Food for patients with cardiovascular and coronary artery disease

Food for patients with cardiovascular and coronary artery disease

Cardiovascular and coronary artery disease refers to a condition where the coronary arteries narrow and become blocked, causing insufficient blood flow to nourish the heart muscle, resulting in the death of heart muscle tissue. The main cause is the narrowing of the coronary arteries due to cholesterol deposits on the smooth muscle cells of the blood vessels, causing blockages. Symptoms include chest pain and tightness.

Factors that increase the risk of heart and blood vessel disease include:

• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Smoking and alcohol consumption
• Genetics
• Stress
• Men over 45 years old, women over 55 years old
• Lack of exercise
• Menopause

Food for patients with heart and blood vessel disease should be limited in fat and high-cholesterol foods. Controlling fat intake can help reduce and delay the narrowing of the coronary arteries.

1.1 Consume foods with reduced saturated fats. Saturated fats are commonly found in animal fats, as well as some plant-based fats such as palm oil, coconut oil, and in various types of dairy products, processed meats like sausages, bacon, ham, and canned goods.

1.2 Consume adequate amounts of unsaturated fats. It is recommended to consume foods that are cooked with oils containing unsaturated fats such as coconut oil, rice bran oil, soybean oil, and corn oil.

1.3 Consume foods with lower levels of cholesterol. High cholesterol is often found in animal fats, such as pork, chicken rice dishes, animal organs, fatty meats, processed foods like red egg, and some types of seafood such as shrimp, squid, and scallops, except for fish which is low in fat. Fast food such as pizza, burgers, as well as various pastries like cookies and cakes should also be avoided.

Avoid consuming excessively salty or sweet foods by avoiding or cutting back on high-sodium foods such as seasoning powder, sauce, salty meat, dried shrimp, shrimp paste, salted fish, pickled vegetables, and fruits. Instead, make it a habit to consume high-fiber foods with lots of bran or fiber, as they are beneficial for health by reducing fat absorption, preventing constipation, and reducing the risk of colon cancer and heart disease. Examples of high-fiber foods include brown rice, hand-pounded rice, whole wheat bread, and rice bran.

Also, it's recommended to avoid drinks like tea, coffee, and carbonated beverages as they contain caffeine, which can cause heart palpitations and tremors. Finally, it's best to avoid alcoholic beverages altogether.