Came here because my triglycerides have gone up per my recent bloodwork, have been on carnivore almost 2 years with some bumps along the way and triglycerides have never been a problem before. Dr only commented on total cholesterol and wanted to prescribe statin and I refused the statin due to the research I’ve done.

Just started a fish oil supplement to see if that helps because I don’t like sardines

What was your triglycerides at?

I, too, struggle with high triglycerides. But mine is because I have late stage kidney disease. They skyrocketed when I lost a lot of weight rapidly.

Welcome Christine.

As Bob said we need more information about your triglycerides.

It would also help to know how you eat.

Here were the results showing the numbers. I eat mainly beef, butter, eggs, coffee with heavy cream, little cheese and as low carb as possible; basically carnivore with little dairy

And here were my 2024 results from a health status from work showing a years worth of difference from current

On a standard American diet full of processed carbs and sugars, high triglycerides are often caused by insulin resistance and excess carb intake. However, on a very low carb carnivore diet, they may be elevated for other reasons:

Loss of triglyceride clearance pathways when carbs are restricted

Low fiber intake failing to lower triglyceride absorption

High intake of saturated fat

Weight loss releasing triglycerides from fat cells

Underlying conditions like genetics, hypothyroidism, or fatty liver

Ideal triglyceride levels:

A triglyceride level below 150 mg/dL is considered ideal. Levels between 150-199 mg/dL are borderline high. Having levels between 200-499 mg/dL is considered elevated and higher than 500 mg/dL is very concerning.

I personally think you are doing fine since the true indicator of cardiovascular health is your triglyceride to HDL ratio and yours is 1.51 which is very good.

But if you want to try and bring it down then here are some tips to help manage high triglyceride levels while following a carnivore diet:

Increase your Omega 3 intake

Eating more high omega-3 foods like fatty fish, fish roe, oysters, and beef liver can help combat high triglycerides. Omega-3 fats help improve triglyceride clearance.

Reduce saturated fat

Limiting intake of high saturated fat animal foods like pork, lamb, beef ribeye, cheese, and butter may help lower triglyceride levels. I would look at the cheese first and then look at your fat to protein ratios and also how much fat you are getting from pork and chicken. Focusing on fattier cuts of meat that are high in monounsaturated fat like beef and salmon can help improve triglycerides.

As much as I hate to say it…fiber

Although fiber is limited on carnivore, options like chia seeds and avocado can help bind to triglycerides and reduce their absorption.

Exercise

Engaging in aerobic exercise and strength training most days of the week can help lower triglyceride levels over time.

Lose weight if your overweight

Excess weight is tied to high triglycerides. Losing weight through the carnivore diet can lower triglyceride levels.

Underlying conditions

Getting conditions like hypothyroidism, diabetes, and fatty liver under control can all help lower excessive triglycerides.

Protein levels

Overeating protein can raise triglycerides in some people. Try reducing protein portions if levels remain very elevated.

Supplements

Supplements like fish oil, berberine, curcumin, and vitamin E may help support healthy triglyceride levels.

There are no cookie cutter answers to this so you need to evaluate these things in your life and see if anything might be contributing.

Good luck.

12 hours ago, Christine J said:

Here were the results showing the numbers. I eat mainly beef, butter, eggs, coffee with heavy cream, little cheese and as low carb as possible; basically carnivore with little dairy

I, too, think your labs look very good. Your Trig:HDL ratio is fantastic, even though both values are higher than we normally see. Read this article as to why the Trig:HDL ratio is a better predictor of cardiovascular disease risk and why your numbers indicate very low risk...

https://prevmedhealth.com/more-important-than-ldl-the-triglyceride-hdl-ratio/

From that article...

TG levels between 100 and 200 mg/dL (or about 1 to 2 mmol/L) are usually considered borderline. Lower levels are optimal. Some disease states feature TG levels over 500 mg/dL or 5.7 mmol/L. 

By way of example, mine are usually around 700 mg/dL and have been as high as just under 3000 mg/dL. But I am also in a disease state.

I would kill for your number, lol.

Thanks Bob! I did some research and must have read it wrong why I was thinking my ratios were off. Hope you have a Happy Easter!

Thank you also Geezy for the information. That helps me a lot. I thank both you and Bob. Happy Easter