Top 5 Foods to Avoid for your Cardiovascular Health, and Just How Much Our Choices Influence Our Health

(Part Two):

Last week, we looked at the idea that what we eat can have a huge impact upon our risk of contracting coronary heart disease. In particular, we discussed foods high in sugar, salt and fat (the ‘SOS’ foods), along with meat. Today, We will look at 3 more foods that have been scientifically proven to raise the risk of heart disease. Additionally, we will look at exactly how much of a role genetics has to play when it comes to heart disease risk, and how much our lifestyle choices influence it.

1. Dairy:

Just like meat, we are constantly told that dairy is needed for a healthy diet. It is essential for calcium which is required for bone health, and we shouldn’t be without it. Yet, just what effect does dairy have on cardiovascular health, according to science?

Dairy, even organic, is a significant source of female hormones such as oestogen and progesterone. This is even the case for organic or ‘no added hormones’ dairy products. This is because these hormones are naturally produced by cows, even if the cows have not been fed any additional hormones. Aside from the effects on cardiovascular health, this can have other impacts on health. This ranges from the development of cancers to early sexual maturation in pre-pubescent children.

Dairy products contain high levels of saturated fat. This can raise LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, thus increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

2. Eggs:

Eggs seems to be one of those foods that we are told one day is good for us and the next day is harmful. Yet, there is plenty of convincing science to indicate that we should steer clear of them if we want to lower our chances of cardiovascular disease.

A 2019 study found that there was a ‘clear dose response’ between egg consumption and cardiovascular disease[i]. The study found that for every half an egg consumed per day, there was a 6 percent increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and an 8 percent increased risk of death during the duration of the study. This risk was even greater for women, for whom these same incidents were 13 percent and 16 percent, respectively.

Eggs are high in cholesterol—one egg contains around 186mg. The aforementioned study found that for each additional 300mg of dietary cholesterol a person consumed, there was a 17 percent increased risk of cardiovascular disease, which included a 14 percent risk of heart failure and a 26 percent increased risk of stroke.

3. Highly Processed Foods:

We all know that processed foods are bad for our health for a range of reasons, but cardiovascular disease is one of them. A 2019 British Medical Journal study[ii] which included over 100,000 people found that a higher consumption of highly processed foods was linked with an increased risk of cardiovascular, coronary heart and cerebrovascular diseases. According to the results of the study, for every 10 percent increase in the amount of highly processed foods consumed, there was a 12 percent increased risk of a serious cardiovascular event.

4. Just how much can we influence our chance of heart disease?

The INTERHEART study, published in the Lancet Journal[iii], examined the risk factors for myocardial infarction in 52 populations around the world. The study discovered that there were nine risk factors that accounted for more than 90 percent of the population-attributable risk of myocardial infarction. These 9 risk factors were smoking status, total blood cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, diet, physical activity, alcohol consumption and psychosocial factors. Of these, total blood cholesterol, cigarette smoking and high blood pressure were the most crucial factors in determining cardiovascular disease risk.[iv]

This is not the only study with similar results. The Nurses’ Health Study showed almost the same results—92 percent of heart attacks can be prevented through adopting healthy lifestyle habits[v].

It’s staggering when you really think about it, that almost every case of heart disease could be prevented, simply by people taking better care of themselves. The role that genetics has to play on our likelihood of getting heart disease is miniscule when compared to that of our lifestyle choices.

REFERENCES:

[i] https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2728487

[ii] https://www.bmj.com/content/365/bmj.l1451

[iii] https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(05)17690-9/fulltext

[iv] Yusaf S, Hawken S, Ounpuu S, et al. INTERHEART Study Investigators.

Effect of potentially modifiable risk factors associated with myocardial

infarction in 52 countries (the INTERHEART study): case-control study.

Lancet. 2004;364(9438):937–52

[v] Chomistek AK, Chiuve SE, Eliassen AH, et al. Healthy lifestyle in the

primordial prevention of cardiovascular disease among young women. J Am

Coll Cardiol. 2015;65:43–51.

Top 5 Foods to Avoid for your Cardiovascular Health, and Just How Much Our Choices Influence Our Health (Part Two):