How many times have they told the world: fast food is vile, harmful…
Fast food is bad for the arteries
These are the conclusions of researchers at the EPIC Center at the University of Montreal (University of Montreal) and the Montreal Institute for the Study of the Heart (Montreal Heart Institute). They were presented at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress, held in Toronto this week, by Dr. Anil Nigam, Director of Research at the EPIC Center.
The content of the report “Does the Adherence to a Mediterranean Diet Influence Baseline and Postprandial Endothelial Function?” you can read on the website of the Montreal Heart Institute: New study reveals that every single junk food meal damages your arteries – VM.
The aim of Dr. Nigam's study was to compare the effect that fast food products and traditional Mediterranean food have on the inner wall of the arteries – the endothelium. He assessed the functionality of the endothelium by measuring how quickly the arteries widen after a 5-minute narrowing caused by eating a particular food. Evaluation of endothelial functionality is a good predictor of future possible vascular problems and the risk of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.
The study involved 28 non–smoking men who for 1 week ate Mediterranean food - salmon, almonds, vegetables and olive oil. As a result of such a diet, 51 percent of calories came to the participants in the form of fats, mainly in the form of monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fats. After that, the participants ate fast food for another week – sandwiches with cutlet, egg and cheese and potato pancakes. At the same time, they received 58 percent of calories from fats, and these were mainly saturated fats.
Prior to the study, each participant underwent ultrasound of the ulnar artery after a 12-hour hunger strike to measure the basic functionality of their endothelium. In the course of the study, 2 and 4 hours after each meal, the participants again assessed the functionality of the endothelium.
As it turned out, after taking fast food, the functionality of the endothelium decreases by 24 percent compared to the baseline level. After the Mediterranean meal, the functionality of the endothelium remains the same as with the basic measurement, providing a full blood flow. Moreover, the researchers found that the higher the triglyceride levels were initially in the participants' blood, the more positive the Mediterranean cuisine has on them. The functionality of the endothelium even exceeds the basic level. Based on the results of the study, Dr. Nigam concludes that the Mediterranean diet should become a part of the life of anyone who wants to keep arteries healthy for longer, and patients with elevated triglyceride levels (for example, with metabolic syndrome).
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru31.10.2012