Bread, rice, pasta: what would you say if you discovered that these foods are as harmful to health as sweets? Sure, many of you will respond by saying “Well, if everything goes wrong, what else do we eat?”. There are healthier options, we just need to change our perspective on eating habits a little!
According to a study published in site-ul American College of Cardiologyexcessive consumption of refined grains – the category to which the aforementioned foods belong – leads to the occurrence of glycemic fluctuations, which increase the level of fats in the blood, known as triglycerides.
Furthermore, the increase in the level of triglycerides favors the onset of cardiovascular diseases, as a result of the obstruction of blood vessels blood clots (clots). Researchers state that the risk of excessive flour consumption is as high as in the case of eating sweets or fast food.
To reach this conclusion, the experts asked more than 2,500 people: a group of 1,168 participants without health problems, another of 1,369 people with coronary artery dysfunction – how often and in what quantities they consume refined cereals (white rice, white bread, pasta) compared to whole grains.
By analyzing the responses, they found that the intake of refined grains was much higher in the group of people with coronary heart disease. This condition significantly increases the risk of heart attack and cerebral vascular accident.
Highly processed flour products are quickly absorbed into the blood, because they do not contain a lot of fiber, which leads to a sudden and noticeable rise in blood sugar after a meal. Over time, these glycemic fluctuations destroy the blood vessels and nerves that control the heart’s activity, promoting the formation of atheromatous plaque on the artery walls, explains Dr Mohammad Amin Khajavi Gaskarei, lead author of the study.
On the other hand, whole grains, such as brown rice, wholemeal bread, contain important nutrients for maintaining blood sugar, the most important element being fiber.
The fiber creates a kind of viscous network in the small intestine; thanks to this network, glucose enters the blood vessels of the intestinal mucosa with greater difficulty. Thanks to these mechanisms, the fiber slows down the breakdown and absorption of glucose, consequently the fiber content flattens our glycemic curves.
The World Health Organization estimates it more than 20 million deaths from coronary heart disease will occur each year in 2030.
In Romania, coronary heart disease is responsible for over 60% of Romanian deaths, along with strokes and various forms of cancer.
So, if you want to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease, the number 1 killer in the world, avoid or eat the very carefully refined grains found in products like white bread, pasta or white rice, exercise daily and try to avoid them as much as possible. , stressful events.
