Watch your plate

NEW DELHI: The Indian heart is at risk. And the Indian lifestyle and eating habit are the main culprits. In a study published in the journal of the American Medical Association, a team of cardiologists have said that compared to the rest of the world, Indians, along with other South Asians, have higher rates of heart attack at younger age. But why is the Indian heart more at risk?

Non-conventional risk factors: “Risk factors for Indians are different from the rest of the world and conventional risk factors like tobacco, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and BMI are not the only reasons. Even genetic susceptibility is not the factor responsible for the high rates of heart attack among Indians,” says Dr K Srinath Reddy, one of the researchers.

Prone to diabetes

“Indians have higher frequency of diabetes since their body is more insulin resistant. They have higher central (abdominal) obesity which means Indians are more pot-bellied than others. Indians also have abnormal blood fat or lipid levels where the protective factor HDL (good cholesterol) is significantly lower, and the triglyceride levels are much higher,” Reddy adds. These lead to heart ailments.

Lesser physical activity

“Low levels of physical activity may have possibly created insulin-resistance affecting Indians in glucose tolerance, leading to diabetic conditions. High levels of refined carbohydrate diets that Indians consume may be leading to this kind of glucose intolerance leading to changes in BMI and increase in central obesity,” says Dr Prabhakaran Dorairaj, who was part of the study.

High-carb diet

Eating habits are mostly to be blamed. Indian food is rich in saturated fats and significantly low in fruits and vegetables. Isn’t that news for a country with a high vegetarian population? “Eating tomatoes and potatoes don’t means you are eating vegetables. Green, leafy vegetables are missing from Indian diets,” Reddy said. Experts say the average Indian consumption of vegetables and fruits is 130 gm per day, while the WHO recommends nothing less than 500-600gm per day. The Chinese eat 300gm per day.

The problems don’t end here. Our cooking style is no healthy either. “We overcook vegetables, wash after cutting them and throw away the water after boiling them. All these destroy protective elements,” says Dr Rajeev Rathi, senior cardiologist from Noida’s Metro Heart Institute. Better diet means putting a check on saturated and fat coming from animal food. Focus should be on intake of healthy oil like Soya and Flak seed. Fish intake should be increased. 

There’s hope

“75 per cent of heart attacks can be prevented or postponed by timely action. For this, behavioral and lifestyle changes coupled with health education and a comprehensive health policy is required,” Reddy says. Stress management, yoga, meditation and exercise are important.

Policy changes

Experts say that green leafy vegetables, fruits and healthy oils should be priced low so that they can be afforded by the masses. “Higher pricing would mean low consumption,” Dr Reddy says. Protected pedestrian pathways, cycling lanes and green areas should be increased. Banning colas and junk food from schools would surely help, say experts.