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Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in developed countries. – We have no influence on genetic conditions, but on the diet that helps to prevent them, yes – says professor Elżbieta Poniewierka, gastoenterologist at the Medical University in Wrocław. And advises on how to eat.
– If we wanted to approach this problem correctly, we would have to pay attention to the diet from the earliest years of life, and even from prenatal life. Because how the mother behaves during pregnancy has an impact on what a specific person will suffer from as an adult – explains professor Elżbieta Poniewierka. – That is why nutritional prophylaxis among children is so important in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. So we fight to limit the amount of sweets children eat, and we insist that they eat more vegetables and fruits. Because childhood obesity is an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases in the future, he adds.
What we have influence on
We can prevent, for example, type XNUMX diabetes. – If there are people suffering from diabetes in the family, their relatives are at risk of the disease. Knowing that, you should take care not to be overweight and exercise regularly. A great diet will not help if we do not move at the same time – says the professor.
We also have an influence on whether we will suffer from hypertension in the future, especially when it is known that there have been such cases in the family. – High salt diets affect high blood pressure. And this knowledge allows you to reduce the risk of developing hypertension, but also allows a person who already has hypertension, by modifying his diet, can cause the blood pressure to normalize, thanks to which the use of drugs can be limited or even discontinued – explains Professor Poniewierka . The same is true of obesity, which is related to the development of cardiovascular diseases.
How to eat and why vegetables
Prof. Elżbieta Poniewierka: – Standards of the so-called healthy eating and each of us really knows these standards. These are not very restrictive recommendations, but it is worth following them. We know that we should not eat the so-called saturated fats, which include in pork fat or bacon, but also in milk and cream. Harmful trans fats are found in hard margarines, and thus also in confectionery products, creams, etc.
Saturated fatty acids raise the levels of bad cholesterol (LDL), which builds up in the arteries and causes atherosclerosis, and is associated with heart attacks and strokes. Trans fats, which are a harmful type of fatty acids responsible for increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, work in a similar way.
– We must eat the right amount of fruit and vegetables. More or less, each of us should eat about 400 g of them a day, which is a little less than half a kilogram, which is a lot. Unfortunately, not many people eat like that – explains professor Elżbieta Poniewierka. Of course, our diet should contain more vegetables, because fruits contain simple sugars.
We should also eat fish at least 2-3 times a week. – Fish has good omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. We should eat fatty fish at least once a week. Unfortunately, we don’t. For years, I have been conducting classes in dietetics, I have read about 100 student papers on diet in various social groups and – unfortunately – this survey confirms that the consumption of fish in Poland, in the surveyed populations, is practically zero. We don’t eat, we don’t like it, we don’t have such a habit. In Poland, we eat fish only during Christmas. This is a mistake. – says the gastroenterologist.
However, according to the professor, a lot has changed for the better recently in the diet of Poles. We no longer overeat, we don’t eat as fat as we used to, we eat more poultry. – We use the Mediterranean diet more and more often, and it is the best in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases. And this already gives results, as can be seen in epidemiological studies – assures the professor.
What we are not allowed to
In the recommendations for the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, a lot of attention is paid to salting dishes. – Poles exceed the recommended salt intake three times. It should be eaten about 5 g a day, and we consume an average of 15 g of it. This is definitely too much, because salt promotes the development of hypertension – warns prof. Adversity. – If we add this to the fact that we eat processed foods, and they also contain a lot of salt, then we are on a straight path to high blood pressure and other chronic diseases associated with it. Therefore, limiting salt is very important – appeals the professor.
In order to prevent cardiovascular diseases, it is also necessary to limit the consumption of alcohol. – There is no saying that alcohol should be completely eliminated from the diet, but it should be limited. A small amount of alcohol, the so-called two units a day, have a preventive effect on the cardiovascular system. But we must remember that two units are a glass of wine – explains Professor Poniewierka. However, it is strictly forbidden to smoke.
We must also limit the consumption of simple sugars and sweets, because their excess is stored by the body in the form of fat. Elżbieta Poniewierka: – It doesn’t mean that you can’t eat candy or chocolates from time to time. We need simple sugars, preferably with the addition of fiber, which will make their absorption slower, and not to eat them excessively.
The professor adds that there is still an old belief in Poland that if someone looks good, he is healthy. – And that’s not true. A good-looking young man with a belly is the first candidate for cardiovascular disease. Fat accumulated in the abdominal cavity, i.e. visceral fat, it is conducive to these diseases.
Regular meals are essential
When applying the principles of healthy eating, a lot of attention should be paid to regular meals. – We should eat five meals a day, which is difficult with the busy lifestyle we lead – says the professor. – Eating, constantly throwing something into the stomach is very unfavorable – he adds.
The second, very important rule is not to overeat at night. Dinner should be less caloric and eaten a few hours before going to bed. The meals should be varied. They should contain proteins, carbohydrates and fats. – A portion of vegetables is required with each meal. All diets based on one product are inadvisable in the long run and cause significant health problems. Fortunately, no one can use these diets for too long, says the gastroenterologist. We should eat vegetables rather raw. – When cooked, they are easier to digest, faster absorbed, and vegetables also contain carbohydrates and this causes a glycemic disorder – he explains.
Coffee and eggs – we debunk the myths
Caffeine has a negative effect on blood vessels, more evident in men than in women. – The idea that a person with hypertension cannot drink coffee is an old idea. This negative effect on the dishes after many years of drinking coffee does not matter. After many years of drinking, coffee does not even raise the pressure in the way we imagine. Therefore, it is believed that people suffering, for example, from hypertension do not have to give up drinking coffee at all, explains Professor Elżbieta Poniewierka.
There are, of course, differences between filtered and unfiltered coffee. Unfiltered coffee increases cholesterol levels. – But we are talking about professional coffee machines with a filter, not such home-made paper filters – says the interviewee.
Eating eggs is a similar myth. Their increased consumption is not associated with a higher risk of coronary artery disease and stroke. Only people with diabetes may have higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease by consuming more eggs. In Scandinavia, studies were conducted in which the subjects ate two eggs a day and there was no increase in negative cholesterol levels, pressure or changes in epithelial function. While eggs are a source of cholesterol, they have the protein that has the highest biological value. However, it should be remembered that it is also the primary allergen. Eggs have all the important nutrients: protein, carbohydrates, fats, and fat-soluble vitamins.
Caution with vitamin supplementation
– Walnuts are extremely beneficial, as they contain omega-6 fatty acids and have a positive effect on the vascular endothelium. They can even be used by people who are slimming, despite the fact that they contain a lot of fats and energy. Basically all grains are beneficial. However, popular salted peanuts are not recommended because of the salt content. Salt improves the appetite and if someone likes to eat salty, he also likes to eat a lot. So it falls into a vicious circle – explains the gastroenterologist.
Prof. Elżbieta Poniewierka: – We think that vitamins are something healthy and can be used without restrictions. The importance of vitamins E, A and B in cardiovascular diseases has been investigated. Studies have not confirmed their beneficial effect in the prevention and treatment of these diseases. Any vitamin supplementation should not be used without checking that the body is lacking certain vitamins. In Poland, you should definitely supplement vitamin D, because we practically all have a deficiency. However, if we follow the above-mentioned dietary recommendations and eat 400 g of vegetables and fruit a day, we will provide the body with the necessary vitamins in the right amounts. Supplementation will not be needed.
Professor Elżbieta Poniewierka is a gastoenterologist at the Medical University of Wrocław, for eight years he has been organizing the “Nutrition, Health and Diseases” conference in the capital of Lower Silesia.