Heart disease is a major killer in India to-day. Persons who are obese have a higher incidence of the diseases of the heart and blood vessels as compared to persons with normal weight. In any case, whether you are over weight or not, the foods you eat have a great deal to do with heart disease and disease of blood vessels, and therefore you obviously cannot afford to ignore it. Dr. J.R. Moreton, 1947,published his work, showing that the arteries could become hard in individuals whose blood shows a high fat content, derived from the fat in the food.
This fatty degeneration of arteries is called ‘Arteriosclerosis.’ Dr. W.J. Gofman demonstrated that this form of arteriosclerosis known as ‘ athero-sclerosis ‘ – and condition characterized by degeneration and hardening of the arteries and sometimes valves of the heart, is associated with certain “lipoproteins” (specialized substances derived from fat) circulating in the blood, as a direct result of ingesting fat in the diet. Dr. H. Necheles showed that in various experimental animals, atherosclerosis uniformly and promptly followed the feeding of excessive quantities of cholesterol.
What is cholesterol ?
Cholesterol is not a fat. Cholesterol is a normal and necessary fat-like substance that circulates in our blood. Chlesterol forms part of the wall around each cell in the body. Cholesterol is a basic ‘building -block’ of a major group of the body’s chemical messengers, called the Steroid hormones. In some people high blood cholesterol tends to settle down in excessive patchy deposits inside blood vessels, leading to a premature hardening and narrowing of arteries i.e. “atherosclerosis”.
The arteries commonly involved are coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle. If these vessels become thick and narrowed, not enough blood gets to the heart, when it works hard and the result is chest pain – “Angina pectoris” or even a heart attack – ” Myocardial infarction.” Extensive research has shown that the risk of heart attack rises by 2 per cent for every 1 per cent increase in blood cholesterol. The risk drops at the same rate when blood cholesterol level is lowered.
What is a high level of cholesterol ?
Studies have shown that heart attack risk begins to rise steadily once the total cholesterol level exceeds 200 miligrams per deciliter ( mg/dl). A level between 200 and 240 mg/dl, high. Results of a research study showed that among men forty-four years of age, those who had cholesterol count of more than 265 mg/dl ran a five time greater risk of heart attack than those with a count consistently under 220 mg/dl. Although the total amount of cholesterol in your blood should not go above 180 mg/dl , the ‘type’ of cholesterol in your blood provides a good clue to your susceptibility to cardiovascular disease.
Research in recent years has shown that there are ‘two’ forms of cholesterol in the blood, and only one is harmful. It has been discovered that the body binds cholesterol together with proteins to form lipoproteins. There are two forms of lipoproteins, a low-density or light weight one called LDL and a heavy one called HDL. LDL contains more fat than HLD and therefore floats, which is why it is the more light weight substance. The LDL can thus be regarded as the ‘bad’ lipoprotein, which deposits cholesterol in the walls of arteries. The HLD on the other hand, seems to be operating in the reverse by mopping up ‘loose’ cholesterol from the arteries and elsewhere and coming it back to the liver where it is broken down in the bile and excreted. It has also been discovered that if people have a greater proportion of HDL in the blood, the effect is beneficial.
What are triglycerides, often mentioned in connection with cholesterol ?
Triglycerides are not cholesterol – they are fatty molecules (lipids) formed in the liver from the fats you eat. Research studies suggest a possible connection between triglycerides, cholesterol and heart disease. Studies have shown that , the higher the level of triglycerides, the lower the HDL, the heart – protective cholesterol – and vice versa. In persons with high triglycerides levels, the incidence of heart – attack is also found to be higher, than persons with normal levels.In general, triglycerides should be 100 to 120 mg/dl.
Is it possible to lower blood cholesterol by changing life-styles factors ?
Medical scientists seeking ways to reduce levels of blood cholesterol have suggested certain changes in the key lifestyle factors to lower the blood cholesterol levels and atherosclerosis :- such as a) Diet b) Weight c) Exercise.
DIET : Drs. A. Steiner, L.M. Harrison, A. Rossi and G.R. Hermann showed that atherosclerosis can be prevented, and even cured, by the use of agents that mobilize and aid in the assimilation of fat and associated substances. Three vitamins of the B family – choline and inositol, found in a food substance called lecithin, and pyridoxine ( vitamin B6) – were found to be effective. All of these vitamins have been found to act in conjunction with the liver. Reduction in the ‘dietary intake’ of cholesterol, removes some of the raw materials out of which the deposits inside the arteries are built.
Foods low or lacking cholesterol
Meat : Lean meats and poultry, all fat cut off; non-fat fish.
Cheese : Cottage cheese (home made) only.
Eggs : Egg white only.
Milk : Skim milk or butter milk
Cereals : All kinds
Vegetables : All kinds.
Fruits : All kinds.
Soups : Clear fat-free soups.
Desserts : Fruits and fruit juices, yogurt – fruit salad.
Beverages : Tea, coffee, juices
Sweets : Sugar, jam, honey, syrups.
Fats : Vegetable oils.
Foods high in cholesterol
Meats : Fatty meats, organ meats -liver, kidney, brain, shrimp.
Eggs : Yolk.
All foods prepared with butter, cream, fried in animal fats. Whole milk cream, creamy sauces, rich desserts, ice- cream containing eggs, cakes & pastries.
Lose Excess Weight :- Cholesterol levels of the blood usually drop when patients adhere to reducing diets that are naturally low in fats of all kinds. Cholesterol is present in animal fats but not in vegetable fat. Low- cholesterol diets principally exclude foods containing animal fats. The Balanced-Nutrient Diet supplying an increased amount of fibre in the form of natural carbohydrates such as fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains and cereals, helps lower blood cholesterol by stimulating excretion and elimination of cholesterol through liver in the form of bile.
What is the role of exercise in reducing levels of blood cholesterol ?
Regular exercise, under medical supervision and monitoring, is especially effective in reducing the levels of ‘Low density lipoproteins (LDL) the ‘bad’ guys present in the blood, which transport the cholesterol into the walls of the arteries, thus contributing to development of atherosclerosis. Regular exercise stimulate the formation of ‘ high density lipoproteins (HDL), the ‘good’ guys present in the blood who transport cholesterol to the liver where the cholesterol is converted to bile and excreted by the gall-bladder. In fact, researchers have reported that regular exercise is ‘more’ effective than dietary measures in stimulating, the production of high density lipoproteins.
High density lipoproteins have a protective action on the heart.