Heart Disease: Truth Or Myth? Is It Important To Restrict Fat and Salt?

Heart Disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States. Heart disease describes a range of different conditions that affect the heart. These include: heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias); heart defects you're born with (congenital heart defects); blockage; heart failure, stroke and other heart conditions showed in the image below. The most common heart disease in the U.S. is coronary artery disease which affects the blood flow to the heart.

The Scoop About Salt

Sodium is a mineral that is essential for life. It is naturally  occurring in the body and is regulated by the kidneys. Its primary function is to regulate the fluid balance in your body. It is a fact that extra sodium in your blood pulls water into your blood vessels and increases the total volume of blood inside them. This results in increased pressure in the blood vessels which often causes high blood pressure. There is a body of evidence that correlates excessive salt intake and high blood pressure. It is also a fact that the typical American diet is excessive in salt. However, there is not enough scientific evidence to suggest that salt causes heart disease. Consequently, there is no clear cut answer for salt being harmful for people with heart disease. It is very likely that some individuals are more salt sensitive than others, thus salt restriction may be effective for these individuals more than others.

When it comes to salt restriction, individuals with heart disease must come to their own conclusions together with their healthcare professionals. However, avoiding excessive amounts of salt is beneficial not only for the heart but for all other systems of the body. Reducing excessive salt helps to keep the kidneys healthy, reduces fluid retention (edema), and lowers the risk of osteoporosis. "Everything in excess is opposed to nature." - Hippocrates

Here is some helpful information to help you come to your own conclusion:

• More than 70% of the sodium we consume comes from packaged, prepared and restaurant foods.

• The 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that Americans consume less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium per day as part of a healthy eating pattern. (For reference 1/4 teaspoon salt = 575 mg sodium). Most of us consume more salt than we really need on a regular basis.

• It is beneficial to cook with many herbs and spices aside from salt. Spices are concentrated forms of antioxidants.

The Deal With

For decades we have been focusing on fat-free or low-fat dietary recommendations for people with heart disease. Research now shows that “low-fat” options of spreads, chips, and deli meats are full of refined carbohydrates like white flour and sugar to replace the fat. In short, the manufactured low-fat

products remain harmful and unhealthy for heart health.

What we are learning now is that the story isn’t quite so simple. We are moving away from “low-fat” and focusing on diet recommendations regarding the type of fat for heart

disease. There is saturated fat which is found in butter, meats, and whole or 2% milk products. These are associated with increasing cholesterol levels and increasing the risk for heart disease. It is recommended to decrease this type of fat as much as possible. There is also unsaturated fat which is thought to be beneficial because it can improve cholesterol levels, decrease inflammation, and play a number of other beneficial roles. Unsaturated fats are mainly found in foods from plants, such as vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and fish (omega 3). There is also a third type of fat, trans fat, which is thought to both raises your LDL ("bad") cholesterol and lowers your HDL ("good") cholesterol. Some meat and dairy products contain small amounts of trans fat, but most trans fat is formed through an industrial process which causes the oil to become solid at room temperature. The American Heart Association recommends consuming unsaturated fats in moderation and avoiding trans fats altogether.

Here are some suggestions for building a heart-healthy diet:

• Don't focus on one specific nutrient like fat. Create your diet to include all food groups in appropriate serving sizes.

• Eat vegetables, whole grains, fruit, nuts and seeds every day.

• Aim for two to three servings of fish and seafood per week to get your omega-3 fats.

• Limit salty, fatty and sugary snack foods like: cakes and pastries, takeout, and chips.

The current position of Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is that the most important focus of the diet pattern is on healthy, whole eating (unprocessed foods in their natural state). All foods can fit within this pattern, if consumed in moderation with appropriate portion sizes. To summarize, similar to diabetes there is no “size fits all” and no black and white answers when it comes to salt and fat in heart disease. I hope you are encouraged to focus on healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle regardless of the disease state. Stay tuned for my next post where we will discuss what to consume and what to avoid when diagnosed with osteoporosis.