With the increasing rate of obesity around the world, associated diseases such as heart diseases are also on the increase, which is bad news for everyone. Unfortunately, a lot of the delicious foods we enjoy nowadays are the major contributors to cardiovascular diseases. The following three are just such foods that you should be aware of:
1. Deli Meats
Deli meats are used in sandwiches and in fast food restaurants. They contain chemicals and compounds that when ingested, cause inflammation in the body, including in the cardiovascular tissues. This inflammation releases enzymes that break down collagen in the body, which is used in blood vessels and heart muscles.
2. Butter
Butter contains omega-6 fatty acids (not to be confused with omega-3 fatty acids), which has been proven to increase LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol blood levels. LDL is referred to as the bad cholesterol because too much of it can cause diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and other diseases labeled as a metabolic syndrome.
Butter slows down metabolic rate which makes the heart not pump blood very well, and hence, blood circulation is poor.
3. High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
High Fructose Corn Syrup is sometimes added to foods to make them sweet. The problem with it is that fructose can only be metabolized by the liver, but if you take more than what the liver can handle at a time, the rest will be converted to fats for storage. These fats can be stored in cells but they sometimes leak into blood vessels where they can accumulate to block or clog the blood vessel, leading to high blood pressure, strokes, or many other cardiovascular diseases. Even while the fat is still in cells, the deposits can grow so large, that they narrow blood vessels, leading to coronary artery disease among others.
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