Friday, June 8, 2018

Impact of Food on Blood Vessels

World Hematology 2018 is here with yet another interesting Hematology Information.
#Blood #vessels make up an essential component of our #circulatory system — they provide a pathway through which our #blood can transport #nutrients to our #cells, as well as remove #cellular waste. Healthy #blood vessels ensure that our #tissues get the steady #blood flow they need to survive, while damaged or diseased #blood #vessels can hinder or completely disrupt #blood flow. Our #diet has a profound effect on our #blood #vessel #health, and #foods rich in certain #fats, #preservatives or #minerals negatively affect our #blood #vessels.
Sodium-Rich Foods
Eating foods high in #sodium negatively affects our #blood #vessels. #Sodium causes our #body to retain #water, which increases the volume of our #blood, which in turn raises our #blood #pressure. High #blood #pressure increases the strain on our #arteries and can also damage small #blood #vessels, such as those found in our #kidneys. Limit #processed #foods, canned soups and fast #food — they all come loaded with #salt. However, even #healthy #foods, such as #cottage #cheese and #whole-grain #bread, can contain a significant amount of #sodium. Always check the #nutrition label, and look for low-#sodium versions of our favorite #foods.
One should not consume more than 2,300 milligrams of #sodium daily — 1,500 milligrams if the person has high #blood #pressure, if the person is over age 51 or if the person is African-American. Look for low-#sodium foods — ones that contain less than 140 milligrams of #sodium per serving — to limit our #sodium intake.
Foods Rich in Nitrates
#Nitrates — a family of #chemical preservatives — also harm our #blood #vessels. Consuming #nitrates increases our risk of #atherosclerosis, a condition that occurs when the walls of our #arteries develop #fatty #plaques. These #plaques not only narrow our #blood #vessels, obstructing #blood flow, but they make our #artery walls more brittle and susceptible to damage. Processed #meats, such as deli meat, bacon and hot dogs, come packed with #nitrates, explains the Harvard School of Public Health. For a healthier option, look for #nitrate-free and low-#sodium prepackaged deli #meats, or simply cook lean #beef, turkey or #chicken and cut it into thin slices to use in place of deli or luncheon #meat.
Foods With Saturated or Trans Fats
The #fat in the #foods we #eat has a significant effect on the #health of our #blood #vessels. “Bad” #fats, such as #saturated #fat, increase the level of LDL #cholesterol — the harmful, low-density type of #cholesterol — in our #bloodstream. High LDL #cholesterol can clog our #blood #vessels by contributing to #atherosclerosis development. Trans #fats — a type of #fat made through a #chemical process, called #hydrogenation — has a devastating effect on our #cholesterol levels. Not only does it increase LDL #cholesterol, but it also decreases beneficial, high-density #lipoprotein #cholesterol. Avoid #fatty #meats — such as some cuts of #pork of steak, or poultry served with the skin on — and full-fat #dairy products to limit #saturated #fat intake, and avoid processed #foods, which can contain trans #fats.

Cholesterol Controversy
The #cholesterol in our #diet might have a negative effect on our #blood vessels. Some people respond poorly to dietary #cholesterol and experience a marked increase in #blood #cholesterol levels after eating it. However, others don’t have a severe reaction to #cholesterol in their #diets. Because there’s no easy way to determine if we respond strongly to #cholesterol, we should still limit our #cholesterol intake. We’ll find #cholesterol in #animal-based #foods, such as #eggs, #shellfish and #meat.

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