Nutrition to prevent a heart attack
One of the most important measures to prevent heart attacks is a healthy diet. One of the main reasons why heart attacks are so widespread in western society is our fatty and high meat diet, which contributes to an increase in blood cholesterol levels. However, a distinction must be made between “good” HDL cholesterol and “bad” LDL cholesterol.
The former has a very positive effect on our fat metabolism and the condition of our blood vessels and can be specifically increased by consuming more vegetable oils instead of animal fats. Above all olive oil is here an important basis for a heart-friendly nutrition, since it is rich in unsaturated fatty acids. The most well-known representative of unsaturated fatty acids is thereby probably the much-used Omega-3-Fettsäure.
Palm and coconut oil are however, although vegetable, not to be recommended. Also fish contains many unsaturated fatty acids. LDL Cholesterol however is usually then increased, if much meat and eggs are eaten.
A permanently elevated blood LDL level results in “vessel calcification” (arteriosclerosis), which leads to a narrowing of the diameter of the blood vessels and thus increases the probability of a heart attack. Furthermore, the general rules of a balanced diet apply to a heart attack preventive diet. The most important thing to remember here is to consume plenty of fiber-rich foods such as vegetables and fruit.
The right choice of food in one’s own diet is one of the most important steps towards a heart attack preventive lifestyle. As already described in the section “Nutrition”, it is above all important to put food on the menu that contains many unsaturated fatty acids and dietary fibers. Italian cuisine is considered one of the healthiest cuisines of all.
This is mainly due to the abundant use of vegetable oils, especially olive oil. This provides, contrary to the butter much used in the German kitchen, for a high HDL Cholesterol mirror in the blood, which affects the health of the blood vessels very positively. Nuts and fish also contain many unsaturated “healthy” fatty acids.
Apart from this, however, a low-fat diet is recommended. Above all, however, the frequent consumption of red meat, such as beef and pork, should be avoided, as this increases the LDL cholesterol level. This, unlike HDL cholesterol, has a negative effect on our blood vessels by promoting vascular calcification (arteriosclerosis), which in most cases is the basis of heart attacks.
On the list of foods that prevent heart attacks, vegetables and fruit are also at the top of the list. These are rich in fiber, minerals and vitamins and contain hardly any calories. An ample consumption of low-fat prepared vegetable food can therefore prevent overweight and thus, by relieving the heart, also prevent heart attacks.
Finally, it is worth mentioning the incorporation of complex carbohydrates into the diet, which are mainly contained in foods such as whole grain products. These need a much longer time to be broken down and therefore last longer. Simple sugars, such as those contained in sweets, on the other hand, are known to promote obesity and diseases such as diabetes mellitus – two of the biggest risk factors for heart attacks.
A moderate consumption of red wine is often generally attributed a health-promoting effect. Especially on the cardiovascular system red wine is to unfold a protecting effect and prevent so also heart attacks. According to current research, this is most likely due to the polyphenols contained in some red wine varieties, which belong to the group of antioxidants.
Especially the variety Tannat has a high polyphenol content. In addition, red wine also contains other antioxidants, such as resveratrol. In addition to their preventive effect on heart attacks, antioxidants also contribute to the prevention of cancer.Some studies have also confirmed that alcohol in itself has a healthy effect on the body, as long as the consumption of alcohol is limited to a very small amount per day.
However, when drinking alcohol, for whatever purpose, you should always bear in mind its negative effects. Alcohol consumption, even in small quantities, increases the likelihood of suffering from a whole range of diseases. These include, above all, cancers such as cancer of the larynx and the floor of the mouth.
A critical view of the own red wine and generally the consumption of alcohol is thus quite appropriate. The emergence of the atherosclerosis in the vernacular as “calcification” is not yet completely clarified. However, a decisive step is the incorporation of cholesterol crystals into the already damaged vessel wall.
Scavenger cells (macrophages) try to remove these deposits, but do not succeed and perish in the attempt. A chronic inflammation of the vessels forms, which gradually constricts the vessel as plaque, or is “sheared off” and then blocks the section of the vessel behind it. A high supply of cholesterol, which is present in the blood as lipoproteins (e.g. low density lipoprotein, LDL), consequently leads to more deposits.
From large scientific studies it is known that too high cholesterol levels are related to the occurrence of heart attacks and the survival time. Drugs such as statins, which lower cholesterol levels, also reduce the risk of suffering a heart attack. In addition to lowering cholesterol levels, the anti-inflammatory effect of statins may also play a role in preventing heart attacks.
