Diet for heart disease prevention with special reference to edible oils

     

1.        Food of plant in origin contains no cholesterol. Only animal food has cholesterol, therefore, all oils which are plant in origin will have zero cholesterol while animal fat like Desi Ghee (cow or buffalo) will have cholesterol.

2.        Any fat which is saturated will be solid at room temperature and the one which is unsaturated will be liquid at room temperature. All plant oils, therefore, will be unsaturated and Desi Ghee, Butter will be saturated. When an unsaturated liquid oil is hydrogenated, it becomes hydrogenated oil, solid at room temperature and therefore, will be saturated.

3.        Unsaturated oils can be poly-unsaturated or mono-unsaturated. Mono-unsaturated oils are heat stable and the oils can be reused after frying or boiling. Boiled Poly unsaturated oils on the other hand will oxidize on heating and may not be suitable for reuse.

4.        Omega 3 fatty acid in unsaturated oils is the key for cardiovascular prevention. The N3:N6 ratio is the one which classify various oils. More N3 means more Omega 3 fatty acid.

5.        When choosing unsaturated oils, a blend  of oils is better than single oil and, if one oil has to be used, then it is preferred to be mono-unsaturated.  A single oil is used should be mustered oil, groundnut oil or  olive oil. A recent study has shown Mediterranean diet which involves consumption of pure virgin olive oil in adequate amount can cause regression of heart diseases. Virgin olive oil has also been shown to dissolve gallbladder stones. There are blend of oils available which are a mix of poly and mono-unsaturated oils and if they have more N3:N6 ration, they can be consumed from healthy point of view.

6.        Trans fats are the biggest culprit (hydrogenated oils). Saturated fat increases LDL bad cholesterol while transfat increases LDL bad cholesterol and simultaneously reduces good HDL cholesterol. It is better to consume desi ghee than vanaspati ghee.

7.        Moderation and variety is the answer. One should not consume more than ½ kg of ghee, oil, butter in a month which means 3 tea spoon full in a day. I recommend a mix of unsaturated oils, saturated oils and butter in a day with a maximum 3 tea spoon full (15 ml).

8.        One should not re-fry or deep fry food articles. One should use non-stick pans for reducing the amount of oil in cooking. The smaller pieces of vegetables you cut while cooking the more will be available surface area and more will be oil consumption. One should boil the vegetables and cook them to reduce the amount of oil required for cooking.

9.        There are some medicines available which are Lipase inhibitors which are called cheating drugs and they do not allow fat to be observed if you take any excess in parties. As per naturopathy, consuming a glass of water with lemon after half an hour of eating food may help in washing of the fat lined on the intestinal lining.

10.     1% rise in bad cholesterol increases the chances of heart attack by 2% and 1% reduction in good HDL cholesterol reduces the chances of heart attack by 3%.

Diet for heart disease prevention with special reference to edible oils

     

1.        Food of plant in origin contains no cholesterol. Only animal food has cholesterol, therefore, all oils which are plant in origin will have zero cholesterol while animal fat like Desi Ghee (cow or buffalo) will have cholesterol.

2.        Any fat which is saturated will be solid at room temperature and the one which is unsaturated will be liquid at room temperature. All plant oils, therefore, will be unsaturated and Desi Ghee, Butter will be saturated. When an unsaturated liquid oil is hydrogenated, it becomes hydrogenated oil, solid at room temperature and therefore, will be saturated.

3.        Unsaturated oils can be poly-unsaturated or mono-unsaturated. Mono-unsaturated oils are heat stable and the oils can be reused after frying or boiling. Boiled Poly unsaturated oils on the other hand will oxidize on heating and may not be suitable for reuse.

4.        Omega 3 fatty acid in unsaturated oils is the key for cardiovascular prevention. The N3:N6 ratio is the one which classify various oils. More N3 means more Omega 3 fatty acid.

5.        When choosing unsaturated oils, a blend  of oils is better than single oil and, if one oil has to be used, then it is preferred to be mono-unsaturated.  A single oil is used should be mustered oil, groundnut oil or  olive oil. A recent study has shown Mediterranean diet which involves consumption of pure virgin olive oil in adequate amount can cause regression of heart diseases. Virgin olive oil has also been shown to dissolve gallbladder stones. There are blend of oils available which are a mix of poly and mono-unsaturated oils and if they have more N3:N6 ration, they can be consumed from healthy point of view.

6.        Trans fats are the biggest culprit (hydrogenated oils). Saturated fat increases LDL bad cholesterol while transfat increases LDL bad cholesterol and simultaneously reduces good HDL cholesterol. It is better to consume desi ghee than vanaspati ghee.

7.        Moderation and variety is the answer. One should not consume more than ½ kg of ghee, oil, butter in a month which means 3 tea spoon full in a day. I recommend a mix of unsaturated oils, saturated oils and butter in a day with a maximum 3 tea spoon full (15 ml).

8.        One should not re-fry or deep fry food articles. One should use non-stick pans for reducing the amount of oil in cooking. The smaller pieces of vegetables you cut while cooking the more will be available surface area and more will be oil consumption. One should boil the vegetables and cook them to reduce the amount of oil required for cooking.

9.        There are some medicines available which are Lipase inhibitors which are called cheating drugs and they do not allow fat to be observed if you take any excess in parties. As per naturopathy, consuming a glass of water with lemon after half an hour of eating food may help in washing of the fat lined on the intestinal lining.

10.     1% rise in bad cholesterol increases the chances of heart attack by 2% and 1% reduction in good HDL cholesterol reduces the chances of heart attack by 3%.

Negative stress may lead to heart disease

Marital disharmony and job dissatisfaction are the two main mental risk factors for the causation of heart attack. Many studies in the past have suggested that there is a strong correlation between a nagging wife and early heart attacks in men. Similarly, literature has shown that work–related stress is related to early onset of high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and heart attacks.

A study from University College, London has shown that chronically stressed workers have a 68% of higher risk of developing heart disease, especially in people under the age of 50.

Whether stress–related chemical changes or stress–related behavior is linked to heart disease, is yet to be answered. Stress–related lifestyle involves eating unhealthy food, smoking, drinking and skipping exercises.

Chemical changes related to chronic stress are increased levels of cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine.

Amongst stress, negative stress is more dangerous than positive stress and amongst negative stress it is jealousy, anger and cynicism which are associated with heart attack.

The answer lies in managing stress by acting on a personal situation and not reacting to it. In children the same type of stress, especially during exam days, can end up with anxiety, insomnia and suicidal attempts.

Negative stress may lead to heart disease

Marital disharmony and job dissatisfaction are the two main mental risk factors for the causation of heart attack. Many studies in the past have suggested that there is a strong correlation between a nagging wife and early heart attacks in men. Similarly, literature has shown that work–related stress is related to early onset of high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke and heart attacks. 

A study from University College, London has shown that chronically stressed workers have a 68% of higher risk of developing heart disease, especially in people under the age of 50.

Whether stress–related chemical changes or stress–related behavior is linked to heart disease, is yet to be answered. Stress–related lifestyle involves eating unhealthy food, smoking, drinking and skipping exercises.

Chemical changes related to chronic stress are increased levels of cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine.

Amongst stress, negative stress is more dangerous than positive stress and amongst negative stress it is jealousy, anger and cynicism which are associated with heart attack.

The answer lies in managing stress by acting on a personal situation and not reacting to it. In children the same type of stress, especially during exam days, can end up with anxiety, insomnia and suicidal attempts.

Consuming artificial sweeteners can cause heart disease

Consumption of non-caloric, artificially sweetened beverages is associated with an increased risk for chronic lifestyle diseases according to Susan E. Swithers, PhD, a professor of behavioral neuroscience at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, published online July 10 in Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Frequent consumers of these sugar substitutes may be at increased risk of excessive weight gain, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

This risk is independent of baseline body mass indexes.

Another earlier study found that children of normal weight who consume artificially sweetened beverages may have decreased weight gain compared with those who consume sweetened beverages. 

In another study, overweight and obese adults who substituted water or artificially sweetened beverages for sweetened beverages had no greater weight loss at 6 months than an attentional control group. 

Artificially sweetened beverages intake was not associated with improved fasting glucose, but water intake was

EDTA chelation therapy and secondary prevention of heart disease

EDTA chelation therapy has been prescribed for patients with cardiovascular disease despite an absence of evidence to support its use. The TACT trial, randomly assigned patients with prior heart attack to infusions of a chelation solution or placebo over one to two years and found a small benefit from chelation in terms of a composite of total mortality, recurrent heart attack, stroke, coronary revascularization, or hospitalization for angina. However the current recommendation is not to use this due to significant limitations of the study (multiple interim analyses, high dropout rates, potential for unmasking). (JAMA 2013; 309:1241).

Consuming Artificial Sweeteners Can Cause Heart Disease

Consumption of non-caloric, artificially sweetened beverages is associated with an increased risk for chronic life style diseases according to Susan E. Swithers, PhD, a professor of behavioral neuroscience at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, published online July 10 in Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Frequent consumers of these sugar substitutes may be at increased risk of excessive weight gain, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. This risk is independent of baseline body mass index.

Another earlier study found that children of normal weight who consume artificially sweetened beverages may have decreased weight gain compared with those who consume sweetened beverages. 

In another study, overweight and obese adults who substituted water or artificially sweetened beverages for sweetened beverages had no greater weight loss at 6 months than an attentional control group. 

Artificially sweetened beverages intake was not associated with improved fasting glucose, but water intake was.

Natural foods and not supplements prevent heart disease

One should take seasonal and locally grown natural food and vegetables grown out of organic farms. Eat less, dinner lighter then lunch, eat natural and in moderation- are few of the mantras.

Eating food supplements can be harmful. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), supplementation with beta carotene and vitamin E, either alone or in combination with each other or other antioxidant vitamins does not prevent heart disease.

High dose vitamin E supplementation (400 IU/day) may be associated with an increase in all-cause mortality.

Supplementation with vitamin C does not prevent a second heart attack.

Beta carotene supplementation may be dangerous and should be discouraged.

Vitamin E supplementation may be of benefit for only secondary prevention of heart patients with chronic renal failure who are undergoing hemodialysis.

The AHA concluded that current data do not justify the use of antioxidant supplements for the prevention or treatment of cardiovascular disease risk.

The above recommendations apply to supplementation only. Diets that are rich in natural antioxidants are associated with lower cardiovascular mortality.

Do not treat mild hypertension with low risk for heart disease

The benefit from antihypertensive therapy is unproven in patients with mild hypertension and no preexisting cardiovascular disease. 

A meta-analysis combined four placebo-controlled trials adding together 8912 patients with mild hypertension and no preexisting cardiovascular disease.

Up to 5 years of follow-up, antihypertensive therapy resulted in lower rates of mortality and stroke but higher rates of heart attacks.

Low-risk patients with mild hypertension and no preexisting cardiovascular disease who fail to reduce their blood pressure with lifestyle modification should receive antihypertensive therapy.