If you are confused about what you should or shouldn’t eat to reduce your chances of developing heart disease—you’re not alone. Discerning the claims made about food and diets and interpreting the multitude of conflicting studies done on the subject would confound even the most astute. Thankfully, the good people of the Population Health Research Institute took on that task for us, and it turns out that the list of heart-healthy foods is a relatively short one.LUNCH
For the study, Andrew Mente, Ph.D. and colleagues rated 189 prior studies published between 1950 and 2007. When a certain food or diet showed a strong link with better heart health and appeared in multiple studies, that food or diet was put at the top of the “good” list, while foods linked to an increased risk of heart disease was place on the “bad” list.
As you can probably guess, vegetables, nuts and the Mediterranean diet, which is high in vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, whole grains, cheese or yogurt and fish, made the “good” heart food list, showing “strong evidence” of lowering the risk of heart disease. The researchers also found that several other foods including omega-3 fatty acids from fish, whole grains, alcohol, vitamins E and C, beta carotene, folate, fruit and fiber showed “moderate evidence” to support a heart-healthy claim.
Conversely, the Western-style diet heavy on red and processed meats, refined grains and high-fat dairy, as well as foods high in trans-fatty acids such as processed baked goods, fried foods, and snacks or foods with high glycemic index such as white bread, pasta and rice were shown to raise the risk of heart disease.
That leaves many other foods, including milk and eggs, in a big gray area. “Taken together, these findings support a causal relationship between only a few dietary exposures and coronary heart disease, whereas the evidence of most individual nutrients or foods is too modest to be conclusive,” the team said.
Linda Van Horn, professor of preventive medicine at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, said while the analysis reaffirms the benefits of a Mediterranean diet, it is more about the strengths and limits of previous studies than advice for consumers. “It’s really about the totality of the usual eating pattern, rather than whether you ate a hot dog on opening day of baseball season,” she said.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 2.7 million deaths each year are attributable to a diet low in fruits and vegetables. Globally it is estimated to cause about 19 percent of gastrointestinal cancer, 31 percent of ischaemic heart disease, and 11 percent of strokes—thus making it one of the leading preventable causes of death worldwide.
The study was supported by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health and was published in the April 13 issue of the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.
Q: Doctor, I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life. Is this true?more later....
A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer? Take a nap.
Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?
A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.
Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?
A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!
Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?
A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.
Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?
A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good!
Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?
A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!! ...... Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil. In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?
Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?
A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.
Q: Is chocolate bad for me?
A: Are you crazy? HELLO Cocoa beans ! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!
Q: Is swimming good for your figure?
A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.
Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?
A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!
Well, I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets.
AND.....
For those of you who watch what you eat, here's the final word on nutrition and health. It's a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies.
1. The Japanese eat very little fat
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
3. The Chinese drink very little red wine
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine
and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
5. The Germans drink a lot of beers and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans.
CONCLUSION
Eat and drink what you like.
Speaking English is apparently what kills you.
AND REMEMBER:
'Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways - Chardonnay in one hand - chocolate in the other - body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming 'WOO HOO, What a Ride'
A new study in the journal Nature Medicine claims consuming too much sodium leads to an increased accumulation of salt in the interstitium of the skin, i.e. the area between cells. This process is regulated in our bodies by special white blood cells known as macrophages and within these macrophages scientists found a gene regulator called TonEBP. TonEBP turns on another gene that controls the production of lymphatic blood vessels. In the study, experts observed a high-salt diet causes lymphatic vessels to increase, leading to hypertension in animals; via EurekAlert!
In March, research showed consuming salt decreases levels of an enzyme called nitric oxide synthase (NOS), which signals nearby muscles to relax, improving blood flow and lowering blood pressure. This is similar to another study that showed switching to a low-salt diet helps blood vessels relax.
In related news, a previous report determined regardless of genetics or gender, people who excreted more salt had higher blood pressure.
Trans-fat’s been quiet lately, but for good reason. New findings in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine claim negative news reports on the dangers of trans-fat, such as heart risks, influences people to avoid foods with trans-fat. Trans-fat raises LDL or “bad cholesterol” and also lowers HDL or “good cholesterol” and is commonly found in junk foods like cookies, crackers and French fries. Researchers found shoppers in Los Angeles, California were more careful about their purchases after media coverage on artery-clogging trans-fats, but only for a short time; Reuters reports.
Not to long ago there was a great debate about banning trans-fat. Many health experts want trans-fat gone, but other say trans-fat is a market issue and consumers should decide whether or not they want to buy it. But trans-fat is unhealthy, linked to both colon cancer and breast cancer.
Trans-fat has gotten the shaft nationwide, from New York to California, even retailers and restaurants like Wal-Mart and Kentucky Fried Chicken have given trans-fat the heave-ho.
According to a new study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology cancer cases among Hispanics and African Americans could reach 157 million by 2030, up from 46 million in 1980. For the study, scientists analyzed information from a national health database and projected Hispanics will experience the highest increase in cancer incidence with 142%. Now, these figures may be higher than what will actually happen, but researchers warn the trends are very clear and strong; HealthDay News investigates.LUNCH
Actually, many experts believe these trends can be reversed with better diet, i.e. more fruits and vegetables, and more exercise. Plant foods are potent cancer fighters. Just yesterday pomegranates were shown to improve prostate cancer recovery. Also, switching to a diet including more fiber and less sugar can stave off diabetes in Latinos.
In related news, recent studies show foods like green vegetables and nuts help prevent ovarian cancer, while stuff like charred meat raises the risk of pancreatic cancer.
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