Fast food and CVD: where`s the connection?
Be it burgers, pizza or fries, what is it with fast food diet that makes it a major CVD risk factor? In the recent issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers published the answers [1].
Consumption of high-calorie, low-nutrient food causes a sudden increase in blood glucose and triglyceride levels and results in a state known as postprandial dysmetabolism. These after-meal spikes in sugar and free fatty acids “overwhelm the body’s ability to handle the surge, resulting in a flooding of the Kreb’s cycle and the production of superoxide anions. The postprandial production of these free radicals acutely triggers atherogenic changes, such as increases in LDL oxidation, sympathetic tone, vasoconstriction, and thrombogenicity [2].”
At the end of the scale, traditional Mediterranean or Okinawan diets (consisting of lean protein, fish oil, whole grains, vegetables and low to moderate amounts of alcohol among others) has been shown to be anti-inflammatory and to lower CVD risks [1].
References:
1. O’Keefe JH, Gheewala NM, O’Keefe JO, 2008. Dietary Strategies for Improving Post-Prandial Glucose, Lipids, Inflammation, and Cardiovascular Health. J Am Coll Cardiol, 2008; 51:249-255, doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2007.10.016
2. O`Riordan M. Big Macs and Whoppers: Spikes in after-meal glucose and lipid levels lead to inflammation and CVD. HeartWire 16 Jan 2008.
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