Five vegetables on white background and against white wall, UK.
Did your tests show high cholesterol, low blood sugar or high uric acid levels? Follow the proper diet that will help control them effectively
There are many epidemiological studies that have shown that a healthy diet can reduce the risk of developing various metabolic and other diseases. It is worth noting that it is not so much the individual foods that can reduce the risk of disease but mainly the “dietary standards” such as the Mediterranean, the low carb, the DASH diet and others.
The exact opposite is true of highly processed foods which have unfortunately dominated the modern Western diet. In most cases, unhealthy food choices can increase the risk of diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and hyperuricemia. the main predisposing factor for conditions such as heart disease, diabetes and obesity. This is done through a variety of mechanisms and metabolic pathways as processed foods affect the intestinal flora, promote insulin resistance, chronic inflammation and the overall risk of developing diseases.
Anything that puts pressure
Salt is a food ingredient associated with high blood pressure and the risk of cardiovascular disease, but also with diseases such as osteoporosis and asthma. Today the average sodium intake is 3,400 mg per day, with a recommended intake for healthy adults of 2,400 mg (an amount corresponding to 6 grams of salt).
To reduce salt intake, in addition to avoiding salty and salty foods, it is recommended not to have a salt shaker on the table, to learn to cook foods such as pasta, rice, vegetables and legumes without adding salt to the water and to taste with juice. lemon or herbs and spices or a small amount of wine.
Also, in addition to the “obvious”, we must be careful of the “hidden” salt. This is why we pay attention to bread (it gives about 40% of the salt we eat), cheeses, various pastries (toasts, breadsticks), foods such as salted and processed meats and cold cuts, savory snacks (chips, shrimp), salted margarines and butter, ready-made and canned foods. High in salt are also ready-made sauces, flavor cubes, sachets in sachets, frozen pizzas and pies, breakfast cereals. Finally, we find hidden salt even in sweets such as cakes, donuts, croissants, cookies, chocolate and ready-made desserts.
Reduced salt intake combined with weight management and daily movement and exercise are key factors in treating hypertension.
How diabetes is controlled
Type 2 diabetes is increasing exponentially in all populations and in all age groups and especially in countries with a Western type of lifestyle and diet. The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is currently estimated at 6.4% worldwide, while in Greece it shows an upward trend and its frequency has quadrupled in the last 30 years (11% -12% of the population).
Basic dietary guidelines for the prevention of type 2 diabetes should focus on achieving a negative energy balance by reducing energy intake and increasing energy consumption resulting in a reduction in initial body weight of at least 5% -7% in overweight and obese obese people. It is also important for the clinical dietitian to select the appropriate dietary model, which is adapted to the person with prediabetes, to meet his needs and based on his habits, so that it is applicable and lasting. Finally, it is important to emphasize the reduction of the intake of saturated and trans fatty acids, which are considered highly atherogenic, as well as the increase in the intake of dietary fiber through increased consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains.
The type 2 diabetes diet is now freer than in the past. The latest scientific evidence shows that there is not an ideal percentage of calories from carbohydrates, proteins and fats for all people with diabetes. Therefore, the distribution of macronutrients should be based on individual assessment, current eating habits, preferences and metabolic goals for each individual. The amount of carbohydrates and insulin available is one of the most important factors influencing the glycemic response after eating and should be taken into account when designing the diet plan.
Carbohydrate intake from vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, and semi-fat dairy products should be high, while intake of other carbohydrates, especially those containing added fats, sugars, or sodium (salt) should be limited. Also, the total intake of simple sugars should not exceed 10% and the intake of “free” fructose through fruits and other natural food sources (and not as a substitute) should be less than 12%.
It is also important to choose foods low in saturated fat, low in trans fat as well as added sugars.
Foods for fatty liver
When non-alcoholic fatty liver disease has developed into steatohepatitis, the patient's nutritional needs change radically. The goal of the diet is now to protect the liver from further damage, so a low-fat, sugar-free, alcohol-free diet is recommended, just as it is for all serious liver diseases.
The increasing prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis is increasing in parallel with the global epidemic of diabetes and obesity and in view of their continuing increase, the future burden of non-alcoholic lipids is significantly reduced.
Patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease should follow these steps:
Reduce total fat, saturated fat (mostly of animal origin) and cholesterol from cheeses, meats, eggs and sweets.
To choose olive oil, to cook healthy (prefer mainly boiled and grilled dishes), to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, to drink plenty of fluids.
Avoid alcohol and make reasonable use of caffeine.
Take care of their calories, gain and maintain a normal weight, do not eat too much salt, or too much processed food.
Evidence for alcohol use in non-cirrhotic patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is inconsistent, with complete abstinence from alcohol currently not recommended. The Mediterranean diet as a diet has been shown to improve liver steatosis compared to a low fat and carbohydrate diet and should be preferred in Mediterranean countries such as Greece, while coffee consumption is associated with a lower prevalence of non-alcoholic, fatty and non-alcoholic fats. that it does not work aggravatingly.
Finally, it has been shown that taking herbal preparations with ingredients such as specific amino acids (eg L-methionine and L-glutathione), thistle, artichoke and other herbal ingredients can be particularly protective.
To reduce uric acid
Hyperuricemia is a pathological condition that in recent years has attracted the attention of scientists. It is a condition where uric acid levels are higher than 7.0 mg / dL for men and 6.0 mg / dL for women. Its causes are exogenous (increased intake of purines from food – 1/3 of cases) and endogenous (increased uric acid synthesis or reduced elimination in 2/3 of cases).
Hyperuricemia can result in the deposition of uric acid crystals in various parts of the body and especially in the joints, causing gout. Acute or chronic gout usually occurs after the age of 35 and mainly affects men (1% -2% in Western countries) and is characterized by sudden and acute pain (mainly in the big toe, hence gout ). Epidemiological studies have shown that uric acid is now an independent factor in the development of hypertension, as well as stroke and heart failure. Experiments have shown that an increase in uric acid in animals raises blood pressure, and pilot studies show that a decrease in uric acid in humans may lower blood pressure in hypertensive individuals.
Studies from Greece (eg Ikaria, ATTICA) have highlighted the Mediterranean diet as the most crucial for the prevention of hyperuricemia. It is dietarily recommended to avoid foods with a high content of purines, such as e.g. offal, meat broth, mussels, oysters, roe, sardines, herring, mushrooms, asparagus, almonds and the consumption of low purine and lean protein foods. Finally, it is important to avoid alcoholic beverages (mainly beer) and to consume plenty of fluids daily.
For high cholesterol
AVOID: Foods that help increase blood lipid levels are those that supply our body with large amounts of “aggravating” fat, mainly saturated, which is usually of animal origin and is found in foods such as butter, mayonnaise, animal fat (lard), meat broth, fatty soups and meat extracts, offal (kidneys, liver, brains), coconut fat, pastes, ice cream, creams, lean meats, cold cuts, bacon and egg yolks, whole milk, whole fat yogurt (2 %) and fatty cheeses, cream cheeses, sweets and chocolate, cocoa and beverages, croissants, pastries with eggs and butter and fried foods (eg potatoes, chips).
WE PREFER: At the same time the foods we can consume are those that contain monounsaturated fats (olive oil) or polyunsaturated (fish, nuts) or fiber (soluble and insoluble). Such foods are bread, toast, rusks, rice, potatoes, pasta, fatty fish, lean chicken (breast-skinless), lean meat (lean beef, lean pork), olive oil, skim dairy (milk, yogurt) and low-fat cheeses, lean soups (vegetable soup, tomato soup) and legumes (beans, chickpeas, fava beans, broad beans, lentils), vegetables (artichokes, peas, asparagus, eggplant, eggplant, , cauliflower, zucchini, cucumber, thin beans, lettuce, mushrooms, peppers, spinach, corn, tomatoes and greens).
* Haris Dimosthenopoulos, MmedSci.PhD, is a Clinical Dietitian-Biologist, Head of the GNA Laiko Dietetic Department, Member of the Board. Hellenic Diabetes Society & Vice President of the Society for the Study of Risk Factors for Vascular Diseases
source: The issue was published in issue n.6 of ygeiamou magazine which was published with the FIRST ISSUE on 31/10.
