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"Cardiovascular diseases kill more people each year-in high, middle- and low-income countries alike– than any others." (1)
What is causing this deadly epidemic? Well some major culprits are an increased intake of saturated and trans fats as well as lack of exercise. These habits promote inflammation throughout the body, and a body in an pro-imflammatory state is at a much increased risk for CVD. Therefore, it should not come as a complete surprise that chronic underconsumption of antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables, which help to keep inflammation at bay, is also having a major impact.
It seems like the term "antioxidant" is everywhere these days. According to media, we should be drinking mangosteen juice, taking antioxidant supplements daily, and eating berries by the bushel. The truth is, if we were just to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day, we would be doing our bodies a huge amount of good. And while we are all aware that we should be eating more antioxidants, it's apparent that we aren't doing a good enough job.
In the US, estimates state that a mere 74% of Americans are not eating a good diet. I couldn't locate the same statistics for Dubai, but according to the Dubai health authority, "The UAE has the 2nd highest prevalence in the world with around 20% of the UAE population having diabetes and another 18% at high risk of developing the disease" (2). Those are some astounding statistics, and while diabetes is a separate disease from CVD, they are both highly linked to diet, lifestyle, and chronic inflammation. In addition, those with diabetes exhibit an increased risk of developing CVD by fivefold.
So now that I have bored you to death with statistics, let's talk about what this practically means and what you can do to minimize your risks for these potentially debilitating diseases. While individuals are genetically predisposed, the major cause is diet and lifestyle. The answer may simply be to increase your consumption of antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables.
A Swedish study just released found that a diet high in antioxidants from fruits and vegetables could decrease CVD risk by 25%. The same benefits were not found in those subjects obtaining antioxidants primarily from mega dose supplements of Vitamins A, C and E (3). Science is proving once again that real food is the best solution for health. So the take home message is obviously to eat your fruits and veg!
Here is the challenge: I challenge you to track every serving of fruit and vegetable you consume over the next week and compare it with the below intake recommendations.
Vegetables: About 3 cups per day (as a minimum). If you are like most people and don't want to measure our your portions, you can think of one cup of raw veg as the size of a baseball.
How close are you to hitting the mark?
1. The Top Ten Leading Causes of Death. The WHO. Feb 2007. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs310.pdf
2. Diabetes Unit, Rashid Hospital Dubai. http://www.dha.gov.ae
3. Adams, Stephen. Antioxidant Diet's Cut Heart Attack Risk. Sept 23, 2012, http://www.telegraph.co.uk