Confused About Carbohydrates ?
Forget everything you’ve heard about carbohydrates making you fat. They don’t-unless you eat too many of them. But that’s true of anything. What’s important to keep in mind about carbohydrates when it comes to heart disease is that certain carbohydrate-rich foods have clearly been associated with a decreased risk. The foods we’re talking about are vegetables, fruits and whole-grain items like whole-grain breads and cereals. Why is not completely clear. It may have something to do with the fact that these foods all contain fiber, which is associated with better weight management and therefore with a reduced risk for heart problems. Fiber takes up a fair amount of room in the gut and apparently has the ability to help people feel sated (Full) even though it doesn’t contain any calories. Research has also shown that fiber helps keep down blood glucose and, to a small extent, helps lower blood cholesterol. In the ERA study, women who had suffered a heart attack and subsequently ate at least three grams of fiber from whole-grain foods every day, such as cereals and whole-wheat bread, experienced slower progression of atherosclerotic plaque afterward than women who consumed less fiber. Some studies have even suggested that fiber decreases blood pressure. But it’s also important to note that people who eat plenty of high-fiber foods have less room in their diets for high-calorie foods that can contribute to increased weight-and increased blood pressure. Whatever the mechanism by which fiber works, hundreds, if not thousands, of studies have consistently shown a link between diets high in produce and low rates of chronic disease, including cardiovascular disease. It’s the same for diets high in whole grains and produce.
