Posts Tagged ‘carbohydrates’

Obesity is one of the most common self-inflicted diseases of the modern world. People figuratively dig their graves with their teeth. “The longer your belt line, the shorter your life line.” This saying has been around for a long time, and it is true.
The relationship between obesity and disease is well established. The weight increase usually comes in the form of excess carbohydrates and fats. Coronary heart disease is far more common in the overweight. Their blood pressure is usually much higher, and they arc more likely to become diabetic. In short, the overweight are more likely to develop the risk factors that will predispose to premature heart disease and a heart attack. The overweight usually have a marked increase of the blood-fat levels, both of cholesterol and triglycerides, when compared to normal. A reduction in weight invariably reduces the blood pressure, and the lipid levels generally fall significantly.
Many sophisticated nations have a high consumption of beer per capita. In Australia this is about 103 litres per person per year. This significantly raises the obesity level. for beer is high in kilojoules.
Doctors and scientific laboratories around the world now universally use Systente International (SI) when recording scientific figures. This replaces the older system, and will be the one used throughout these volumes.
Instead of mg (milligram), the term millimolle (mmol) will be used. Most figures are quoted as so many mmol in every 100 millilitres (ml) of fluid (eg blood). The currently used term is decilitre (dL), which is the same quantity as 100 ml. For example, for cholesterol, the level may have read 200 mg/ 1.00 ml, which in the new terminology would read 5.2 mmol/L. Similarly, with the energy unit, the caloric, this has been altered. and now the kilojoule (kJ) is used. 1 calorie equals 4.2 kJ. Therefore. a 3000-calorie per day diet would now read 12,600 kJ. It is simply a matter of getting used to the new terms and the new sets of figures.

An enormous amount of carbohydrate is eaten each day by most people in Western societies. This is another key risk factor. A brief perusal of the table given in this section will indicate just how much an average person takes in the way of refined flour and sugars. As has already been mentioned, this greatly increases the risk of elevating the triglyceride blood levels, for carbohydrates interact with saturated fats to produce this result.

Much has been written and many claims laid as to the harmful effect of starches. Some claim there is a direct harmful effect, but others believe the harm comes about through the effects that a starchy diet can produce, both in elevating lipid blood levels, as well as increasing the obesity factor of those indulging in these excesses.

Often fiber, or lack of fiber, is tied in with carbohydrate intake. Added fiber may have a beneficial effect on the heart vessels. A deficiency, such as occurs when grain has the husk (bran) layer removed, may have a deleterious action.

The net recommendation is that a reduction in the daily intake of carbohydrates, whatever their source, can be healthful and can play a part (and it is not important how this is achieved – it is the result that is vital) in reducing premature coronary disease.