The main cause of death in the world is heart disease. Coronary heart disease and stroke both have a number of risk factors. Some risk variables, including age and family history, are immutable and uncontrollable. But other risk factors, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, being overweight, eating poorly, etc., can be reduced or controlled with medicine or by altering one’s lifestyle.
You might wish to eliminate these foods from your diet if you want to keep your cardiovascular system in good health for years to come.
According to Medicalnewstoday, the following foods can slowly damage your heart over time.
1. Processed foods.
Saturated fat levels are high in processed and cured meats. These goods have significant salt level despite having minimal fat content.
The American Heart Association states that six thin slices of processed meat may contain half of the daily amount of salt.
According to Healthline, consuming more processed meat, unprocessed red meat, or fowl increases your chance of developing coronary heart disease, heart failure, stroke, and dying from heart and circulatory illness.
2. Fried foods.
Regular eating of fried food has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease. This is because fried meals have high levels of saturated and trans fats, which encourage the formation of arterial plaque and consequently raise the risk of heart failure, heart attack, stroke, and coronary artery disease.
Consuming fried meals raises the risk of both coronary heart disease and heart failure by 22% and 37%, respectively.
3. Salty Foods.
Chloride and sodium combine to form salt. Hypertension can develop as a result of high salt diets. A significant risk factor for cardiac disorders is high blood pressure. It’s important to keep an eye on the amount of salt in the foods you eat to prevent problems.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a daily salt intake of 5 g, while recent figures show that India consumes about 11 g of salt per day.
4. Sugary Foods.
Inflammation can be brought on by sugar all over the body. Chronic inflammation might result from consuming a lot of sugar. This may put stress on the heart and blood arteries, increasing the risk of heart disease.
Insulin levels rise as a result of sugar ingestion, which then triggers the sympathetic nervous system. The heart rate and blood pressure increase as a result.
According to decades’ worth of studies, saturated fat is regarded to be better for the heart than sugar.
5. Foods high in saturated fats.
The American Heart Association advises sticking to a diet with only 5–6% of calories coming from saturated fat.
Regular consumption of saturated fats can increase blood levels of (Low-Density Lipoprotein) LDL cholesterol. An increased risk of heart disease and stroke is linked to high LDL cholesterol levels.
6. Foods high in trans fat.
Consuming trans fats raises LDL cholesterol while lowering HDL cholesterol. Cholesterol accumulation in the arteries can result from high LDL and low HDL levels together. Heart disease and stroke risk are raised as a result.
