How important is diet?
There is a lot of international and local evidence to suggest that diethas a significant effect on many of the risk factors associated with coronary heart disease. As already discussed above, the most important of these - as regards both the cause and the treatment of CHD - is hypercholesterolaemia or a high blood cholesterol level.
The second important risk factor which is obviously linked to diet is overweight - or its exaggerated form, obesity - which in turninfluences both blood cholesterol and blood pressure levels. Tocomplicate matters, overweight sometimes develops when another risk factor such as cigarette smoking is stopped. Finally, the third riskfactor - hypertension or high blood pressure - is greatly affected by dietary sodium (salt) and possibly potassium consumption.
In view of all the above and because of increased concern about the high incidence of coronary heart disease in this country, SouthAfricans are being urged to change their eating habits significantly or face the fact that they could become part of the statistics.
Dietary recommendations
- Total fat intake should not exceed 30% of total daily kilojoule intake.
- Intake of saturated fatty acids should be no more than 10% of daily energy intake.
- Intake of poly-unsaturated fatty acids should not exceed 10%. * Intake of trans fatty acids should be limited.
- Cholesterol intake should not exceed 300 mg per day.
- In cases of under-nutrition, relevant and affordable protein sources
should not be limited for the sake of limiting cholesterol intake. - Salt intake should be limited to 3 g of sodium per day (which amounts to 7,5 g or 11/2 teaspoonful of salt per day or 1 teaspoon plus that which is present in foods.
- Fibre intake should be kept at 20-30g per day in the form of fresh,unrefined foods.
- The maximum daily intake of alcohol should be 2-3 tots (10-20 g).
- Ideal weight must be maintained through adequate physical exercise and controlled food intake.