Fiber to the Rescue

In the Western Hemisphere, especially in the United States, cardiovascular disease (CVD) rates continue to increase. It is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, along with cancer, which together make up 51 percent of all deaths, according to the 2009 Wellness Reports from the University of California at Berkeley.

The occurrence of this disease is partly attributable to unhealthy lifestyle patterns and diets that are high in saturated fat and sugar and are low in fruit, vegetables and fiber.

Studies Favor Fiber

Clinical trials, which evaluate the effectiveness of specific treatments for an identified medical condition, have proven that dietary habits affect multiple cardiovascular risk factors in both established risk factors (blood pressure, cholesterol levels and obesity) and new ones (inflammation), according to the American Heart Association.

In one meta-analysis, a healthy eating pattern was shown to reduce the risk of coronary death or nonfatal myocardial infarction (heart attack) when it was compared to an unhealthy eating pattern among men and women (mean age of 50) at the time of their dietary assessment, according to the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,” which often provides updates on the long-term effects of dietary patterns and the risk of coronary heart disease. A meta-analysis pools together the results of studies that have investigated a specific effect and develops a conclusion using the reviewed results.

Cohort studies, which follow a large number of people over a specific time period, have found a “consistent protective effect of dietary fiber on CVD outcomes,” according to “Cardiovascular Research,” a medical journal.

In fact, the “American Journal of Clinical Nutrition” reported that recent research in a national sample, conducted in the United States, has discovered a positive relationship between dietary fiber intake and inflammatory markers. Inflammation of the heart’s arteries, tissues or muscles can result in CVD.

Furthermore, a cross-sectional study, which determines whether any risk factors are present and can be associated with the development of a particular disease, analyzed the connection between dietary fiber intake and CVD risk factors in adult men and women. It concluded that those with the highest total dietary fiber intakes were associated with having a much lower risk of high blood pressure, which can foster CVD.

Watch What You Eat

Thirty-five grams of fiber is the recommended daily amount for men (25 grams for women).

Here are some fruits and vegetables that contain the most dietary fiber:

• Apples
• Bananas
• Oranges
• Spinach
• Artichokes
• Broccoli

In addition, saturated fat should be avoided and substituted with monounsaturated fat or polyunsaturated fat if possible. Saturated fat is found mostly in animal sources like red meat and whole milk dairy products. Fried foods, such as most fast foods, are cooked in oil that contains unhealthy trans fat; overweight people have more fat in their blood. These fats enter the bloodstream, form clumps and leave plaque on artery walls, which makes them narrower. High blood pressure and blood clots can result from this. Saturated fat also raises the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol that increases a person’s risk of coronary heart disease.

The article that focuses on the updated American Heart Association guidelines for cardiovascular health, Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter, advised people to limit their saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of their total calories, which is down from the suggested 10 percent in 2000.

Sugar has negative effects on the body, and the amount a person consumes in a daily diet should be restricted. Helpguide.org, a non-profit Web site, reported that in a year, just one daily 12-ounce can of soda, which is equal to 160 calories, can increase a person’s weight by 16 pounds; obesity is a risk factor for many different kinds of heart problems. Sugar, a carbohydrate, also fills the body with empty calories that lack essential vitamins and nutrients.