What is the role of diet in heart disease?
In recent years, medical researchers have documented the important role that diet plays in the prevention and treatment of heart disease. At least four major cardiovascular risk factors are related to diet: high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. Thus, the preventive goals of a “heart healthy” diet are to: • Lower high serum cholesterol levels. • Control blood pressure. • Maintain normal blood glucose levels in diabetes. • Maintain ideal weight. Of these four factors, cholesterol has been the focus of increasing public awareness. Cholesterol is a fatty substance (lipid) that circulates in the blood and is present in all animal products. Although cholesterol is found in all animal products, egg yolks, dairy products, and organ meats are particularly high in the substance. In addition, cholesterol is manufactured in the liver and certain cells of the body. Although cholesterol is essential to life, it creates a health hazard when too much circulates in the blo
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