Head: This Valentine, protect your heart!
Intro: Simply by lowering your daily consumption of salt, fat, and high cholesterol, you and your Valentine can avoid being a statistic
Did you know that cardiovascular diseases (CVD) were the leading cause of death in 2005? Or that over 80% of these deaths occurred in low-income countries where the health infrastructure is already overburdened and weak?
These are among some of the startling revelations made in a paper released by the George Institute for International Health in December last year. Currently, according to a WHO estimate, 15.3 million people are estimated to die from CVD every year; that represents one-third of all global deaths from all causes. In the next two decades, as the George Institute study indicates this burden will largely be borne by the developing countries, such as China and India.
The common CVDs include atherosclerosis (fatty deposits that clog and harden arteries), coronary heart disease (caused by the reduced blood supply to the heart muscle), stroke (caused by inadequate blood flow to the brain leading to brain death), hypertension (when blood pressure is higher than the normal range), and cardiac arrhythmias (irregular or abnormal heartbeats).
Fortunately, medical professionals have long known that small lifestyle modifications can go a long way in improving your heart health. The trick lies in getting people to make those changes. This is not difficult these days, when there is so much choice available in terms of substituting heart-friendly for heart-challenging food.
What causes CVDs?
Research has shown a definite link between risk factors such as poor nutrition, sedentary lifestyle, tobacco, or alcohol abuse and CVDs. Thrown in biological/concurrent factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and low cardio-respiratory fitness, and the risk increases manifold.
Good and bad fats
Not all fats are bad. Some are indeed good for your health. The wisdom lies in knowing the difference. Saturated fatty acids that are found in dairy products and meat raise blood cholesterol levels and must therefore be minimised if not avoided altogether. Recent studies have also shown that trans fatty acids found in industrially hardened oils also contribute to coronary heart ailments. These are found in abundant doses in deep-fried and baked foods.
Interestingly, the most effective substitute for saturated fatty acids are polysaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) or what are known as good fats. Due to their anti-inflammatory action, PUFAs actually prevent CVDs. These are found in soybean and sunflower oils as well as in fatty fish and plant foods. One WHO study found that an experimental group of subjects who were given daily doses of fish oil had 20% reduction in mortality, 30% reduction in CVD and a 45% decrease in sudden death, compared to the control group who were not given the fish oil dosage.
A diet comprising of a total fat intake of up to 35% along with a health mix of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and wholegrain cereals should be good for people of all age groups.
When reducing total fat, it's important not to cut out the heart healthy fats from your diet including mono and poly-unsaturated fats and omega-3, mostly found in plant and fish oils.
How to modify your fat intake:
- Use butter and other spreads sparingly
- Substitute lean cuts of meat or trim fat off
- Grill, bake or steam food instead of frying
- Swap saturated fats such as butter for unsaturated oils such as sunflower, rapeseed or olive oil
- Limit your intake of trans-fats from processed food
- Eat two to three portions of oily fish each week (e.g. sardines, mackerel, fresh tuna, salmon)
Stay away from Cholestrol
Contrary to belief, cholesterol is actually an essential component of cell membranes and certain liver hormones. Our liver produces adequate amount of cholesterol and the rest is derived from dairy products, meat, and eggs. However, a high amount of a certain type of cholesterol (Low Density Lipoprotein or LDL) in the blood vessels can lead to its deposition in the arteries, thereby restricting blood supply to the vital organs and causing heart problems. Eating a diet high in fibre and wholegrain cereals can counter the ill effects of a cholesterol-rich diet.
In addition, a daily intake of 0.8 mg of folic acid (a kind of a vitamin) is also known to prevent the risk of CVDs by as much as 16% and stroke by 24%. Flavomoids that are found in foods such as tea, onions and apples also reduce the risk of CVDs, besides antioxidants such as Vitamin E, C or b-carotene.
Don’t reach for the saltshaker
There is now convincing evidence that a high intake of table salt, i.e., sodium can also cause CVDs, whereas even a small reduction of say 50 mmol, i.e. about 1.2g can reduce the number of deaths resulting from strokes and coronary heart diseases by almost 22% and 16%, respectively, according to a WHO study.
Small amount of potassium supplementation and increased consumption of leafy fruits, vegetables (400 to 500 g per day) and fish consumption has been widely associated with good health. The benefits are most evident in high-risk groups. In this group, consuming 40-60g of fish per day can lead to a 50% reduction in the number of deaths form coronary heart disease. Vegetarians can derive their essential fatty acids from plant sources such as canola and soybean oils, pumpkins, and walnuts.
Meanwhile, nuts (walnut, cashew nuts etc) being high in unsaturated fatty acids and low in saturated fats also contribute to lowering cholesterol levels. Several animal experiments have suggested that isoflavones, present in soy products is also good at fortifying the heart muscles.
Cut down on your cigarettes, coffee and alcohol
All three have a high co-relation with CVDs. Coffee beans contain a substance called cafestol that can significantly raise the level of cholesterol, explaining the high incidence of CVDs in Greece, the Middle East and Turkey.
Surprisingly, although low to moderate alcohol may protect against coronary heart diseases, other health risks associated with alcohol may neutralise these health benefits. Instead, switch to heart-friendly food. Offer your valentine red wine, which provides antioxidants that protect the heart, or dark chocolate (Yes Chocolate, which has at least 70 percent cocoa), which does help lower blood pressure. (However, be aware of the extra calories!)
You could also try aspirin therapy (after consulting with your doctor). About 80 mg of aspirin every day helps inhibit blood clots, thus reducing the risk of heart attacks and stroke.
Heard of stanols and sterols?
Certain plant-derived compounds, called stanol or sterol esters have been shown to reduce cholesterol levels. Spreads, yoghurts, drinks and soya 'dairy alternatives' are now available containing these products. These sterol-enriched foods may be particularly useful for those with raised blood cholesterol, which has remained elevated even after making other dietary changes. Clinical trials show that when used regularly, they can reduce high cholesterol levels.
Fortify your heart with wholegrain and fibre
Studies of large groups of people in the US have shown that diets rich in wholegrain food can reduce the risk of CVD by up to 30%. Soluble dietary fibre, found in oats, beans and pulses, can help to lower LDL cholesterol.
Reach out for soya milk
A diet that includes at least 25g of soya per day has been associated with reductions in LDL cholesterol and CVD. Soya protein is also an excellent substitute for meat.
Dance your way to good health
Finally, increase your physical activity. Walk in place while watching television; take the stairs instead of elevators and park far from your building. Last but not the least, monitor your weight. Daily monitoring can help determine caloric intake. Buy yourself a dress that is one size short for you and challenge yourself to fit into it, three months down the line.
Experts contend that just 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day is enough to reduce the risk of CVDs.
Don’t forget your power naps
People who don’t get enough sleep have a greater risk of developing hypertension, which can lead to CVDs later in life. Teenagers with low sleep efficiency have an average of 4 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) higher systolic blood pressure when compared to those who have higher sleep efficiency, it has been discovered.
About the author
Dr Kevin Lau is a Chiropractor and Nutritionist. Dr. Lau is devoted to developing, practicing, and educating others about the principles of natural medicine and innovative therapies for spinal problems. He is a regular contributor in Young Parents, Herworld and Medical Grapevine. In 2006, he was awarded the "Practitioner of the Year Award" by the Straits Time, Singapore. To date, Dr. Lau has successfully treated patients with scoliosis, disc herniation, sciatica and other chronic conditions.
