Introduction
Many deaths in the world today are attributed to cardiovascular diseases. In the United Kingdom alone, stroke and cardiovascular diseases combined claim the lives of more than 150,000 people every year. The disease is attributed to unhealthy diet policies. A continued intake of dairy products including meat and processed foods increases the cardiovascular disease mortality rate by twice as much as when compared to the people who consume a more sensible diet. It is therefore advisable to take foods that are fibrous, rich in potassium, and contain antioxidants. Other foods that have proven to prevent cardiovascular-related diseases are whole grains, nuts, and aquatic foods such as fish. Polyunsaturated fats and unsaturated fats are healthy as well.
Six Dietary Modifications That Can Prevent Cardiovascular Diseases
- Reduced intake of trans fats. This involves the banning of all industrial trans fats through a legislature, just like Denmark did. This facilitates a decrease of total trans-fat energy consumption by up to 1%. By reducing the total energy derived from trans fat-related food even by 0.5%, the cardiovascular-related deaths would be reduced by up to 6%.
- Reduced intake of saturated fats. This involves reducing the total energy derived from saturated fats and replacing it with polyunsaturated fats. When 5% of saturated fat-energy is replaced by polyunsaturated fat, the cardiovascular-related mortality rate is reduced by up to 11.5% (Flaherty, Mateo, Nnoaham, Williams & Capewell, 2012). It would, however, prove unrealistic to completely replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats. In that case, a unit of a saturated fat would be replaced by both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats in equal measures.
- Reducing salt intake. Ranging from a conservative to an aggressive scenario, the salt intake per day can range from 1 to 8 grams. Assuming a 5 g/day salt reduction, the number of total cardiovascular disease-related deaths would reduce by approximately 17%. In addition, stroke-related cases would also reduce by up to 23%.
- Increased intake of fruits and vegetables. The current average portion of fruits-to-vegetable intake is three to four. If this rate would increase to about five to six portions per day, the chronic heart diseases would decrease by up to 4%. Moreover, deaths caused by stroke would also decrease by 5%. Fruits and vegetables have also been proved to lower the blood pressure and reduce the risk of various cancers.
- Consumption of dark chocolate. Cardiovascular-related events by be reduced by consuming dark chocolate every day. Assuming a prehypertensive or a hypertensive population, a daily consumption of dark chocolates can help reduce their potential health complications. This is because the chocolates have unique properties that lower the cholesterol and blood pressure rates in such patients. Consequently, in a population of ten thousand people, this would lower the cardiovascular risk to an average of fifteen people. Taking dark chocolates, therefore, has a long term effect of reducing a chance of contracting cardiovascular ailments (Zomer, Owen, Magliano, Liew & Reid, 2012).
- Consumption of saturated, omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Whereas reducing the total energy derived from saturated fats and replacing it with polyunsaturated fats remains the most efficient method of preventing cardiovascular diseases, the strategy has been subject to flaws (Lorgeril, 2012). Therefore, for optimum results, it is best to take low amounts of both saturated fats and omega-6 supplements, together with supplements of omega-3 fatty acids. Whereas omega-3 fatty acids do not prevent cancer, omega-6 supplements have been found to prevent the risk of breast cancer.
Reference list
Flaherty, O. M., Mateo, G. F., Nnoaham, K., Williams, L. F., & Capewell, S. (2012). Potential Cardiovascular Mortality Reductions with Stricter Food Policies in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Bull World Health Organ, 90(50), 522-531.
Lorgeril, M. D. (2012). New Insights into the Health Effects of Dietary Saturated and Omega-6 and Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids. Metabolism,Diet And Disease, 10(50), 1-5.
Zomer, E., Owen, A., Magliano, D. J., Liew, D., & Reid, C. M. (2012). The Effectiveness and Cost Effectiveness of Dark Chocolate Consumption as Prevention Therapy in People at High Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: Best Case Scenario Analysis Using a Markov Model. BMJ, 344(50), 1-10.