Heart disease is reversible

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“Heart disease is the number one reason we and most of our loved ones will die,” says Dr. Michael Greger, an internationally renowned physician, author, speaker, and founder of the nonprofit, science-based website NutritionFacts.org.

Let’s get closer to home. According to the World Health Organization, the leading cause of death in the Philippines remains to be heart disease. Specifically, Ischemic heart disease. It is also known as coronary artery disease. A condition that is characterized by a damaged heart due to lack of oxygen and blood supply as a result of narrowed or blocked arteries also called blood vessels caused by the buildup of atherosclerotic plaque. 

There is a reason why LDL or low density lipoprotein is called bad cholesterol. It carries cholesterol that the body naturally produces plus the cholesterol from the food that we eat to be deposited in the arteries. After some time, these arteries become narrower or worse, get clogged with cholesterol deposits causing coronary artery disease.

Coronary artery disease begins in childhood. I have had patients as young as eight years old who have elevated lipid profiles (high cholesterol and triglycerides) and high blood pressure. This is not surprising given the type of diet and food that we have nowadays. We live in an obesogenic society. One that favors us to gain body fat. Thus, increasing not only our weight but also the risk of coronary artery disease.

A study on fatty streak formation in the human fetal aorta was conducted by C Napoli and colleagues in 1997. Their research concluded that fatty streak formation occurs during development of fetus and is greatly enhanced by the mother’s elevated cholesterol level. Simply put, if the pregnant mother has a high cholesterol level, the baby’s arteries also begin to develop fatty deposits. 

What contributes to high cholesterol? Don’t rush into blaming your genes. Because even if you are genetically producing more cholesterol than others, it is mainly what you eat or don’t eat that greatly impacts your cholesterol level in addition to your physical activity and sleeping pattern.

“It’s up to each of us to make our own decisions as to what to eat and how to live, but shouldn’t we try to make these choices consciously by educating ourselves about the predictable consequences of our actions? Just as we could avoid sugary foods that rot our teeth, we can avoid the trans fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol-laden foods that clog up our arteries,” mentions Dr. Greger.

If you want to lower your LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, then you have to avoid or significantly reduce your consumption of junk food, meat, and dairy products. Trans fats, cholesterol, and saturated fats are also abundant in processed food. These include ultra-processed snacks, canned food, baked products, ice cream, and other treats. 

“The number one risk factor for our number one killer – all stem from eating animal products and processed junk. This likely explains why populations living on traditional diets revolving around whole plant foods have largely remained free from the epidemic of heart disease,” explains Dr. Greger.

A review of the significant findings of different studies on plant-based diet and its effect on cardiovascular disease was conducted by Salman Salehin and colleagues a year ago. Based on the studies, a plant-based diet has been associated with improvements in cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. 

As a dietitian, I would like to emphasize on wholesome plant food sources. After all, French fries and potato chips are technically sourced from potatoes, a plant food. Unfortunately, these aren’t wholesome because the potatoes have been cooked in so much unhealthy fat from oil. Thus, decreasing its nutritional value.

What is it about wholesome plant food that can prevent and even reverse heart disease? Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds contain fiber that can bind with cholesterol and fat to flush it out of our bodies. Moreover, plant foods contain phytochemicals or plant chemicals that can quell low-grade systemic inflammation caused by consuming processed sugars like candies, sweets, high fructose corn syrup found in beverages and other processed food like cereals; refined carbohydrates like crackers, cookies, cakes, and white bread; and saturated fat that’s high in animal-based products like milk, cheese, egg, and meats.

When we eat meat and dairy, bacteria in our gut produce molecules called TMAO or Trimethylamine oxide. High levels of TMAO in the blood could predict an increase in the risk of heart attack, stroke, and even death. Studies have shown that vegetarians and vegans produce less TMAO compared to meat eaters. TMAO causes inflammation that damages cells and eventually organs. 

Whether you have a heart disease or wish to prevent it, reflect on the amount of fresh produce that you eat. Do you get to consume at least one and a half cups of cooked veggies and two servings of fruits per day? This amount is the minimum that experts recommend. In addition, you can also add functional food to your diet. These are food that have benefits beyond basic nutrition. Some heart friendly plant food sources are green and black tea, hawthorn, berries, oats, psyllium husk, soy, Brazil nuts, chia seeds, pure cocoa, or dark chocolate. Berries may be expensive and not readily available in the country. You can consume freeze-dried, frozen, or tea made from berries for convenience.

It is best to consult a registered nutritionist dietitian to ensure that you will be properly nourished when going on a wholesome predominantly plant-based diet that will benefit not only your heart health but overall wellbeing.

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