DIETARY FIBRE – An ESSENTIAL for a HEALTHY HEART

Why is it important for keeping your heart healthy?

Heart disease is the leading cause of death globally for both men and women. Globally, of all deaths due cardiovascular disease, 85% were due to heart attack and stroke. In the United States, heart disease is the leading cause of death of which about 655,000 Americans die from heart disease each year¹. Although heart disease is the second leading cause of death in Canada there are about 2.4 million Canadian adults (age 20 and over) are living with diagnosed heart disease². Asia country like Malaysia, every day there are about 50 persons die from heart disease³.

 

Unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco use and harmful use of alcohol are harmful to your heart. An unhealthy diet by itself can cause high blood pressure, high blood glucose, high blood cholesterol and overweight and obesity. And, they all are key risk factors for heart disease. 

 

Healthy lifestyle choices can help you prevent and reduce your risk of developing heart disease, yet heart disease still the number one global health threat. The question is how making a change in return for a healthy heart? 

 

How about start the change by eating more fibre-rich foods?

High blood cholesterol, high blood glucose and overweight and obesity can increase your risk of developing heart disease. Eating more fruits and vegetables not only they are low in calorie and zero cholesterol they contain fibre – a crucial nutrient of heart healthy diet. Besides, whole grains and legumes are also good sources of fibre for your consideration.

We know that fibre comes in two varieties, namely soluble and insoluble fibres. You need both because they are beneficial to your heart health. Let’s take a look how fibre helps in regulating the key risk factors for heart disease:

1.     Lowering blood cholesterol 

Fibre has cholesterol-lowering ability. In this case, the soluble fibre plays a major role – lowering the low-density lipoproteins (LDL), the so called “bad” cholesterol. How does it work? By binding to bile acids. Bile acids are produced for to digest and absorb fats in the small intestine. Soluble fibre traps bile acids and prevent them from reabsorption in the small intestine. These unabsorbed bile acids will be excreted as body’s waste. Subsequently, liver will use cholesterol to produce new bile acids, thus reducing blood cholesterol. 

 

Lowering your blood cholesterol, particularly the “bad” cholesterol and maintaining a healthy level is crucial for your heart health. High cholesterol will cause a build-up of fat in your blood vessel making it difficult for oxygen-rich blood to flow through your arteries. Heart attack may occur when there is a total blockage. 

 

2.     Stabilising blood glucose 

Foods that cause sudden increases in blood sugar are harmful to heart because high blood sugar can damage blood vessels and the nerves that control your heart. 

 

You need fibre to keeps your blood sugars from spiking. Foods higher in soluble fibre can help control your blood sugar levels at the same time increase your sensitivity to insulin by slowing down the absorption of sugar from food.  

 

3.     Managing healthy weight

It is long been known that an overweight or obese person has higher risk of developing serious diseases and health conditions such as high blood pressure, type-2 diabetes and high blood cholesterol – these are a combination of risk factors that increases one risk of developing heart disease. 

 

Managing a healthy weight and preventing from being overweight and obese become crucial for keeping your heart healthy. 

 

If you have grains for your breakfast, are they whole grains? Perhaps, you may consider to replace refined grains with fibre-rich whole grains. Whole grains are considered fibre-rich food which can help you feel full and satisfied – and this can help you from overeating. In fact, a diet of high-fibre foods tends to take longer to eat and to be less calories. This is because high-fibre foods come only from plants-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains. They are high in fibre and nutrients and yet low in calorie.

 

The benefits of dietary fibre come in package! Dietary fibre reduces your blood cholesterol level which has a direct implication on your heart health. It also helps in regulating your blood glucose and managing your weight by which reducing your risk of developing heart disease. 

 

Increase the dietary fibre intake as well as diversify the sources because you need both soluble and insoluble fibre to keep your heart healthy. 

 

The table below illustrates the fibre content of common plant-based foods. By including more plant-based foods in your meals do you more good than harm particularly to your heart health. 

Source: Jau-Fei Chen. 2015. Nutrition.Immunity.Longevity. E.Excel International Group.

 

Sources:

1. Diabetes and your heart. 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/features/diabetes-and-heart.html Accessed on 16 July 2021.
2. Dietary fiber: Essential for a healthy diet. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/fiber/art-20043983  Accessed on 22 June 2021.
3. Heart Disease Facts. 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm Assessed on 15 July 2021.
4. Heart Disease in Canada. 2017. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/heart-disease-canada.html Assessed on 15 July 2021.
5. Heart Disease Malaysia’s Number One Killer. 2019. https://codeblue.galencentre.org/2019/10/31/heart-disease-malaysias-number-one-killer/ Assessed on 15 July 2021 

Disclaimer: Healthy Heart 231 information aims to help readers understand heart health, and encourage them adopting a whole food plant-based diet. It does not replace care provided by medical practitioners and other qualified health professionals.