![]() The Heart Foundation recommends unflavoured milk, yoghurt and cheese can be consumed by the general population but for people who need to lower their LDL cholesterol, reduced fat versions should be consumed instead. Full fat or reduced fat dairy?Īlthough full fat dairy foods (such as milk, cheese and yoghurt) contain saturated fat, it appears this type of fat has a neutral relationship with heart health. Common sources of saturated fats include – animal products (butter, coconut oil, meat fat including lard and dripping, beef, lamb, chicken skin and palm oil), and processed foods like pastries and biscuits. Saturated fats (also known as ‘bad fats’) tend to increase LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol in the blood. LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol can lead to plaque forming in the arteries while HDL (‘good’) cholesterol helps to remove cholesterol from the body and makes it harder for plaque to form in the arteries. It is made by the body from the food we eat and is produced in the liver.īlood lipids (fats) that contain cholesterol include low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Therefore, one of the best things you can do to reduce your risk of heart disease is to have a healthy diet and maintain a healthy weight! Dietary fats and cholesterol levelsĬholesterol is a fat crucial to many metabolic functions and is an essential part of all the body’s cell membranes. For example, cholesterol levels and blood pressure can be affected by diet, as can your body weight and management of diabetes. For example, by being physically active, ensuring you have good social support and not smoking, your risk of heart disease is reduced. ![]() Although some of these cannot be changed, the good news is that there are plenty of risk factors within your control. There are many factors that can increase your risk of heart disease. This prevents the flow of blood to the heart, cuts off its oxygen supply and damages or kills the heart cells. The blood will clot to try to seal the gap but in doing so, the blood clot blocks the artery. Unstable plaque is inflamed and has a thin cap which is prone to developing a crack, allowing the blood to come in contact with the fatty contents of the plaque. If there is too much build-up of stable plaque, it narrows the arteries, causing pain and discomfort due to not enough blood reaching the heart – this is called angina and it needs to be treated. Plaque build-up can be considered as stable or unstable. Atherosclerosis can start when you are young, so by the time you reach middle age, it can be quite advanced. Fatty deposits (or plaque) gradually build up on the inside of the artery walls, narrowing the space in which blood can flow to heart. Heart disease results from the narrowing of the arteries that supply the heart with blood through a process known as atherosclerosis. ![]() Paying attention to what you eat and consuming a variety of healthy foods from the 5 food groups is one of the most important preventative measures you can take. Although there is not one single cause, an unhealthy diet can be one of the contributing risk factors for heart disease. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in Australia – in 2018, 11% of all deaths were as a result of heart disease.
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