According to the Indian Heart Association, heart disease is the leading
cause of death among Indians. Heart disease is occurring at a much
younger age with Indians. Men under the age of 50 years account for 50%
of heart attacks among the Indian male population. A lack of awareness,
genetic predisposition for hypertension, diabetes, sedentary lifestyle,
poor diet, and stress are contributing factors. Poor diet is caused by
the lack of nutrition knowledge and an increased consumption of high fat
restaurant foods. The risks for heart disease can be reduced by
improving public awareness with health and nutrition education.
Websites
and
mobile apps provide free nutrition facts databases containing
common foods, packaged food products, recipes, and popular restaurant
menu items. Specialized websites and mobile apps offer advanced support
for ethnic diets; examples include Indian cuisine nutrition information,
diet tips, and personalized meal plans.
The different types of
fat found in food vary in their effect on health. In addition, there is
dietary cholesterol which is found in animal foods. MUFA
(monounsaturated fatty acid) and PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acid) are
types of unsaturated fat; these are liquid at room temperature.
There
are certain essential fatty acids (belonging to the omega-3 and omega-6
PUFA groups) that we need to get from food. MUFA helps to decrease
overall total blood cholesterol; it decreases LDL ("bad") cholesterol
and may increase HDL ("good") cholesterol. PUFA also helps to reduce
overall total blood cholesterol; it reduces both LDL and HDL.
Omega-3
fats may help to lower triglyceride levels and reduce the risk for
blocked arteries and hypertension. In contrast, saturated fats are solid
at room temperature and increase total blood cholesterol and LDL.
Trans
fats are formed during the partial hydrogenation of processed foods;
they increase overall total cholesterol and LDL. Understanding the fat
content of foods helps to prevent and manage heart disease. Online
databases provide the
nutrition information of food which includes the
calories, carbohydrate, protein, sodium, fiber, and fat content of
foods.
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