For years and years we have been told and we believed that heart disease resulted from an elevated blood cholesterol level, and that the only therapy that worked was to lower the cholesterol levels with statin medication, whilst severely restricting the intake of dietary fat. (low fat or no fat!)
In the US at present 25% of the population is taking statin medication, and despite the highly reduced fat content of American diets, 75 million Americans presently suffer with heart disease. These long established dietary recommendations have created epidemics of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and stroke, like never before.
A few years ago it was discovered that inflammation in the artery wall is the real cause of heart disease. Inflammation in the wall causes cholesterol to be trapped – without inflammation cholesterol would move freely in the blood stream, as it is used by all cells in the body and is vital for their function. Without inflammation, cholesterol would not be trapped in the walls of blood vessels, with no resultant heart disease and strokes.
Inflammation is the natural defence mechanism of the human body against a foreign invader, like a virus, bacteria or toxin. Acute inflammation is very protective in cases like this; however, chronic inflammation can be very detrimental and damaging to the body. The widely accepted recommendations for preventing heart disease, of lowering saturated fat in ones diet, while increasing the intake of polyunsaturated fats (high in omega 6) and carbohydrates, are the very things that have been injuring and driving chronic inflammation in the walls of our arteries.
Chronic inflammation is driven by the regular, high intake of simple, processed carbohydrates, like sugar, flour and all such products made from them, as well as the high intake of omega-6 vegetable oils, like sunflower, corn and soyabean oil, found in most processed foods.
How do these products cause chronic inflammation in the blood vessel wall? The repeated intake of refined carbohydrates and or sugar throughout the day results in regular spikes in your blood glucose level. Insulin is released with each spike, which allows cells to use of this glucose for energy, while also storing some of this glucose away as fat. Blood glucose levels are normally controlled within a very narrow range. However, these regular spikes in the blood glucose level allow of these glucose molecules to attach to proteins in the blood vessel wall, and this causes injury to the vessel wall. Repeated injury to the delicate blood vessel wall in this way leads to inflammation. A world renown heart surgeon, Dr Dwight Lundell, likens it to using sand paper on the inside of your beautiful smooth blood vessel walls.
The recommended increased intake of polyunsaturated fats to prevent heart disease further adds to this inflammation. All frying (chips, fries) and processed foods use plant oils, that are rich in omega 6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, with the result that a total imbalance has been created between the intake of the two essential fatty acids, omega 3 and omega 6. The high intake of omega 6 results in cells producing chemicals (hormones) that directly stimulate inflammation.
In addition, the extra weight you are carrying, particularly in the abdominal area, adds more oil to the fire of inflammation. Fat cells also produce pro-inflammatory chemicals, that drive this inflammation and cause injury to blood vessel walls. The more frequent the sugar spikes, the more weight we carry.
The more ready-made, processed and fast foods we consume, the more we drive this process of inflammation. Such foods contain high levels of sugar and/or omega 6 fats to ensure a good shelf life.
Eliminate inflammatory foods from your grocery cart, and buy more fresh, natural and unprocessed food. Choose complex carbohydrates, like colorful vegetables and fruit. Cut down or eliminate the use of oils, high in omega 6 – like sunflower, corn or soya bean oil, or any processed foods made with them. Animal fats contain much less omega 6, and are far less likely to cause inflammation, than the so called “healthy polyunsaturated oils”. Use extra virgin olive oil or butter instead.
HEALTH INSIGHT
MARCH 2017