What’s fast food got to do with your heart?

“A double cheese burger, fries, and soda to go.” How many times do we repeat this phrase in a week? A month? A year?

But what has fast food got to do with Battling Heart and Stroke? A lot, actually. Because here we also tackle nutrition and diet and how they affect your heart and blood vessels.

We have heard it before. Fast food is not good for your health. But of course you would want proof! Specifics! What exactly happens when I gobble that burger and rinse it down with soda?

According to recent research article

“The highly processed, calorie-dense, nutrient-depleted diet favored in the current American culture frequently leads to exaggerated supraphysiological post-prandial spikes in blood glucose and lipids. This state, called post-prandial dysmetabolism, induces immediate oxidant stress, which increases in direct proportion to the increases in glucose and triglycerides after a meal”

In other words, Big Mac, Whopper or even pizza are high in calorie and low in nutrients. After eating these high popular meals, the sugar and fatty acid levels in our blood dramatically go up resulting in a state known as postprandial dysmetabolism. This state is characterized by our body`s inability to deal with the “sugar and fat rush”. The results are not-so-beneficial physiological changes that include oxidative stress, inflammation, and narrowing of the blood vessels. 

However,

“a diet high in minimally processed, high-fiber, plant-based foods …will markedly blunt the post-meal increase in glucose, triglycerides, and inflammation.”

Examples of such foodstuffs are vegetables and fruits, whole grains, legumes, and nuts. In addition,

“lean protein, vinegar, fish oil, tea, cinnamon, calorie restriction, weight loss, exercise, and low-dose to moderate-dose alcohol each positively impact post-prandial dysmetabolism.” 

The normal fast food fare is definitely not good for our hearts. And if you think that diet soda minimizes the adverse effect of such a diet, think again.

In contrast, traditional Okinawan and Mediterranean diets are said to be heart-friendly and can prevent inflammation and lower cardiovascular risks. These so-called anti-inflammatory diets are highly recommended for the prevention of coronary artery disease and diabetes. I will go into more detail about heart-healthy diets in future posts. A couple of easy-to-follow healthy recipes are also coming.

But before you go out there today, think seriously about your body and what fast food can do to your and your heart.

Are you ready to order?

Source:

O’Keefe JH, Gheewala NM, O’Keefe JO, 2008. Dietary Strategies for Improving Post-Prandial Glucose, Lipids, Inflammation, and Cardiovascular Health. J Am Coll Cardiol, 2008; 51:249-255, doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2007.10.016

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