The Culprit of Heart Disease
The modern day diet is filled with highly palatable foods, which undeniably contains sauce and condiments. And what most people do not know about is that these sauces and condiments are usually the culprit of hypertension and eventually heart disease. Not only that, diet high in fat, sugar and salt has long been linked with an increased risk of high cholesterol, hypertension, obesity and diabetes which further predispose them to a higher incidence of heart disease.
Red meat contains higher amount of saturated fat and cholesterol, which consumption in excess will cause a clot in the blood vessels causing atherosclerosis. Not only that, the levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL) aka the bad cholesterol was found to increase after prolong consumption of red meat. Too many LDL circulating in your blood is not a good thing; it can cause an excess fat build up in the blood vessels, causing an obstruction in blood flow and eventually atherosclerosis. In addition, it was found that the heme iron found in red meat was also associated with increased risk of myocardial infarction and coronary heart disease. Not only that, processed meat usually has more sulphates and sodium which will increase blood pressure and causes endothelium dysfunction, which both increases the risk of the development of heart disease.
How Does Plant Protein Help with Heart Disease?
Plant proteins are generally rich in dietary fibre and viscous fibre which has favourable effects on plasma lipids, lowering the cholesterol, blood glucose and insulin levels after meals. Not only that plant proteins are also rich in bioactive compounds folic acid and phytochemical nutrients, which helps in heart metabolic health. Not only that, the American Health Association (AHA) also recommend the consumption of plant protein such as soy products and nuts which are health protective food. It was also found in numerous studies that the consumption of plant-based protein reduces the overall mortality including that of heart disease which shows how great protein sourced from plant-based could be!
The bottom line
While staying on the track, also remember to keep processed foods away from your aisle, as the amount of fat, sugar and salt in these processed foods will surely ruin your effort in keeping your heart healthy. Adopting a plant-based diet is just one way to lower your risk of heart disease, and it should also be accompanied by a healthy lifestyle in order for you to stay heart healthy!
Genki Protein+ for A Healthier Heart
Worried about your plant-based protein consumption? Give Genki Protein+ a try, with 9 grams of protein per serving and ultimate richness of soy milk this you wouldn’t want to miss out! Etblisse Genki Protein+ uses organic, GMO-free soya beans, coupled with nourishing wholegrain and Chinese herbs, definitely a healthier and tastier choice for both adults and children!
This article is written by Sylvia Ho (Nutritionist) for Green Image Organic Enterprise Sdn. Bhd
Reference:
- Citroner, G. (2020, July 24). Plant-based, high protein diet may lower risk of heart disease. Healthline. Retrieved September 13, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/health-news/plant-based-high-protein-diet-may-lower-risk-of-heart-disease#Dozens-of-studies,-over-30-years-of-follow-up
- Plant-based protein for a healthy heart. Abbott. (n.d.). Retrieved September 13, 2022, from https://www.abbott.com/corpnewsroom/healthy-heart/plant-based-protein-for-a-healthy-heart.html
- Sun, Y., Liu, B., Snetselaar, L. G., Wallace, R. B., Shadyab, A. H., Kroenke, C. H., ... & Bao, W. (2021). Association of Major Dietary Protein Sources With All‐Cause and Cause‐Specific Mortality: Prospective Cohort Study. Journal of the American Heart Association, 10(5), e015553.
- Protein: Heart and stroke foundation. Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. (n.d.). Retrieved September 13, 2022, from https://www.heartandstroke.ca/healthy-living/healthy-eating/protein
- Eating a plant-based diet at any age may lower cardiovascular risk. www.heart.org. (2022, January 3). Retrieved September 13, 2022, from https://www.heart.org/en/news/2021/08/04/eating-a-plant-based-diet-at-any-age-may-lower-cardiovascular-risk
