Need help in lower saturated fats

[Heartymia]

Hi..i'm new to this....well i had a mild heart attack...so am looking for help in right foods... I've always been a healthy eater cook my own foods no junk...so something am not doing right....

[IvanTheHorrible Maintainer]

Well ... saturated fats don't have anything to do with either CVD or heart attacks, at least not in and of themselves. Don't just take my word for this, or dismiss it as just another internet opinion: Google Is Your Friend, and there's an awful lot of good-quality research on the subject.

Just to quote one particular study on the subject which was brought up recently on HU, a low-staturated-fat diet produced a reduction in CVD 'events' from (IIRC) 77 to 66 cases per 1000, and no change in all-cause mortality. This is a fairly reproducible result - many studies show a similar unimpressive effect. Another way to interpret that result is that substituting SFAs with PUFAs causes a decrease in heart disease with a concomitant increase in some unspecified fatal illness (most likely cancer, as noted by studies that follow patients up to the point of death and keep clear records on the cause).

Of all the things you can do to reduce your CVD risk, regular exercise is the most effective by a long chalk. While the supposed positive effects of low-fat diets and statin therapy deliver around 20-25% risk reduction (and, as noted, with no change in all-cause mortality), getting fit decreases the risk of CVD in males by 200-300% (it'll be different for women), and also decreases your risk of death by any cause (including cancer).

Obviously, given the fact that you've already had a heart attack, you'll need to start an exercise programme in close consultation with your doctor. However, there's no reason not to start, as long as it's done gently.

Just bear in mind that younger women are not generally prone to heart attacks (their risk is only comparable to men once they reach age 70+). So it's possible you have some genetic predisposition. Even so, genetics isn't fate, and the benefits of exercise will still apply. Also worth pointing out that, if your doctor suggests statins, they don't work for women, and even the drug companies don't suggest that they do. They will also make it either difficult or dangerous for you to perform exercise - common side effects include chronic weakness and fatigue, and malfunctions in muscle repair:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[IndigoBlue61]

Hello and welcome Heartymia 😊

Did you mean to post on the Weight Loss Forum? There are other groups which may be of more help, such as the British Heart Foundation and the Healthy Eating Forum

Best wishes

Indigo

healthunlocked.com/bhf

healthunlocked.com/healthye...

[Ali_B62]

Hi Heartymia, I was just wondering if you had consulted resources from the British Heart Foundation? It may be helpful to see what they have to offer possibly sign up for magazines etc. I know that they have some tasty heart healthy recipes you can use. Wishing you well on your journey downwards! Ali