What are triglycerides (TGs)?

Triglycerides are the most common type of fat found in the bloodstream.  When fats are consumed, the digestive system breaks those down into fatty acids. Fatty acids can be classified into 3 categories based on their chemical formula: short-chain fatty acids have less than 6 carbon atoms, medium-chain fatty acids have 6-12, and long-chain fatty acids have over 12 carbon atoms.