The favourite cause of heart disease is a high-fat diet. While that certainly does not help, it is becoming increasingly clear that the real issue is due to our modern diet, more specifically, anything that comes in a box with a long shelf life.
John Mansfield, in his book The Six Secrets of Successful Weight Loss, has noted that until the mid-19th century there was little obesity, diabetes or coronary artery disease (CAD).
The first recorded case of CAD was in 1912. So we have to ask what has changed since that time. During the 1950s, the introduction of refined carbohydrates, including refined sugars, white flour and white rice, followed by the introduction of fake fats such as margarine, changed our lives.
Mansfield tells us: “In the 60-year period from 1910 to 1970, the proportion of traditional animal fat in the American diet decreased, butter consumption decreased, while the percentage of dietary vegetable oil in the form of margarine, shortening and refined oils increased by 400 per cent. In addition, the consumption of sugar and processed foods increased by 60 per cent.”
Processed meats have been linked to heart failure, particularly in men
However, there are also nine risk factors for heart disease that are either completely unappreciated by modern medicine or still misunderstood. Here they are:
1. The role of stress – A major international investigation, the Interheart study, discovered that ‘psychosocial factors’ such as persistent, severe stress, can increase the risk of heart attack by two-and-a-half times. Chronic stress involves being constantly on fight or flight alert. This increases insulin production to provide energy for the response and also causes the body to crave high glycaemic index foods, which are quickly converted into sugar, for instant energy.
As Marilyn Grenville wrote in her book, Fat Around the Middle, fatty or sugary foods eaten during bouts of stress usually end up deposited around the waistline.
This is because it is close to the liver, where it can most quickly be converted back onto energy if needed. Over time, too much sugar and too much deposited fat, also causes the body to become insensitive to insulin.
In his book, The Great Cholesterol Con: The Truth About What Really Causes Heart Disease and How to Avoid It, Malcolm Kendrick has listed the types of stress he believes cause heart disease. The main ones, in his view, are:
• Bullying bosses,
• Racism,
• Long-term money worries,
• Poor social networks and feeling ‘dislocated’ from others,
• An unloving or abusive partner.
2. Processed meats – New evidence has been pointing to preservatives in processed foods as another cause of high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries. Phosphates in foods, such as processed cheeses, and in cola drinks can stimulate the production of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23), a bone-derived hormone that controls sodium and calcium levels in the body. When FGF23 levels are high, the kidneys have to absorb more calcium, which leads to hardening or calcification of the arteries.
Processed meats have also been linked to heart failure, particularly in men. For every 50g of processed meat (a slice of ham) eaten every day – the risk of death due to heart failure rises by 38 per cent. Heavy eaters of processed meats are twice as likely to die of heart failure as men who eat small amounts of such meats infrequently.
3. Gum disease – Periodontal disease has been linked to atherosclerosis – hardening and narrowing of the arteries. A review of 31 published reports found an association between gum disease and atherosclerosis, heart attack and cardiovascular disease.
4. Low chromium – After studying thousands of patients over many years, UK nutritional pioneer Stephen Davies discovered that as patients age, their levels of chromium invariably fall. However, adequate amounts are needed for insulin receptors to work. At least 13 controlled trials have shown that increasing levels of chromium in the diet, or supplemented up to 10 times what is now the average in a standard diet, can reduce insulin resistance and normalise blood sugar levels.
5. Exercise – Lack of exercise degrades the body’s ability to regulate sugar. Boston-based researchers found that just a single bout of exercise increased the rate of glucose uptake by the working skeletal muscles. In fact, any exercise training can help correct insulin resistance by increasing glucose transport and to help prevent type 2 diabetes.
6. Homocysteine – This is an amino acid found at higher levels in patients who have suffered strokes or other heart conditions. Its pathological involvement was first identified in 1969.
7. Inflammation – Even conservative medical groups such as the American Heart Association are recognising the role of inflammation in heart disease, and several studies have confirmed this link. Inflammation is the body’s response to stress and infection.
In medical terms stress refers to any insult to the body including poor diet, environmental pollutants, tension, depression, feeling alone, isolated and helpless. One study found that the root of heart disease was a combination of cholesterol and the blood-clotting factor fibrinogen – a protein marker of increased inflammation.
8. Fake fats – Processed foods and low-fat foods are deficient in essential fatty acids and can cause an imbalance by lowering good HDL cholesterol, while increasing triglycerides – margarine being one of the most dangerous.
9. Sugar.
kathryn@maltanet.net