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Pro-Inflammatory Foods Dramatically Raise Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke

AHA Publisher — Fri, 27 Nov 2020 08:00:53 +0000

Lori Alton via NaturalHealth365 – For years, natural health experts and integrative physicians have sounded the alarm on the dangers of the Standard American Diet – which is aptly abbreviated as SAD. High in processed products, unhealthy fats and refined sugars, and lacking in desirable anti-inflammatory foods, SAD is believed to increase inflammation and trigger serious conditions, including heart disease and stroke. While this concept – that the foods we eat can influence inflammation and cardiovascular health – might seem to be common sense, scientific studies on the topic were scarce. Until last week, when a study published in the respected Journal of the American College of Cardiology showcased the dangers of pro-inflammatory foods and revealed the startling extent to which diet affects risk of heart attack and stroke. To learn which foods are inflammation-promoting “villains” and which are inflammation-quenching “superheroes,” keep reading. Good science REVEALS how diet affects your susceptibility to heart disease and stroke The study, which involved 32 years of research and over 210,000 participants, allowed scientists to compare the diets of people who relied heavily on pro-inflammatory foods to the diets of people who opted for healthier, anti-inflammatory foods. The team then used pooled analyses to evaluate the long-term risk of heart disease in the two groups. The results were eye-opening!! When compared to diets high in anti-inflammatory foods, diets high in pro-inflammatory foods increased heart disease risk by a stunning 46 percent and raised stroke risk by 28 percent. Lead author Jun Li, M.D., Ph.D. – a research scientist at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health – summed up the study results with this definitive sentence: “Dietary patterns with higher inflammatory potential were associated with an increased rate of cardiovascular disease.” It doesn’t get any more cut-and-dried than that. The team also found that people who reported regularly eating pro-inflammatory foods had higher levels of inflammatory biomarkers- such as chemokines, interleukins and adhesion molecules – along with higher levels of triglycerides and unwanted LDL cholesterol. “Eat the rainbow” — in the form of colorful fruits and vegetables So, how can you tell the “good guys” from the “bad guys?” It’s easy – once you know what to look for. Experts recommend opting for bright orange or yellow vegetables – such as squash, carrots, pumpkin and yams – which contain a disease-fighting plant pigment known as beta carotene. Green leafy vegetables and cruciferous vegetables – such as kale, spinach, arugula, Brussels sprouts and broccoli – are also a wise choice. In addition, cruciferous vegetables contain sulforaphane, which is not only anti-inflammatory but anticancer. By the way, the “green leafies” also have their share of beta-carotene. However, the orange/yellow hue is hidden behind darker green pigments. Dark cherries, blackberries and blueberries are high in a group of plant pigments known as anthocyanins, while bright red tomatoes are loaded up with an antioxidant called lycopene. Of course, let’s not forget healthy fats – such as nuts – are also great inflammation fighters. In fact, recent research shows that people who enrich their normal diets with daily walnut consumption had significantly reduced inflammation and LDL cholesterol, when compared to those who didn’t. And, finally, don’t overlook olive oil and avocados as ideal sources of beneficial fats. The new “unconventional” wisdom: Coffee used to fight inflammatory disease? Although coffee contains caffeine, a stimulant that can raise blood pressure, many experts feel that coffee’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits far outweigh the downside. According to research nutritionists at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, coffee consumption may reduce internal inflammation and protect against disease. Peer-reviewed studies have shown that coffee reduces the odds of developing Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and dementia – particularly in women. In addition, coffee consumption dramatically slashes the risk of colon cancer and is linked with a lower risk of death from heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes. For maximum benefit, many experts recommend three to five cups a day (for people unbothered by caffeine). If your doctor has advised you to avoid or limit caffeine, the good news is that decaffeinated coffee can still provide health benefits. Naturally, if you’re going to drink coffee … be sure it’s organic and skip the white sugar. You can flavor it up with cinnamon, vanilla extract or cocoa powder instead. If you really want to get “fancy,” try some fresh made hemp or almond milk. Avoid or sharply limit these inflammatory foods Major pro-inflammatory culprits include processed meats like, bacon, ham, hot dogs, bologna and packaged lunch meats. Generally speaking, most health experts will tell you to avoid: refined sugar, sugar-laden drinks and refined grain products such as white bread, white rice, crackers and baked goods. In addition, stay away from … fried foods, trans fats, chemical preservatives, artificial sweeteners, fast foods and GMOs. All of these items will greatly increase the risk of chronic inflammation. Red ALERT: Pro-inflammatory foods reduce levels of a natural fat-burning substance The new study – we’re featuring above – found that people who ate a pro-inflammatory diet had lower levels of adiponectin, a fat-burning hormone that can help prevent insulin resistance, combat atherosclerosis and promote weight loss. So important is adiponectin, in fact, that low levels are linked with the development of metabolic syndrome and obesity-related illnesses. Clearly, you don’t want to run low on this important hormone. You can increase your adiponectin levels with daily intake of omega-3 fats, found in cold-water fatty fish, avocados, nuts and olive oil. These just happen to be “major players” in the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in healthy fats, fruits, nuts and vegetables. Most experts agree that the Mediterranean diet is vastly superior to the SAD when it comes to supporting heart health. So, clearly, it just might be time to give this anti-inflammatory – and flavorful – way of eating a try. Sources for this article include: ScienceDaily.com, NIH.gov, HopkinsMedicine.org To read the original article click here. For more articles from NaturalHealth365 click here.

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Should We Be Concerned with the Trans Fat in Animal Fat?

AHA Publisher — Fri, 30 Oct 2020 07:00:20 +0000

Michael Greger M.D. FACLM via Nutrition Facts – The years of healthy life lost due to our consumption of trans fats are comparable to the impact of conditions like meningitis, cervical cancer, and multiple sclerosis. But, if “food zealots” get their wish in banning added trans fats, what’s next? I explore this in my video Banning Trans Fat in Processed Foods but Not Animal Fat. Vested corporate interests rally around these kinds of slippery slope arguments to distract from the fact that people are dying. New York Mayor Bloomberg was decried as a “meddling nanny” for his trans fat ban and attempt to cap soft drink sizes. How dare he try to manipulate consumer choice! But isn’t that what the food industry has done? “Soft drink portion sizes have grown dramatically, along with Americans’ waistlines.” In 1950, a 12-ounce soda was the king-sized option. Now, it’s the kiddie size. Similarly, with trans fats, it was the industry that limited our choice by putting trans fats into everything without even telling us. Who’s the nanny now? New York City finally won its trans fat fight, preserving its status as a public health leader. “For example, it took decades to achieve a national prohibition of lead paint, despite unequivocal evidence of harm,” but New York City’s Board of Health led the way, banning it “18 years before federal action.” There’s irony in the slippery slope argument: First, they’ll come for your fries; next, they’ll come for your burger. After the trans fat oil ban, one of the only remaining sources of trans fat is in the meat itself. “Trans fats naturally exist in small amounts in the fat in meat and milk,” as I’ve discussed before in my video Trans Fat in Meat and Dairy. Before the trans fat ban, animal products only provided about one fifth of America’s trans fat intake, but since the U.S. trans fat ban exempts animal products, they will soon take over as the leading source. As you can see at 2:09 in Banning Trans Fat in Processed Foods but Not Animal Fat, now that added trans fats are banned in Denmark, for example, the only real trans fat exposure left is from animal products found in the U.S. dairy, beef, chicken fat, turkey meat, lunch meat, and hot dogs, with trace amounts in vegetable oils due to the refining process. The question is: Are animal trans fats as bad as processed food trans fats? As you can see at 2:38 in my video, a compilation of randomized interventional trials found that they both make bad cholesterol go up and they both make good cholesterol go down. So, both animal trans fats and processed food trans fats make the ratio of bad to good cholesterol go up—which is bad. Therefore, all trans fats cause negative effects “irrespective of their origin.” The researchers suspect that also removing natural trans fats from the diet could prevent tens of thousands of heart attacks, but unlike processed foods, you can’t remove trans fats from milk and meat because trans fats are there naturally. The livestock industry suggests that a little bit of their trans fats might not be too bad, but you saw the same everything-in-moderation argument coming from the Institute of Shortening and Edible Oils after industrial trans fats were first exposed as a threat. The bottom line is “that intake of all sources of trans fat should be minimized.” The trans fat in processed foods can be banned, and just adhering to the current dietary guidelines to restrict saturated fat intake, which is primarily found in meat and dairy, would automatically cut trans fat intake from animal fats. The reason no progress may have been made on animal trans fat reduction in Denmark is because The Danish Nutrition Council that pushed for the trans fat ban was a joint initiative of The Danish Medical Association and The Danish Dairy Board. They recognized that “the economic support from The Danish Dairy Council could be perceived as problematic” from a scientific integrity point of view, but, not to worry—“The Danish Medical Association expanded the Executive Board and the funding members to also include the Danish pork industry, the Danish meat industry, The Poultry and Egg Council and The Danish Margarine Industry Association.” If people want to eat trans fat, isn’t that their right? Yes, but only if they’re informed about the risks—yet The Food Industry Wants the Public Confused About Nutrition. For more on the industry pushback, see my video Controversy Over the Trans Fat Ban. There does not appear to be a safe level of exposure to trans fat—or to saturated fat or dietary cholesterol, for that matter. See Trans Fat, Saturated Fat, and Cholesterol: Tolerable Upper Intake of Zero. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Greger click here.

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