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It’s hard to make healthy dietary choices when recommendations seem to change from one week to the next. We’d been informed that saturated fats that are found in foods such as red meat, butter and fried food were bad for our heart health, but later research advised there wasn’t enough proof that individuals who gave up these foods improved their heart health – and for that reason, we were given the thumbs up to choose butter over margarine once more.
However, as reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, scientists clarify that the lack of noticeable results in reducing saturated fats is more likely related to equally poor dietary choices made in place of those fats – such as refined carbs. Subjects who instead replaced saturated fats with more healthy options, such as olive oil and whole grains, did decrease their heart disease risk by as much as 25%.
Adela Hruby, one of the researchers from the study noted, “We know that people don’t just drop 10% of their calories…and not replace them with other things. What they are adding in to replace what they’re not eating is really important.”
The study, which was led by Dr. Frank Hu of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, was extremely thorough, tracking about 130,000 male and female participants over 30 years. The study tracked dietary choices and heart-related conditions, and it was noted that subjects who substituted carbohydrates for saturated fats were realizing a virtually equal risk of heart disease – something that was missed in other studies that determined it was not significantly beneficial to cut back on saturated fats.
Learn more about how to care for the heart here.
So what can we learn from all of this? Creating a healthy heart can best be achieved by not just reducing saturated fat in our diet, but by also selecting healthier foods than processed flour-based products and those with a high sugar content.
Independence-4-Seniors Home Care is also available to plan and prepare heart-healthy meals that are not only nutritious, but delicious, helping older adults reduce their risk for heart attacks and heart disease. We can also assist aging adults with:
Making appropriate dietary choices, and picking up groceries so fresh, healthy foods are always readily available
Taking medications on time and correctly
Engaging in doctor-approved activity programs
Safe transportation and accompaniment to appointments with the doctor and other outings
And much more
Give us a call at (630) 323-4665 to learn more about how our Hinsdale home care services can help seniors create a healthier heart and life.