As the saying goes, "food is the life", and a healthy lifestyle is very important to prevent cardiovascular diseases, and diet is a key part of it.
Recently, a paper published in the Chinese Journal of Circulation showed that among the various adverse dietary risk factors, the top three cardiovascular disease burdens are "salty, fine and red", that is, a high-sodium diet, a low-whole grain diet and a high-red meat diet.
"Life Times" combines research and invites experts to teach you to adjust your poor diet.
Experts interviewed
Liu Fang, Chief Physician of the Second Ward of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine of the Aviation General Hospital
The author of this article | Life Times reporter Tian Yuting
Poor diet increases the cardiovascular burden
Researchers from Dongzhimen Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine used the Global Burden of Disease Database 2019 (GBD 2019) to analyze the burden of 11 cardiovascular diseases (including ischemic heart disease, stroke, hypertensive heart disease, rheumatic heart disease, etc.) in people over 55 years old in mainland China.
Data shows that cardiovascular disease is associated with 13 risk factors for poor diet, including high sodium, low fruits, low whole grains, low fiber, low legumes, low vegetables, etc.
In 2019, the mortality rate from cardiovascular diseases attributed to risk factors for poor diet was 233.34 per 100,000, a decrease of almost 26% compared to 1990.
Among them, there was a significant decrease in the cardiovascular disease burden ranking associated with low-vegetable, low-fibre and low-fruit diets.
The diet tends to be reasonable
The researchers said that in the past 30 years, the overall decline in cardiovascular burden caused by bad Xi habits is mainly due to the rational diet of Chinese residents.
After 1990, the dietary structure of the mainland has undergone great changes, which is mainly reflected in the gradual increase in the intake of vegetables, fruits, nuts and meat, which has a positive impact on the health of the elderly.
Poor diet is more harmful to the elderly and men
The study also found that the burden of cardiovascular disease attributable to risk factors for poor diet was higher in older age groups and men, with mortality rates in the 85-year-old group being much higher than in other age groups.
According to the researchers, this may be related to factors such as physiology and dietary patterns, as all organs and tissues, including blood vessels, continue to age with age, and sodium intake is higher in older age groups and men.
"Oh, the "יהוה"?
Among the various risk factors for poor diet, the top three contributors to the cardiovascular disease burden are "salty, fine, and red", i.e., a high-sodium diet, a low-whole-grain diet, and a high-red meat diet.
The highest among the risk factors was a high-sodium diet, with a mortality rate of 102.81 per 100,000.
Doctors warn that eating too salty, too fine, and too much red meat can indeed harm cardiovascular health. Long-term unhealthy eating patterns can gradually destroy the already fragile cardiovascular system.
High sodium: elevates blood pressure
Excessive sodium intake is one of the important causes of cardiovascular disease. In the human body, sodium is responsible for regulating body water and osmotic pressure to maintain normal blood pressure, and is also involved in physiological processes such as energy metabolism, muscle exercise, and cardiovascular function.
Excessive salt will disrupt the order of sodium ion transport, resulting in abnormal constriction of vascular smooth muscle, edema of vascular intima, and retention of water and sodium, resulting in an increase in blood pressure. A large number of studies at home and abroad have shown that continuous high sodium intake will increase the risk of hypertension and stroke.
Low whole grains: Raise blood sugar
A low-whole grain diet means eating too much white rice and white noodles, while refined carbohydrates such as steamed buns, noodles, and cakes can cause blood sugar to rise too quickly.
A study in the New England Journal of Medicine, which involved nearly 140,000 people worldwide, found that refined carbohydrates significantly increased the risk of cardiovascular disease and death such as heart attack and stroke.
On the contrary, the dietary fiber rich in whole grains can reduce the absorption of cholesterol and accelerate its excretion, reduce the absorption of sodium and fat, and play a role in preventing cardiovascular disease. At present, the intake of whole grains in mainland residents is generally low.
High red meat: Increases bad cholesterol
Red meat mainly includes pork, beef, lamb, etc., which contains high saturated fatty acids, and many studies have shown that consuming too much red meat can increase the level of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), increase the risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease, and also increase the metabolic burden on the liver and kidneys.
In addition, processed meats such as sausages, hams, and bacon are also made from red meat, which is too high in sodium, and excessive intake can "make the cardiovascular system worse".
3 reminders to adjust your eating patterns
From the perspective of the change in the burden of cardiovascular disease, the effect of dietary improvement is more obvious in people under 70 years old, which suggests that for middle-aged and elderly people, the earlier they improve their dietary Xi habits, the greater the benefit.
In view of the above three unhealthy dietary factors, how to adjust the dietary pattern? Doctors remind to remember less salt, more whole grains, and less red meat.
Control the addition of salt
Statistics show that although the sodium intake of Chinese people is gradually decreasing, it is still higher than the 5 grams recommended by the WHO, and excessive intake will occur in the daily diet if you are not careful.
In addition to strictly controlling the amount of sodium salt added during cooking, or replacing it with low-sodium salt (potassium salt), it is also necessary to be especially wary of "invisible salt" from processed foods such as biscuits, ham sausages, bread, potato chips, etc. These foods may not taste too salty, but if you look closely at the ingredient list, you will see that there is salt in them.
Staple food thickness matching
The easiest way to eat more whole grains is to replace steamed buns, noodles, and rice with whole-wheat steamed buns, tortillas, brown rice, two rice, eight-treasure porridge, etc.
When cooking staple foods, pay attention to the combination of thickness and fineness, and control the ratio of refined carbohydrates to miscellaneous grains at 2:1, that is, for every 2 parts of rice, mixed with 1 part of brown rice, oats, millet and other coarse grains and miscellaneous beans, it can not only improve the taste and flavor, but also increase the intake of whole grains, and play a role in preventing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity and so on.
Eat more lean meat and cook it at a low temperature
To eat healthy red meat, it is recommended to control the amount, eat more lean meat, and cook at low temperature. The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022)" points out that red meat can be eaten "in moderation", no more than 3~5 times a week, about 1 tael each time.
The meat can be shredded, diced, sliced, and stir-fried into the dish to help control the intake and ensure balanced nutrition.
It is recommended to eat lean meat, "three high" people, especially to eat less fatty red meat such as fat beef, fat sheep, pork belly, etc., and try to eat less smoked and cured and deep-processed meat products. Try to choose low-temperature methods such as steaming and boiling to cook red meat, and reduce frying, frying, and grilling. ▲
Editor of this issue: Yang Meng
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