I am sure you are well aware that heart disease is one of the leading killers of adults in the United States. Risk factors for heart disease include smoking, sedentary lifestyle, obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and diabetes.
Recent research suggests that homocysteine levels, not cholesterol levels, should be the factor emphasized in reducing one's risk for heart disease. Homocysteine is an amino acid that is produced by the body, usually due to the consumption of red meats. Increased levels of homocysteine in the body increase one's cholesterol levels. Homocysteine makes it easier for cholesterol to collect in the arteries which in turn, will narrow the arteries, thus increasing one's blood pressure. The increase in blood pressure leads to an increased risk for heart attacks and strokes.
Long story short... consider the amount of red meat you eat in an average week and try to reduce it. It is also suggested that you increase your intake of folic acid, B6 and B12 vitamins to counter the effects of homocysteine. Try eating breakfast cereals fortified with folic acid with your children in the morning, sunflower seeds as a snack in the office or on the road, and fresh or frozen spinach and salmon for dinner.
2 comments:
So what about meat heavy diets like the Atkins Diet that are supposed to be heart healthy?
Great question! I will start with a disclaimer: Although I do understand the physiological basis on which many diets are based, I am not an expert in diet trends.
From the articles and studies that I have read, few of them have implied that the Atkins Diet was designed to be heart healthy. It was designed to target weight-loss problems. I feel that after the Atkins Diet was attacked because of the high-cholesterol, fat intake food regimen those in support for the Atkins Diet tried to push the idea that it is heart healthy.
The following is a link and quote from one of many sites that argues that the Atkins Diet is heart healthy:
"The 1 long-term study comparing the Atkins diet with various low-fat diets for 1 year showed that with the Atkins diet, homocysteine concentrations, C-reactive protein, and lipoprotein(a) all increased.5 This study also showed that with a high-fat diet, LDL cholesterol and TG levels increased, HDL levels decreased, and the cholesterol-to-HDL ratio became abnormal, all suggesting that this diet may have important long-term limitations."
http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.com/inside.asp?AID=447&UID=
There are many health professionals who are ambivalent about the Atkins diet. It is very dependent on the person's health and lifestyle on which diet will work best for an individual for both weight-loss and total health. I feel that the Atkins Diet can work VERY well for some, where another diet might work better for others.
To answer your question in a more straight-forward manner, I think that the Atkins Diet and similar diets CAN be heart healthy. It all comes down controlling your portion size (we all love hearing that) and limiting your intake of red, fatty meats, cholesterol, and trans fats. With the Atkins diet, this means that limiting your intake of high- fat dairy items, and red meats (and those pork rinds!) should keep you more heart healthy.
THANK YOU for your question. I hope that I helped. Please let me know if you have anymore questions about this topic or others.
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