Posted on 21 December 2009 - 07:02pm
Certain fruits and vegetables can help control the onset of Atherosclerosis and reduce risk from cardiovascular death
Atherosclerosis results when the walls of your arteries are hardened due to the accumulation of plaque, thus restricting blood flow to your organs and tissues.
Atherosclerosis can develop into various complications, including coronary artery disease that can cause chest pain (angina) or heart attack.
More than 100 controllable risk factors are believed to contribute to atherosclerosis, considered the most serious of chronic health disorders. Genetics, hypercholesterolemia, dietary and lifestyle habits are just a few issues being implicated.
I reversed my own atherosclerosis some 10 years ago using only nutritional and lifestyle means. However, it is beyond the scope of this column to discuss the mechanics of controlling and reversing this major metabolic disorder.
It is best to seek the help of nutritional therapists to assist you in making the necessary changes to your eating habits.
According to the UK Nutritional Therapy Council (2006), "nutritional therapists work with clients with chronic health problems and provide advice on prevention and control. These protocols (treatments) can impact on hormonal, neurological and immune functions … and assist in the recovery from many ill-health situations".
You are advised to seek professional assistance from duly qualified and competent nutritional therapists registered with the Traditional & Complementary Medicine Division, Ministry of Health.
Heart patients suffering from chest pain, dizziness, numbness, breathlessness, or any acute attack must seek immediate help from the nearest hospital equipped to treat these conditions.
It is emphasised that nutritional therapy treats only chronic conditions associated with atherosclerosis.
Fruits & vegetables
Fruits with high fructose content are not recommended although the glycaemic index for fruit sugar is low compared to refined sugars such as glucose, maltose and dextrose.
Anti-ageing studies show that fructose strongly promotes insulin resistance, which is a pre-diabetic condition. The majority of diabetic patients in this country are likely to die from heart attack or stroke.
Berries and citrus fruits consumption reduces risk from cardiovascular death by between 27% and 33% (Trichopoulou et al, 2005), and from sudden cardiac death by 41% (Rissanen et al, 2003).
As for imported fruits and vegetables in general, a Finnish study showed that men with the highest intake had 34% lower risk of death compared to those with low intake.
It is unclear from any major study how local high-fructose fruits might benefit those already suffering from heart disease.
Local fruits and vegetables recommended as part of nutritional therapy include guava, banana, cucumber, bitter gourd, and not-too-ripe papaya and pineapple.
All berries are healthful, but beware of sprayed pesticides and chemicals which can generate lots of free radicals which damage arterial wall.
As we age, our ability to produce glutathione is greatly reduced. Consequently, the same ‘offending’ food can inflict vastly different degrees of damage on different individuals depending on the person’s age, health status, dietary and lifestyle habits.
Adults with high dietary intake of vitamin C and beta carotene enjoy some 30% lower risk of heart disease and overall mortality (Pandey et al, 1995).
Guava is probably the richest source of vitamin C among local fruits. Pumpkins, carrot and local sweet potatoes are excellent sources of both alpha- and beta-carotene.
Patients with heart disease have a significantly lower total antioxidant status compared to healthy individuals (Nojiri et al, 2001). Oxidative stress is a major promoter of atherosclerosis and other ageing diseases.
Root vegetables such as sengkuang, and tapioca leaves and tomato are rich in potassium. Severe depletion (hypokalemia) of this mineral is linked to increased risk of sudden death and stroke.
Studies show that potassium reduces the number of cardiac events and mortality after a heart attack (Singh et al, 1996). However, in excess it can cause arrhythmia and muscle weakness.
Dark green leafy vegetables rich in folate help lower elevated serum homocysteine, which carries a higher risk of atherosclerosis than bad LDL cholesterol.
http://www.thesundaily.my/node/147969
