Women and Heart Disease > Evaluation and Prevention
Diet
| Not only do many Americans ingest too many calories each day, but the main source of many of those calories are fats, especially saturated fat, and sugars rather than more beneficial sources, such as complex carbohydrates, monounsaturated fats, and fiber. Such unhealthful eating habits, along with physical inactivity, likely play a significant role in the rising rates of overweight and obesity. Saturated-fat and trans-fatty acid intake raises LDL cholesterol, and saturated fat is the main dietary cause of high cholesterol. The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat intake to 7% to 10% or less of total calorie intake. Saturated fat is mostly found in animal-based food products, such as beef, pork, poultry fat, lard, milk, cheese, and other dairy products, but it is also present in tropical oils, such as coconut and palm oils. A large, global study designed to determine the main risk factors for MI identified low daily consumption of fruits and vegetables as 1 of the 9 primary risk factors that they found, putting it on par with such risk factors as smoking, hypertension, and diabetes.31 Such study results dramatically reinforce the importance of eating a heart-healthy diet. High sodium levels represent another cardiovascular dietary risk in the typical American diet, as they are associated with hypertension. Most processed foods contain extremely high sodium levels. Current recommendations suggest limiting sodium intake to 2400 mg per day (approximately 1 teaspoon of table salt). |
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