The last post discussed the connection between inflammation and
heart disease, and included specific foods to avoid such as foods made with
refined sugar and white flour, and refined vegetable oils high in
polyunsaturated fat (sunflower, safflower, corn, and cottonseed oils).
Almost everyone is aware that a diet high in sugar and fat
is recognized as unhealthy, but most aren’t sure where to start in making
changes to their diet. And, it is
important to understand that not all fats are linked to poor health. You have likely heard about “healthy fats”,
but how do you know which ones these are?
Since both refined carbohydrates (sugar and white flour –
think “doughnut”) and refined, polyunsaturated vegetable oils promote
inflammation, it is important to understand which foods to avoid. In addition, a basic understanding of how they
promote inflammation will help emphasize why TODAY is a good day to ditch the
doughnut to protect your blood vessels.
Polyunsaturated
vegetable oils include sunflower, safflower, corn, and cottonseed oils. They are high in linoleic acid, an omega-6
essential fatty acid that the body converts to arachidonic acid. When arachidonic acid is metabolized, it has
a predominately pro-inflammatory influence as it converts to chemical
messengers that promote platelet aggregation (essential for blood clotting) and
increase smooth muscle constriction (including blood vessels). Too much of this effect will have potentially
negative consequences for the health of the blood vessels.
There are ways to inhibit the inflammatory pathway. One is to take an anti-inflammatory drug, but
it is even better is to increase the sources of omega 3 fatty acids in your
diet. Omega-3 fatty acids compete for
the enzyme needed to metabolize arachidonic acid, and thus block the conversion
to pro-inflammatory chemical messengers.
This is why health professionals are encouraging patients to eat more
fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids and/or to supplement with a quality fish oil
containing EPA/DHA.
Which fats are “healthy fats”? These include vegetable oils that are low in
linoleic such as olive oil, canola oil, coconut oil, and flaxseed oil. Healthy fats also include foods that contain monounsaturated
vs. polyunsaturated fats such as nuts, olives, and avocado.
Unfortunately the thousands of packaged snacks and baked
goods on today’s grocery shelves typically contain sunflower, safflower, corn
and cottonseed oils. To protect the
health of your heart, skip these foods and replace them with some nuts, avocado
and salmon.
Refined sugar and
white flour products also promote inflammation. After eating a food high in sugar, blood
sugar rises quickly, triggering the release of insulin from the pancreas. When insulin levels are high, hormones inside
our cells called eicosanoids become skewed toward pro-inflammatory
compounds. On top of this, high insulin
levels activate enzymes that raise levels of arachidonic acid in the blood,
potentially magnifying the inflammatory response.
High blood sugar levels also increase the risk of damage to
blood vessels. Extra sugar molecules may attach to a variety of proteins that can
injure the blood vessel walls. This repeated injury to the blood vessel wall
sets off inflammation. If you spike your
blood sugar level several times a day, every day, it is exactly like taking
sandpaper to the inside of your delicate blood vessels.
So, now you know why I recommend that you “ditch the
doughnuts” for a heart health. The combined
effect of sugar, white flour, and the polyunsaturated vegetable oil it is fried
in will increase inflammation and your risk of heart disease. Even if you don’t remember one detail about
how inflammation occurs, just remember to “ditch the doughnut” (and all of its
close relatives) to protect the health of your heart.
