According to Mayo Clinic maintaining heart health is crucial, but there are several myths surrounding it. Here’s what you need to know to debunked heart health myths:
To lower your risk of heart disease, you may have heard that avoiding eggs and taking coconut oil is essential. However, the truth is more nuanced.
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, and a balanced diet plays a pivotal role in managing it. It’s essential to consume foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and energy while managing your weight, cholesterol, and blood pressure.
However, it’s essential to be cautious about popular nutrition myths that can lead you astray.
Myth: Coconut oil is a healthy cooking alternative for the heart. The claim: Coconut oil is extremely high in saturated fats, containing approximately 50% more than butter.
But despite claims that some saturated fats in coconut oil (known as medium-chain triglycerides) are less harmful and may even raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, studies have shown that coconut oil raises cholesterol levels (both good and bad) more than other vegetable oils like olive or canola oil. Additionally, medium-chain triglycerides make up only a small portion of the fatty acids in coconut oil.
Moreover, while other heart-healthy fats like olive oil, canola oil, or omega-3 fatty acids in nuts and seafood have been backed by substantial evidence, the supposed benefits of coconut oil have not been demonstrated in large-scale human research.
Myth: Avoid eggs, or at least egg yolks. The claim: Egg yolks are high in cholesterol. So, logically, consuming cholesterol leads to high cholesterol levels. Right?
The reality: Most of the cholesterol in your body is produced by the liver, not from food. While diet matters, research has shown that cholesterol levels are more influenced by the fats you consume, namely saturated and trans fats, rather than dietary cholesterol.
Additionally, eggs contain healthy nutrients such as vitamins A and D, as well as protein. Long-term demographic studies have not linked consuming one egg per day to higher rates of heart attack or stroke. However, be cautious if you pair it with bacon and cheese; this may increase the risk.
Take note of these heart health myths debunked to take care of your health!
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