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Why carbs can hurt your heart
New research shows how our bodies react to carbohydrates in our diet
A study using new technology that means doctors can "look inside" their patients' arteries, has shown exactly why high carbohydrate foods are bad for our health. The groundbreaking research, carried out by Dr Michael Shechter of Tel Aviv University’s School of Medicine was able to 'see' what happens inside the body's arteries, before, during and after, eating foods that are bad for the heart.
Foods with a high Glycaemic Index (GI), such as cornflakes, white bread, chips and sugary food, affect the elasticity of our arteries. Subject your body to these foods over a long period of time and you may pay the price. "It's very hard to predict heart disease," says Dr Shechter, a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association. "But doctors know that high glycaemic foods rapidly increase blood sugar. Those who binge on these foods have a greater chance of sudden death from heart attack. Our research connects the dots, showing the link between diet and what’s happening in real time in the arteries."
The study took 56 healthy volunteers, and divided them into four groups. One group was fed 'cornflake mush mixed with milk', the second had a pure sugar mixture, the third, bran flakes, and the control group had water, a placebo. Over the test period (four weeks), Dr Shechter's 'brachial reactive testing', was used on each volunteer. This involved a similar process to having your blood pressure taken, with a cuff fixed around the arm. This allowed the researchers to see what was happening as the volunteers' bodies reacted to their 'meals'.
Before they ate, the arterial function in all the volunteers was very similar. But once they'd eaten, the results were dramatically different. Arterial stress, shown as extreme peaks, was found in the high GI groups (cornflakes and sugar). These results indicate that when we eat high GI foods it can cause a sudden dysfunction in the endothelial walls of the arteries.
"We knew high glycaemic foods were bad for the heart. Now we have a mechanism that shows how," says Dr Shechter. "Foods like cornflakes, white bread, french fries, and sweetened soda all put undue stress on our arteries. We've explained for the first time how high glycaemic carbs can affect the progression of heart disease." It is, says Dr Shechter, "the riskiest of risk factors".
Reducing the risk to your arteries and heart means taking a look at how you live. Cut back on the high GI foods in your diet and increase the low GI foods, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts. Take 30 minutes exercise a day and you’ll do your heart another good turn.
Useful website: British Heart Foundation - www.bhf.org.uk
Useful links
- Joining the diabetes revolution
- Low GI diet advised for diabetes
- A low GI diet is good for your eyes
- Diet link to prostate cancer
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Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.
