There is continual debate about the merits of various diets, but a recent research released in Cardiovascular Research makes one thing clear: eating whole, plant-based foods is the greatest strategy to avoid heart disease. This is significant because people are starving to death: Poor eating choices are responsible for over half of all cardiovascular disease deaths, according to the 2017 Global Burden of Disease research.
Unfortunately, the average American diet is high in ultra-processed foods, which are inexpensive, tasty, and easy – but bad for your heart. And, at least according to anecdotal evidence, some of us may rely on such items even more during the coronavirus epidemic.
This type of eating puts you at risk for heart disease. According to Michelle Routhenstein, a preventive cardiology dietitian in New York City, “excess sodium, sugar, trans fat, and ultra-processed meals can raise inflammation and insulin resistance in the blood vessels, which leads to the promotion of plaque in the arteries.” A heart attack or stroke can be caused by plaque buildup in the arteries.
The majority of nutrition studies favors a plant-based, whole-food diet. Let's have a look at what that means. The term "whole" refers to foods that have not been heavily processed. Consider the basic types of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts, fish, eggs, chicken, and dairy. Whole foods include oranges, chicken breasts, and potatoes, but ultra-processed foods include orange-flavored Coke, chicken nuggets, and barbecue chips.
Plants such as vegetables, fruits, and legumes, rather than animals, provide the majority of the foods in a plant-based diet (meat, poultry, dairy). Most definitions of "plant-based" state that some fish, eggs, poultry, dairy, as well as meat can be included in the diet as long as plants make up the majority of the diet. As a result, going vegan (i.e., not eating animal products) isn't a must.
“When you eliminate inflammation, I've seen folks whose diabetes, angina, or high pressure goes into remission, and I've seen autoimmune disorders go away,” Freeman adds. “The greatest way to do it is to eat a plant-based diet, and individuals improve as a result.”
Are there any additional heart-healthy diets?
If you already follow a healthy eating plan, you might be able to tweak it to improve your heart health. As long as the diet is high in vegetables, fish, chicken, nuts, and olive oil, a low-carb diet can be heart-healthy.
The high-fat keto diet is the most popular low-carb diet, and according to Freeman, there is some evidence that ketone production is beneficial to the body.
The keto diet may help improve blood pressure, blood sugar, and lipid levels, according to a review research he conducted with Sperling and other colleagues in 2020. However, it may boost LDL cholesterol levels, which may increase the risk of heart disease in some people. The investigation is still ongoing.
“How do you get there?” says the narrator. Freeman is asked about ketosis, the metabolic state in which your body burns fat instead of carbohydrates. He doesn't believe that eating sticks of butter or scallops wrapped in bacon is the answer, because these items have been linked to poor cardiovascular outcomes and are environmentally harmful.
Instead of eating a lot of red meat and butter, stick to a keto diet that includes seafood, poultry, veggies, nuts, seeds, yoghurt, avocado, and healthy oils.
Intermittent fasting may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by improving weight management, hypertension, high blood pressure, and diabetes, according to recent studies, so talk to your doctor or nutritionist about it.
Changes that are realistic
While it's easy to advise Americans to eat more plants, is it feasible when many Americans fall short of the recommended amounts of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains? Small measures must be taken to bring about change.
Start by include beans in your weekly plan, replacing a can of soda with water, or including a plate of veggies with your dinner. From there, you can expand. Finally, the optimal diet for heart health will be one that is high in plant-based foods that you can readily get, afford, and like, so you can maintain it over time.