You can lower your triglycerides through a combination of dietary changes, exercise, weight loss, and, when levels are significantly elevated, medication. Most people see initial improvements within days to weeks of making changes, with more substantial drops appearing after 6 to 12 weeks. Lasting results typically take at least 6 months of sustained effort.
Before diving into what works, it helps to know where you stand. A normal triglyceride level is below 150 mg/dL. Borderline high is 150 to 199, high is 200 to 499, and very high is 500 mg/dL or above. The higher your starting point, the more aggressively you’ll want to act, because levels above 500 increase the risk of acute pancreatitis. That risk actually starts climbing in a linear fashion once levels exceed 177 mg/dL.
Lose a Small Amount of Weight
Weight loss is one of the most powerful levers you have. Even a modest reduction, around 4 to 5% of your body weight (roughly 8 to 10 pounds for someone who weighs 200), can dramatically cut the amount of fat stored in your liver, which is a major driver of high triglycerides. In one study, that degree of weight loss reduced liver triglycerides by about 42% in people with fatty liver disease.
How you lose the weight matters too. Cutting carbohydrates appears to be especially effective for triglycerides. Participants who reduced carbs saw a 55% drop in liver triglycerides, compared to 28% for those who simply cut calories overall. This doesn’t mean you need a strict low-carb diet, but reducing refined carbohydrates, sugary drinks, white bread, and sweetened foods will likely give you a bigger payoff than just eating less of everything.
Cut Back on Sugar and Refined Carbs
Your liver converts excess sugar and starch into triglycerides. This makes sugary beverages, fruit juice, candy, pastries, and white-flour products some of the biggest culprits behind elevated levels. Swapping these for whole grains, vegetables, legumes, and protein-rich foods can produce noticeable changes quickly.
Fructose is particularly efficient at raising triglycerides. It’s found not just in table sugar but in high-fructose corn syrup, which is a common ingredient in soft drinks, flavored yogurts, and packaged snacks. Reading labels for added sugars is one of the simplest, highest-impact habits you can build.
Reduce or Eliminate Alcohol
Alcohol raises triglyceride levels even in moderate amounts. Your liver prioritizes processing alcohol over its other metabolic tasks, which leads to a buildup of fat in the bloodstream. If your triglycerides are already elevated, even one or two drinks a day can keep them stubbornly high.
Heavy drinking, defined as more than four drinks a day for women and five or more for men, has an outsized effect. Stopping alcohol entirely is one of the fastest ways to see a drop, especially when combined with other dietary changes. If your levels are in the high or very high range, cutting alcohol completely is worth trying for at least a few months to see how your body responds.
Exercise Consistently
Regular aerobic exercise helps your body clear triglyceride-rich particles from the bloodstream more efficiently. In a 16-week study, participants who exercised at moderate intensity (a brisk walk or light jog where you can still hold a conversation) four to five times per week significantly improved their body’s ability to break down and remove these particles from circulation.
That said, the effect on actual blood triglyceride numbers can be modest if exercise is your only intervention. The study found that clearance improved but plasma triglyceride levels didn’t change significantly on their own. The takeaway: exercise works best as part of a package alongside dietary changes and weight loss. Longer sessions or higher-intensity workouts may be needed to move the needle on triglycerides through exercise alone. Aim for at least 150 minutes per week of moderate activity, and more is better.
Add Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil are one of the most well-studied tools for lowering triglycerides, but the dose makes all the difference. The American Heart Association found that prescription-strength omega-3s at 4 grams per day reduce triglycerides by 20 to 30% in people with moderately high levels (200 to 499 mg/dL) and by 30% or more in people with very high levels.
At 2 grams per day, the effect is roughly half as strong and in some cases no better than a placebo. This is important because most over-the-counter fish oil capsules contain only 300 to 500 mg of actual EPA and DHA per pill, meaning you’d need a large number of capsules to reach a therapeutic dose. Prescription formulations deliver the full 4 grams in a manageable number of pills.
One nuance worth knowing: products containing both EPA and DHA can raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol slightly, particularly at very high triglyceride levels. EPA-only formulations don’t appear to have this effect. If your doctor recommends omega-3 supplementation, the type of product matters.
What About Fiber?
Soluble fiber, the kind found in oats, beans, lentils, and psyllium husk, is excellent for lowering total and LDL cholesterol. However, a large meta-analysis found that soluble fiber does not significantly lower triglycerides. That doesn’t mean it’s not worth eating. A high-fiber diet supports weight loss, blood sugar control, and heart health broadly. But if triglycerides are your primary concern, fiber alone won’t solve the problem.
When Lifestyle Changes Aren’t Enough
If your triglycerides remain elevated despite consistent dietary changes, exercise, and weight loss, medication may be appropriate. Fibrates are the most commonly prescribed drug class specifically for triglycerides, reducing levels by about 36% on average across clinical trials. Statins, though primarily used for LDL cholesterol, can lower triglycerides by up to 18% in most people and by as much as 43% in those with levels above 273 mg/dL.
Medication becomes especially important when levels exceed 500 mg/dL, where the risk of pancreatitis is a real concern. At levels between 1,000 and 2,000 mg/dL, triglycerides contribute to 2 to 4% of acute pancreatitis cases. In this range, prescription omega-3s or fibrates are typically started alongside lifestyle changes rather than waiting to see if diet alone is sufficient.
How Long Until You See Results
The timeline depends on how many changes you make and how high your starting levels are. Small improvements can show up within days to weeks of eating better or exercising more. Larger, measurable drops on a blood test typically take 6 to 12 weeks. And the changes that stick, the ones that keep your triglycerides down long-term, require at least 6 months of sustained habits.
The most effective approach stacks multiple strategies: cut refined carbs and sugar, reduce alcohol, exercise regularly, and lose some weight. Each of these has a modest to moderate effect on its own, but together they can produce dramatic improvements. If you’re starting with levels in the 200 to 500 range, it’s realistic to bring them under 150 with consistent effort and no medication at all.