” is mostly fat.
These particles transport triglycerides from the liver to other tissues in the body.
So when your blood test shows high triglycerides,
it actually reflects how many VLDL particles are circulating—the more VLDL, the higher your triglyceride reading will be.
We often hear that “cholesterol is bad,” but in fact, the most dangerous form of cholesterol is VLDL.
It not only carries triglycerides, but also easily gets deposited along artery walls, fueling atherosclerosis, and sharply raising your risk for heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular events.
And here’s the thing: unlike cholesterol, triglycerides often don’t get much attention. But they’re just as important—especially for women over 35 dealing with hormone shifts, weight changes, and insulin resistance.
“Triglycerides are like the fat version of extra energy. Too much stored up = warning sign.”
Why Does Fasting TG Still Reflect What You Ate Days Ago?
You might wonder:
“I didn’t eat anything the night before. I fasted properly. Why is my triglyceride still high?”
The truth is — you didn’t do anything wrong.
It’s just that triglycerides aren’t like blood sugar. They don’t bounce back in a few hours. Instead, they reflect your body’s overall metabolic workload over the past few days.
Let’s break down the two main reasons why your fasting TG can still show signs of meals from 2–3 days ago:
📌Reason 1: Your liver is still “processing” what you ate
When you eat carbs — especially sugary snacks, sweetened drinks, and refined starches — your body doesn’t always use that energy right away. The extra glucose and fructose are converted into fat (triglycerides) in your liver, which are then packaged into VLDL (very low-density lipoprotein) particles and sent into your bloodstream.
Here’s the key:
These VLDL particles stay in your system for hours — sometimes up to 24–36 hours — especially if your diet is high in sugar, alcohol, or calories. So even if you skip dinner or fast for 12 hours, your liver might still be “clearing out” the overload from yesterday’s lunch.
🕒How long does this process last?
It depends. If you eat a light, balanced diet, your liver clears out those triglycerides quickly. But if you’ve had heavy, sugary, or high-fat meals for several days, the VLDL production keeps going — and your fasting TG stays high.
💡In short:
Fasting triglycerides don’t just reflect what you ate yesterday. They reflect how well your liver is handling your recent eating pattern.
📌Reason 2: Triglycerides clear slowly — especially when your metabolism slows
Unlike blood sugar, which spikes and falls within hours, triglycerides take time to clear.
Your body relies on an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase (LPL) to break them down and move them out of the bloodstream.
But here’s the catch:
When you’re inactive, insulin-resistant, or eating a rich diet, LPL doesn’t work as efficiently. As a result, triglycerides linger in your blood, and your fasting TG remains stubbornly high.
Bottom line:
Even if you skipped one meal or fasted for 12 hours, your triglyceride levels may still be high — because your body is still processing the whole pattern of eating from earlier days.
So next time you see a high TG result, don’t panic.
Ask yourself: “What have I been doing over the past 2–3 days?”
That’s the real window your triglyceride test is looking through.
Which Eating Habits Secretly Spike Your TG?
You might assume that only greasy feasts or binge-eating sessions can drive up your triglycerides (TG). But in reality, many people’s everyday “normal meals” are enough to keep TG levels high — or even dangerously elevated.
Here are some of the most common daily eating habits that quietly and consistently spike your TG:
📱 Tip: You can swipe left or right to view the full table.
| ⚠️ Habits That May Raise Your Triglycerides | ✅ Better Habits to Lower Triglycerides |
|---|---|
| 🧁 Sugary breakfasts: congee, bread, jam, milk tea combos These “seemingly healthy” breakfasts actually spike blood sugar and insulin. Fructose from sweet drinks and jam is almost entirely converted into triglycerides by the liver and packed into VLDL, driving up TG levels. |
🍳 Switch to a protein + healthy fat breakfast, such as scrambled eggs + nuts + unsweetened soy milk or black coffee. Avoid jam toast, milk tea, and congee. |
| 🍜 Too much starch and too little protein at lunch and dinner Meals mostly consisting of refined carbs (fried rice, noodles) with little protein prompt the body to convert excess carbs into fat, raising TG levels. |
🥗 Include sufficient protein (e.g., chicken breast, tofu, fish) and vegetables in each meal. Keep carbs to no more than 1/4 of the plate. |
| 🍰 Sweets and fruit as snacks Afternoon cakes, fruit, or milk tea may seem harmless but keep the liver working around the clock processing sugar into VLDL. |
🧀 Opt for low-carb, high-protein snacks such as boiled eggs, Greek yogurt, whey protein drinks, or unsweetened nuts. |
| 🍷 Alcohol at dinner paired with fatty foods Alcohol inhibits fat breakdown. When paired with high-fat foods like fried chicken, sausages, or cheese, VLDL levels may surge dramatically within 24 hours. |
🍵 Ideally, avoid alcohol or limit to 1–2 times per week. Avoid combining with greasy foods. Choose steamed fish or roasted veggies with alcohol-free drinks. |
| 🍜 Several days of indulgent eating Many assume “eating light the day before testing” is enough, but TG reflects your diet over the past 2–3 days. A single light day won’t reverse the buildup. |
📆 Maintain a low-sugar, low-alcohol, low-processed food diet for at least 3 consecutive days. Plan ahead 1 week before your blood test to avoid unpleasant TG surprises. |
How to Actually Lower Your TG Fast and Effectively
So you’ve reviewed the hidden habits that could be silently pushing up your triglycerides.
Now, the big question is: how do you actually lower them — quickly, safely, and in a way that lasts?
If you are:
- A person with TG > 1.7 mmol/L (150 mg/dL)
- An adult with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) or metabolic syndrome
- A woman experiencing menopause-related weight gain and lipid shifts
- A moderate alcohol consumer (2–3 drinks per week)
👉 then High-purity, high-EPA fish oil is one of the most effective and clinically proven ways to bring your triglycerides down — for real.
What Makes a Good TG-Lowering Omega-3?
When shopping for a triglyceride-lowering omega-3, look for:
- EPA:DHA ratio = 5:1
- 1000 mg total EPA per dose
- Molecularly distilled and IFOS‑certified for purity
Why High‑EPA Fish Oil Works (And Low-Dose Doesn’t)
🔬 Mechanism of action:
EPA works by reducing liver production of triglycerides, enhancing fat oxidation, boosting lipoprotein lipase activity, and inhibiting VLDL packaging — collectively lowering blood triglyceride levels.
📝 Clinical trials consistently show omega-3 can significantly lower triglycerides, especially at doses above 3 g/day:
- AJCN 2023 dose–response trial: 3.4 g EPA+DHA per day led to ~27% reduction in fasting triglycerides in adults with elevated TG
- JAMA 2021 REDUCE-IT Substudy: 4 g/day icosapent ethyl (pure EPA) lowered TG and reduced atherosclerotic events in statin-treated patients
- Frontiers in Nutrition 2022 meta-analysis: Omega-3 + statins led to synergistic improvements in triglyceride control and overall lipid profiles
⚠️ Low-dose fish oil capsules (e.g. 300–500 mg) are not effective for TG-lowering purposes. Instead, use therapeutic doses (2000–3000 mg/day) for 4–8 weeks, alongside:
- Reducing refined sugars and alcohol
- Optimising meal timing (e.g., avoiding late-night carbs)
- Improving overall metabolic flexibility
💡 Here are our top recommended high-EPA fish oil supplements for effectively lowering triglycerides.
Start smart — and give your body the dose it actually needs to make a real difference.
