What are the foods to avoid as much as possible if you want to protect heart health? Pay particular attention to foods of animal origin rich in saturated fats, which contribute to the formation of plaques capable of obstructing the arteries and seriously endangering the correct functioning of the circulatory system and the heart, contributing to an increased risk of to serious pathologies, such as heart attack and stroke. Among the foods under indictment, there are also fast food foods, ready meals and foods rich in dairy products, as well as carbonated drinks.
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What are the foods to avoid as much as possible if you want protect heart health? Pay particular attention to foods of animal origin rich in saturated fats, which contribute to the formation of plaques capable of obstructing the arteries and seriously endangering the correct functioning of the circulatory system and the heart, contributing to an increased risk of suffering serious diseases, such as heart attack and stroke. Among the foods under indictment, there are fast food foods, i ready meals and foods rich in dairy products, as well as sodas.
Index
Sausage and hot dog
Frankfurters, hot dog, hamburger e preserved meats they are generally considered as a real attack on the health of the heart and our body, due to their high content of sodium, additives and preservatives, which include nitrates and nitrites. Industrial processes reduce the nutritional value of similar products and their high content of saturated fats of animal origin it is considered a risk factor for the heart and circulation.
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Red meat
Red meat is rich in saturated fat and should be eliminated from one's diet, if not at least drastically limited. Cynthia Thalk, a Los Angeles-based cardiologist, recommends cutting back on red meat or at least preferring those cuts of meat that have the least amount of saturated fat in order to protect heart health.
READ also: red meat serious health hazard
Pizza
A slice of pizza loaded with mozzarella and cheese can contain up to two thirds the amount of saturated fat which represents the limit of their daily intake. A slice of pizza too loaded with dairy products would therefore not be considered a panacea for heart health. Fortunately, they exist decidedly lighter variations of pizza; just pay a little attention to the choice of ingredients and perhaps prefer the homemade preparation of the same.
Salmon
Salmon, friend or foe of our heart? The question appears to be rather debated. Salmon is often recommended as one of the richest foods in omega 3, essential fatty acids believed to be beneficial for the heart. But the absorption of the omega 3 contained in the salmon would be hampered by the presence of saturated fat present both in this same food, and in general in a diet rich in products of animal origin. Omega 3s are not only present in fish. Regarding a safe daily intake of omega 3 in our diet, S.Scientific Organization of Vegetarian Nutrition recommends and considers the intake of two teaspoons of linseed oil per day.
Ready meals
In the name of convenience and saving time - but often not money - we tend to overestimate the quality of ready meals available at many supermarkets. They may unfortunately turn out to be so poorly healthy that can be compared to fast food. Whenever possible, it is a good idea to check the labels to make sure they do not contain excess saturated fat. Pay particular attention to the presence of dairy products and the type of sauce used as a condiment.
Dairy Products
Butter, cream, cheeses and condiments based on them, may have a saturated fat content higher than might be expected. All dairy products, including ice cream, milk, yogurt, butter and cheeses, sauces, sweets and creams that contain them, contribute significantly to raise the intake of fat and cholesterol through diet, increasing the risk of contracting chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases. More information on this, which also includes the correlation between dairy consumption and diseases such as cancer and osteoporosis, can be found at this address.
eggs
As for the correlation between consumption of eggs and cardiovascular disease, the focus should be on their high content of cholesterol and saturated fats. An egg is made up of 70% fat and most of it is made up of saturated fat. 100 grams of eggs can contain up to 371 milligrams of cholesterol, a substance that it would not be necessary to introduce in the diet, as the human body is able to produce cholesterol by itself.
Packaged margarine and baked goods
The croissants of the bar, the brioches and, in general, the packaged bakery products all contain trans fats or fats obtained from the hydrogenation processes of various vegetable oils (palm, rapeseed, etc. ..). THE trans fats are formed when, through industrial processes, liquid oils are transformed into solid type fatty substances, as occurs in the case of the production of margarine obtained through hydrogenation processes. The intake of trans fats raises LDL cholesterol levels and decreases the presence of "good" HDL cholesterol in the body, as reported by the American Heart Association. It would therefore be advisable to avoid them as much as possible, by carefully reading the labels of packaged food products.
READ also: Margarine without hydrogenated fats: is it still bad for your health?
9) Fried food and fast food food
Beware of fried foods consumed outside the home and in fast food restaurants. The prolonged reuse of the same oil for frying food causes the formation of saturated fats, among which the trans fats referred to in the previous point could be lurking. When it comes to fast food, the focus is on them high sodium and saturated fat content, substances that taken in excess are not very beneficial both for the heart and for our health in general.
10) Carbonated drinks
Thinking about the diseases affecting the cardiovascular system, with particular reference to arteriosclerosis, attention immediately turns to cholesterol and saturated fats. However, one should not forget it XNUMX/XNUMX cup sugar. In the opinion of the cardiologist Cynthia Thaik, the effects of the consumption of sugars and sugary drinks on obesity and insulin should be related to the onset of arteriosclerosis. Furthermore, the consumption of carbonated soft drinks has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease in both men that in the women.
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Marta Albè
