The heart
of the matter
Is your heart healthy? If not, don't simply blame your genes;
take a look at the food you eat, suggests Times Food
Processing Journal
Is it the food that we eat, or, is it our
genes that are responsible for the everincreasing
incidence of cardiovascular
diseases (CVD)? The debate is never ending.
In fact, this year's World Heart Day also
focused on this very problem through its
theme 'Healthy Weight, Healthy Shape',
which sought to draw attention to the fact
that correct eating habits lead to a lower
incidence of obesity, therefore considerably
lowering the risk of CVD.
Presently, three million Indians die every
year of CVD accounting for 25 per cent of all
mortality. A recently concluded WHO study
estimates that by 2010 - globally, 60 per cent
of cardiac patients will be Indians. According
to another study conducted by the
International Journal of Cardiology, the
prevalence of CVD far exceeds this number.
This leads us to ponder - Who is really to be
blamed for the increasing rate of deaths
caused by cardiovascular diseases? Our
ancestors??? Surprisingly the answer is 'No'.
Our present fast paced lifestyle and food
habits are one of the main causes for
increasing number of cardiac related deaths.
But the good news is that now you can take
charge of your heart's health!
Grains have been the corner stone of our
country's human diet for thousands of years.
Whole grains, which contain vitamins,
minerals, antioxidants, fibre as well as
hundreds of phyto-nutrients, play an
important role in helping to reduce the risk of
coronary heart disease. A research published
in the American Journal of clinical nutrition
2004 indicates that individuals who consume
a large amount of whole grains, particularly
bran, have the lowest rates of heart disease.
Another study published in the 'Archive of
Internal Medicine' demonstrates that the
consumption of 10 gm of fibre (from
cereals/fruits) per day reduces the chance of
heart ailments by 14 per cent and heart
disease death by 27 per cent.
But what really is whole grain?
Whole grain is literally the whole kernel of
the grain. For example, whole wheat would
include the following constituents:
• Bran - Outer shell (~12.5 per cent of
whole grain, is the course outer layer of
the grain. It contains about 50-80 per cent
of the minerals in grains, including iron,
copper, zinc and magnesium, as well as
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