Atherosclerosis
The right diet is the key to managing many diseases and to improving general quality of life. For this condition, scientific research has found benefit in the following healthy eating tips.
High-Fiber Diet
Eating foods high in fiber, especially oats, psyllium seeds, fruit, and beans, may lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.High-Fiber DietA systematic review of 20 years of research evaluated the association between dietary fiber and coronary heart disease.18 The meta-analysis portion of this review showed that whole grain foods are associated with a coronary heart disease risk reduction of about 26%. In general, the fibers most linked to the reduction of cholesterol levels are found in oats, psyllium seeds, fruit (pectin) and beans (guar gum).19 An analysis of many soluble fiber trials proves that a cholesterol-lowering effect exists, but the amount the cholesterol falls is quite modest.19 For unknown reasons, however, diets higher in insoluble fiber (found in whole grains and vegetables and mostly unrelated to cholesterol levels) have been reported to correlate better with protection against heart disease in both men and women.21,22 Some trials have used 20 grams of additional fiber per day for several months to successfully lower cholesterol.23
Low-Salt Diet
Eating low or moderate amounts of salt may help reduce your risk of heart disease.Low-Salt DietPreliminary evidence has suggested that excessive salt consumption is a risk factor for heart disease and death from heart disease in overweight people.23 Controlled trials are needed to confirm these observations.
Alpha Lipoic Acid
People who eat diets high in alpha-linolenic acid—found in canola oil and flaxseed products—have high blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which may protect against atherosclerosis.Alpha Lipoic AcidPeople who eat diets high in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is found in canola oil and flaxseed products, have higher blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids than those consuming lower amounts,24,25 which may confer some protection against atherosclerosis. In 1994, researchers conducted a study in people with a history of heart disease, using what they called the “Mediterranean” diet.26 The diet differed significantly from what people from Mediterranean countries actually eat, in that it contained little olive oil. Instead, the diet included a special margarine high in ALA. Those people assigned to the Mediterranean diet had a remarkable 70% reduced risk of dying from heart disease compared with the control group during the first 27 months. Similar results were also confirmed after almost four years.27 The diet was high in beans and peas, fish, fruit, vegetables, bread, and cereals, and low in meat, dairy fat, and eggs. Although the authors believe that the high ALA content of the diet was partly responsible for the surprising outcome, other aspects of the diet may have been partly or even totally responsible for decreased death rates. Therefore, the success of the Mediterranean diet does not prove that ALA protects against heart disease.28
Complex Carbohydrates
Choose whole grains whenever possible as a diet high in refined carbs, such as white flour, white rice, and simple sugars, appears to increase the risk of coronary heart disease, especially in overweight women.Complex CarbohydratesEating a diet high in refined carbohydrates (e.g., white flour, white rice, simple sugars) appears to increase the risk of coronary heart disease, and thus of heart attacks, especially in overweight women.29 However, controlled trials of reducing refined carbohydrate intake to prevent heart disease have not been attempted to confirm these preliminary findings.
Low-Fat
The most important dietary changes in protecting arteries from atherosclerosis include choosing alternatives to meat and dairy, and eating foods without trans fats.Low-FatThe most important dietary changes in protecting arteries from atherosclerosis include avoiding meat and dairy fat and avoiding foods that contain trans fatty acids (many margarines, some vegetable oils, and many processed foods containing vegetable oils). Increasingly, the importance of avoiding trans fatty acids is being accepted by the scientific community.30 Leading researchers have recently begun to view the evidence linking trans fatty acids to markers for heart disease as “unequivocal.”31
Vegetarian
A pure vegetarian diet (no meat, poultry, dairy or eggs), combined with exercise and stress reduction, has been shown to decrease atherosclerosis.VegetarianIndependent of their action on serum cholesterol, foods that contain high amounts of cholesterol—mostly egg yolks—can induce atherosclerosis.32 It makes sense to reduce the intake of egg yolks. However, eating eggs does not increase serum cholesterol as much as eating saturated fat, and eggs may not increase serum cholesterol at all if the overall diet is low in fat. A decrease in atherosclerosis resulting from a pure vegetarian diet (no meat, poultry, dairy or eggs), combined with exercise and stress reduction, has been proven by controlled medical research.33
High-Omega-6
Eating omega-6 fatty acids, found in corn, safflower, grapeseed, and sunflower oils, and in foods such as nuts and seeds, appears to protect against atherosclerosis and is associated with reduced heart disease risk.
High-Omega-6A diet high in omega-6 fatty acids, found in certain vegetable oils such as corn, safflower, grapeseed, and sunflower oil, and in other foods such as nuts and seeds, appears to protect against atherosclerosis. Higher dietary intake or high body levels of omega-6 fatty acids has been associated with reduced coronary heart disease risk in numerous preliminary studies,34 and an analysis of several controlled trials found that replacing saturated fats in the diet with omega-6 fats reduces the risk of coronary heart disease by an average of 24%.35