Western Diet Huge Factor in Heart Disease

It is no secret that a diet based on high-fat, high-sodium, and nutritionally poor foods can cause heart problems and a myriad of other health concerns. However, this particular study also produced more welcome evidence for the disease-fighting capabilities of a plant-based diet composed mainly of fruits and vegetables. As Western culture spreads around the globe, along with many of its associated health risks, it is important to remember the good news as well as the bad. Namely this: If people can learn to eat well, disease can be both cured and prevented via a lifestyle of wellness that includes a wholesome diet and plenty of physical exercise.

I find it quite ironic that this study was published in the journal of the American Heart Association. One of the most disturbing statements in this article concerns the fact that "Dr. Dean Ornish is one of a few physicians advocating use of healthy diet and lifestyle to treat heart disease." It is disgraceful that the vast majority of conventional medicine practitioners will still not embrace nutritional and lifestyle therapy for the treatment of coronary and other diseases, despite the overwhelming evidence supporting its effectiveness! Perhaps the only thing more hazardous to our health than a Western diet is Western medicine.


Western diet linked to high risk of heart attack
By David Liu, Ph.D.
Oct 21, 2008 - 9:36:38 AM

Tuesday October 21, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- A new study suggests that Western diet with fried foods, salty snacks and meat may drastically increase risk of heart attack than those who use other types of diets.

The study published in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association showed that those who used Western diet had a 35 percent increased risk of heart attack than those who consumed little fried food and meat.

For the study, Salim Yusuf, D.Phil. at McMaster University in Canada and colleagues examined the association between dietary patterns and risk of heart attack in about 16,000 people in 52 countries.

The researchers were able to classify dietary practices into three groups, namely oriental diet with high intake of tofu, soy and other sauces, prudent diet with high intake of fruits and vegetables and Western diet with high intake of fried foods, salty snacks, eggs and meat.

Among the participants, 5,761 heart attack cases were identified. The researchers found that those who used Western diet were 35 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack than those who did not use much fried food and meat and those who used prudent diet were at a 30 percent reduced risk of heart attack.

They also found that those who used oriental diet were not at increased nor reduced risk of heart attack. Some foods in oriental diet are believed to be protective, but the authors suggested that the effect was neutralized by the high salt sauces.

The findings are consistent with numerous precious studies. Western diet has been linked with a wide range of diseases.

This western diet can affect even young healthy men and women. Of hundreds of soldiers who died in the battles of the Korean War, more than 70 percent were found to have their artery narrowed to some degree, according to Dr. T. Colin Campbell, a nutrition professor at Cornell University.

However, cardiovascular condition can be improved by simply following a healthy diet. According to Dr. Dean Ornish, a professor of the University of California in San Francisco who is one of a few physicians advocating use of healthy diet and lifestyle to treat heart disease, a restricted diet can stop progression of heart disease and even reverse the condition in 99% of patients.

Dr. Dean's diet and lifestyle program has been proved in trials to be effective. His diet is comprised of mostly plant-based foods. But oil is highly restricted. No more than 10 percent of calories should come from oil.

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