Mid-Autumn Festival barbecue will increase blood lipids and turn blood vessels into oil pipes! Dr. Zhou Jianan: 5 tips to avoid triglyceride explosion

The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming, and barbecue is an appropriate activity. However, if you dine together too frequently, be careful that your triglycerides may get out of control and cause vascular infarction and acute pancreatitis! Dr. Zhou Jianan, a weight loss specialist and metabolic doctor, once met a 50-year-old office worker patient who had dinner parties every week before the Mid-Autumn Festival. As a result, his triglyceride level soared from 200mg/dl, which was already excessive, to 750mg/dl, "which is equivalent to oil in the blood vessels" and almost caused acute pancreatitis.

Zhou Jianan, a weight loss specialist and metabolic physician, pointed out that the patient had been suffering from metabolic syndrome for a long time. He usually relied on medication to maintain his blood pressure and blood sugar within the standard range, but his blood lipids were never up to standard, especially triglycerides, which remained around 200 mg/dl (the normal value is below 150 mg/dl). However, during a follow-up visit, a blood test showed that "a layer of oil could be seen floating on the blood." Fasting blood sugar rose from 95mg/dl to 110mg/dl (normal value is below 100mg/dl), and triglycerides soared to 750mg/dl, which is 5 times the normal value.

Triglyceridemia may cause acute pancreatitis

After detailed questioning, we learned that the patient took advantage of the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday to have a meal together, consuming a large amount of high-fat food and beer, and seriously insufficient vegetable intake, resulting in the inability of dietary fiber, vitamins and antioxidants to balance the harmful substances in the diet. If left unchecked and nutritional imbalance continues, it is very likely to lead to "triglyceridemia" and further cause acute pancreatitis.

Alcohol, gallstones and hypertriglyceridemia are the three main causes of acute pancreatitis. Eating large amounts of meat and drinking alcohol during the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday are the key factors that may put your health at risk. Zhou Jianan explained that triglycerides will be broken down into fatty acids in the pancreas. Excessive fatty acids can cause damage to pancreatic cells, resulting in acute inflammation and activation of the pancreatic digestive enzymes, causing self-erosion of the pancreas and ultimately leading to acute pancreatitis.

Fortunately, the patient was discovered in time during the clinic and was able to resolve the crisis by drinking plenty of water, temporarily fasting for 1-2 meals, and lowering his triglyceride levels. However, if people experience severe upper abdominal pain "like a knife cut" after overeating and drinking, and the pain spreads to the back, so severe that they cannot stand up straight, and "the pain worsens when they want to lie down to relieve it", then these are typical symptoms of acute pancreatitis and they must immediately receive emergency infusion treatment and fast until the pain disappears.

Dr. Zhou Jianan emphasized that if the pancreas is repeatedly inflamed, it will affect the secretion of insulin and lead to diabetes. Therefore, high-fat, high-sugar foods and alcohol must be avoided as much as possible in the diet.

Cut back on processed foods like sausages and bacon and avoid too many additives.

5 tips for healthy barbecue during the Mid-Autumn Festival

Dr. Zhou Jianan, a weight loss specialist and metabolic specialist at the Churi Clinic, suggests that you can actually celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival in a healthy way. When barbecuing, you should pay attention to the following 5 tips:

1. Increase the proportion of vegetables: Vegetables rich in dietary fiber, such as bell peppers and asparagus, can help balance the diet.

2. Grilled meat and vegetables: or wrap the meat with lettuce to reduce the greasiness.

3. Make your own low-sodium sauce: Use grapefruit juice, lightly salted soy sauce and olive oil to make Japanese-style sauce to reduce sodium intake.

4. Reduce processed foods: Reduce processed foods such as sausages and bacon, and avoid excessive additives.

5. Choose sugar-free green tea: The natural catechins in green tea help break down oil and accelerate the metabolism of carcinogens.

Dr. Zhou Jianan reminds that while holiday gatherings are important, we should also pay attention to a balanced and diverse diet to avoid overindulgence that may endanger our health.