Foods Keep Disease at Bay | Functional Feature


Heart disease Traditional dietary advice for heart health has involved a low fat diet, combined with increased portions of fruit and vegetables and oily fish.8 Generally, a healthier diet based on fruit, vegetables, pulses, whole grain foods, fish and poultry has been associated with lowering cardiovascular disease, risk factors and mortality.9 Nowadays, there is more evidence about the


influence of the different types of fat consumed in our diets and modifying cardiovascular risk than any other dietary factor.10


Restriction of certain


foods such as salt, saturated fats and trans fats foods are looked at more closely elsewhere. 11, 10, 9 The main guidelines for diet and heart health


are listed in Figure 1. Specific ideal heart healthy foods linked with


the prevention of heart disease, including dietary fat, are:


Omega-3 Oily fish containing omega-3 fatty oils, has long been heralded as playing an important role in relation to cardiovascular risk although it is not without its controversies and further evidence is needed of a protective effect.11


Sterols and stanols Recently foodstuffs which allegedly work wonders on lowering cholesterol have emerged, although more evidence is generally needed before recommendations can be made.7


Sterols and stanols


are already available naturally in nuts, vegetables and cereals, but in recent years a wide range of supplemented food products such as certain margarines, yoghurts and milk are available in the shops. This makes it easier to achieve the recommendation of a daily intake of 2g sterols or stanols which has demonstrated to have 10 per cent reduction in LDL cholesterol.12


Soya protein A reduction in total cholesterol has been demonstrated with regular consumption of soya.13 Larger and more comprehensive studies are needed.


Nuts Certain nuts, such as peanuts, have been shown to reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death.14


However,


caution should be exerted in consuming large amounts of nuts in terms of calorie intake.


Soluble fibre Dietary sources of soluble fibre are typically: oats, fruit, vegetables, beans and pulses. Oats in particular contain beta glucans and a high intake of two to four portions a day are needed to provide the 3g demonstrated to show reducing cholesterol levels.15


lower in fat.10


Diets rich in fruit and vegetables tend to be Increased fruit and vegetable intake


has been linked with reducing cardiovascular risk.16


Green tea Green tea may protect against the development of atherosclerosis and reduce the incidence of cardiovascular events.17


Bone disease/osteoporosis Achieving adequate intake of vitamin D and calcium during childhood and adolescence is a crucial determinant of bone health.18


As most of our


vitamin D intake in the UK is synthesized by the skin from sunlight absorption,19


this section will focus on


calcium and other dietary influences on bone health, which are demonstrated in Table Two. Across the lifespan, from in utero through


childhood and adolescence to the menopause and the elderly, calcium is a vital nutrient for bone health. Calcium consumed in the UK comes mainly from milk and dairy foods.4


The 3-every-day


campaign driven by The Dairy Council advocates three servings of dairy foods each day which meets most of the population’s calcium needs in regards to bone health.25


Cancer Can dietary factors decrease the risk of cancer? There appears to be increasing evidence for certain cancers that specific foods can both increase risk e.g. red and processed meats and decrease risk e.g. fibre and calcium.26


This is explored in more detail


elsewhere.27, 1, 28 The World Cancer Research Fund (WRCF), and


the American Institute for Cancer Research, have made a series of dietary recommendations for the prevention of cancer based on scientific expertise.29 A summary of the dietary recommendations is shown in Figure 2. Specific foods have been cited in reducing the risks of certain cancers. Some examples are given in


Table Three. Although, more definitive evidence may be needed to provide actual dietary recommendations.


Dementia/Alzheimer’s disease What is good for your heart is good for your head. There is an association generally between a Mediterranean diet, such as increased olive oil, legumes, unrefined cereals and a higher consumption of fruit and vegetables and a reduced risk of developing chronic disease.39


Eating a


Mediterranean diet has been shown to potentially lower the risk for Alzheimer’s disease.40 The NICE guidelines for dementia state that


there are modifiable risk factors in relation to diet and lifestyle, notably obesity, diabetes, hypertension and raised cholesterol.41 Alzheimer’s Research Trust42


The suggests that a


person’s risk of dementia can be reduced through diet by: • Consuming a balanced diet with lots of fruit and vegetables


•


Eating oily fish or seafood This is reinforced in Table Four.


Conclusion Diet has long been linked to good health and more heed should be paid to Hippocrates. Food is indeed as medicine. Based on current evidence, the recommended foodstuffs for keeping diseases at bay comprise balanced meals with an emphasis on a diet high in fruit and vegetables. As the above evidence also indicates, sticking to eating a diet similar to the Mediterranean diet may also help in disease prevention. Don’t be overwhelmed. A large proportion of us do not consume enough of the diet fundamentals and the best route to better health is to opt for a balanced meal. The main message is don’t stint on the fruit


and vegetables! So how do you boost your intake? Take one


step at a time. Modifying what we eat to achieve a balanced diet is possibly the best defence against protecting the body and providing sufficient nutrients for long life and wellbeing. Rather than focusing on individual wonder foods, focus on a super diet.


Complete Nutrition Vol.10 No.6 December/January 2010/11 | 33


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