Fruit and Fiber for Heart Health.
February, the month of hearts and love. When it comes
to a healthy heart, how much love do you have for your heart? Did
you know that coronary heart disease is the No 1 cause of premature
death throughout the developed world? Because of this shocking statistic
research continues on how to prevent heart disease. We know pretty
well what we are doing wrong; stress, smoking, too little exercise
and too much processed food. So what can we do right?
Current research has identified some very powerful compounds in fruit,
as well as establishing fiber as an impressive contributor to cardiovascular
health. With these two heart-healthy additions you can easily give
your heart a break, not a breakdown.
Fabulous Fiber
A number of studies have found a connection between dietary fiber
intake and the reduction of heart disease. In a current study, researchers
from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
focused on the relationship of total and soluble dietary fiber intake
and the risk of coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease.
They reported that those who consumed the lowest amount
of fiber (about six grams) were at a greater risk of having a heart
problem compared to those who ate the most fiber (about 21 grams).
Specifically researchers reported a 12-percent lower risk of coronary
heart disease and an 11-percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease
for people who eat more than 22 grams of fiber a day. Researchers
also found that those who consumed water-soluble fiber had a decreased
risk of heart problems. According to the research, the consumption
of dietary fiber is key in reducing the risk of future heart problems.
Study authors say this study supports the existing American Heart
Association recommendation to increase dietary fiber intake from foods
to approximately 25 to 30 grams a day in order to reduce the risk
of coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease.
A combination of fiber counts.
There are two important types of fiber, water-soluble and water insoluble.
As soluble and insoluble fibers have a proven ability to lower cholesterol
and serum triglycerides. The combination of soluble and insoluble
fibers work in the intestinal tract: By binding fats taken in during
a meal and by "pulling" cholesterol, especially LDL-Cholesterol,
from the circulatory system into the bowel. These two functions lower
blood cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and serum triglyceride levels simultaneously.
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The Beauty of Berries.
Berries are a forgotten source of many potentially beneficial components-while
being low in calories and fat they are packed full of fiber, vitamin
C, and many flavonoids and other phenolic compounds with high antioxidant
values. Berries contain more disease-fighting, age-proofing antioxidants
than practically any other fruit or vegetable, even powerhouses such
as kale, broccoli, and oranges. In fact, berries (specifically blueberries)
were at the top of the list of 40 fruits and vegetables tested for
their antioxidant potential. The group of substances that put the
"blue" in blueberry--anthocyanins--are probably responsible
for much of the fruit's antioxidant power. Blueberries (like other
berries such as blackberries) also contain ellagic acid, which has
been shown to have anti-cancer properties. Berries also boast a high
fiber content; and much of that fiber is pectin, a soluble fiber that
helps lower cholesterol levels.
Berry Benefits
Berries may help prevent heart disease and control high blood pressure.
Antioxidants in the berries halt the oxidation of LDL ("bad")
cholesterol. This is beneficial because once LDL is oxidized it can
become trapped in the artery walls, damaging the lining of the artery
and leading to the accumulation of fatty deposits called plaque. Eventually,
plaque can build up so much that it narrows the space within the artery.
Blood clots may form on the plaque and completely block the flow of
blood. In a coronary artery, this will cause a heart attack. In an
artery within the brain, the result is a stroke.
The antioxidants phenolic compounds in berries affect plaque build
up by preventing oxidation of LDL cholesterol. By scouring out the
free-radical molecules that can cause oxidative damage (to LDL or
"bad" cholesterol, specifically), antioxidants help your
blood vessels stay flexible and able to dilate, which in turn helps
keep your blood pressure from worsening. In a recent study berries
inhibited the oxidation of LDL in the invitro studies by 55-84 percent.
Cranberries were shown to decrease total cholesterol and LDL or "bad"
cholesterol levels in a recent study conducted by the University of
Wisconsin-Madison. "Our study found that feeding cranberry juice
powder to animals with high cholesterol decreased total cholesterol
and LDL cholesterol by 22 percent," says Jess Reed, Ph.D.
It's the oxidation of LDL that triggers the beginning of plaque formation
in the arteries, and it is now recognized that if you prevent this
process, you also delay the onset of arteriosclerosis.
Quercetin- A plant pigment with an antioxidant punch.
Researchers in Finland have discovered that eating berries such as
cranberries and blueberries translated into higher blood levels of
a powerful antioxidant flavonoid called quercetin. It is one of the
most potent dietary antioxidants, according to lab research, and most
studies performed so far indicate that it may protect against cardiovascular
diseases.
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Kids need to be protected too.
Prevention of heart and blood vessel disease needs to begin at an
early age. Atherosclerosis, or fatty deposits in the walls of the
blood vessels, was shown in otherwise healthy young soldiers killed
in battle in the Korean War. More recently, an autopsy study of 1,079
men and women who died between the ages of 15 and 34 showed fatty
deposits and lesions in those with high levels of blood cholesterol.
Eating habits that develop early can be difficult to change. Therefore,
a preventive diet is recommended for all healthy children over the
age of two years.
Diet for prevention…
The present standards for treating and preventing cardiovascular diseases
including heart disease, stroke, peripheral vascular diseases and
diabetic peripheral vascular disease all suggest that fruit (particularly
berries) and fiber be increased in the diet. More and more physicians
are recommending to their patients that they change their diet in
the following ways:
1. Decrease daily dietary fat intake, especially saturated fat.
2. Decrease animal meats and animal fat intake.
3. Reduce daily intake of salt.
4. Reduce and limit use of refined sugar.
5. Increase daily fiber intake.
6. Increased daily intake of complex carbohydrate in the diet.
