Everyone knows that cardiovascular diseases lead to death more often than car accidents, natural disasters and other troubles of modern society. Doctors advise taking care of the heart, not eating harmful foods and walking more often. But what exactly is caring for the heart and what foods can be considered harmful to the body?
The most famous statements are: eat more vegetables, eat cereals and legumes, limit salt in your diet and drink more water, vegetable oils are more useful than animals, and from fast food and convenience foods should be completely abandoned.
Harmful fats
Let's start with fats. Fats can be conditionally divided into "harmful" and "useful".The former include saturated fats, they are found in butter, cream, cheese, etc. A large number of such fats can be found, for example, in coconut and palm oil. The American Heart Association states that by lowering their intake, it is possible to significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and lower the level of low-density lipoprotein( bad cholesterol).
Another type of fat, negatively affecting the work of the heart and blood vessels - trans fats. They are formed during the production of solid oils, for example, margarine from liquid.
Now the main consequences of using trans fats are called: the risk of atherosclerosis, other diseases of the heart and blood vessels, the onset of diabetes, persistent inflammatory processes in the body and, of course, obesity.
Interesting fact: after the ban on the use of trans fats in public catering in some countries, the percentage of heart attacks and heart disease significantly decreased.
One of the most dangerous enemies of our body is hidden fat. Its main danger is that many people do not even suspect its existence and consider products containing it in large quantities, useful and even dietary.
Hidden fat is in sausage, sausages, ice cream and confectionery, sauces. By itself, it may not contain harmful substances, but people are accustomed to using a huge amount of such products without thinking about their composition. If you eat a piece of cake for breakfast, have a sandwich with sausage and cheese, and then dine delicious and, it would seem useful, salad from vegetables with mayonnaise, then your daily fat rate will exceed several times.
So, in one sausage can contain up to 20 grams of fat, at a rate of its consumption of 50-60 grams per day. Imagine how much hidden fat can be consumed, carried away with semi-finished products and ready-made foods.
Useful fats
Useful fats can be found in red fish, in many vegetable oils and nuts. The level of cholesterol is also influenced by olive and sunflower oil. They help raise "good cholesterol", the so-called high-density lipoproteins, and reduce "bad".But we must remember that the calorie content of these products is quite high, so in the diet they must be present in a limited number.
Olive oil is a product whose use is difficult to overestimate. It contains antioxidants, essential fatty acids and even vitamins. It's no secret that the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest and preferred by both doctors and people who care about their health.
Do not forget about the benefits of nuts. Many of them are rich in polyunsaturated fats, protein, antioxidants, probiotics and even magnesium. Agree, the composition is impressive.
All these substances are incredibly useful for the body and the cardiovascular system.
The next product that prolongs life is cheese. Moderate consumption is able to maintain the health of the body, even despite the content of salt in it, which negatively affects cardiac activity in large doses.
Now, having understood the types of fats, it is possible to say with certainty that high-quality vegetable oils can prolong life and favorably affect cardiac activity and vessels. It is important only to remember that harmony is needed not only in life, but also in our food, and try to consume moderately vegetable and animal fats.