Women eating a high carbohydrate diet have an increased stroke risk of 105% compared to a low carbohydrate diet

Published in the Am. J. Epidemiol. (2005) 161 (2): 161-169.

Carbohydrate Intake, Glycemic Index, Glycemic Load, and Dietary Fiber in Relation to Risk of Stroke in Women
Kyungwon Oh1, Frank B. Hu1,2,3, Eunyoung Cho3, Kathryn M. Rexrode3,4, Meir J. Stampfer1,2,3, JoAnn E. Manson2,3,4, Simin Liu4 and Walter C. Willett1,2,3
1 Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
2 Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA.
3 The Channing Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
4 Division of Preventive Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.

This study can be accessed at: http://aje.oxfordjournals.org/content/161/2/161.abstract?ijkey=2401ff07939554ce81d8f58f9c7fe57322452976&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha

The study examined the associations of dietary carbohydrate, glycemic index, and glycemic load with stroke risk. 78,779 US women were studied for 18 years.

The study found that those with the highest carbohydrate intake had a 105% increased risk of stroke, compared to those with the lowest intake. The association between carbohydrate intake and stroke risk was most evident among women with a high body mass index.

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Recipe of the day

Hungarian Goulash soup

Ingredients
2 large onions, chopped
4 tbsp goose fat
1 kg (2.2 lbs) diced or minced beef
1 tbsp paprika
1.75 litres (3 pints) chicken stock
1/2 large green pepper, cored, de-seeded and sliced
4 tomatoes, peeled and sliced
2 tbsp tomato paste
Salt and white pepper to taste

Instructions:
Saute the onion in the goose fat until golden brown. Add the meat and paprika.

Cover and simmer for ten minutes, stirring occasionally. If needed, a little chicken broth can be added to prevent sticking.

Add the green pepper, tomato, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Pour in half the chicken stock and cook, covered over low heat for about 2 hours or until meat is tender.

During the cooking, stir a few times, adding more chicken broth as needed.

Ten minutes before end of cooking time, add remaining stock.

Taste and correct seasoning if needed.

Serve in heated soup bowls.

Heart disease and stroke risk increased by high carbohydrate diets

This post includes a paper published in Zhonghua Xin Xue Guan Bing Za Zhi 2010 Oct;38(10):934-8 and a recipe for bacon and beet salad.

Study title and authors:
Relationship between serum non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and incidence of cardiovascular disease.

Books:

Ren J, Zhao D, Liu J, Wang W, Wang M, Sun JY, Liu J, Li Y, Qi Y, Qin LP, Wu ZS.

Department of Epidemiology, Beijing Institute of Heart, Lung and Blood Vessel Diseases, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100029, China.

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21176640

The objective of the study was to evaluate the relationship between non high density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C), very low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) and heart disease and stroke in 29,937 Chinese aged 35-64 years.

The study found that non-HDL-C is associated with increased risk of suffering heart disease and stroke and that VLDL-C plays a critical role in the development.

Non- HDL-C is comprised of low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and VLDL-C. High levels of both LDL-C and VLDL-C are caused by high carbohydrate diets. See here and here.

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Recipe of the day

Bacon and Beet Salad

Serves 6

Food Mall: Eggs

Ingredients:

•3 large beets;

•1 cup celery, chopped;
•4 eggs;
•2 onions, diced;
•1 bell pepper, diced;
•8 slices bacon;
•1 cup homemade mayonnaise;
•Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste;

Preparation:
1.Place the beets in a pot and fill with cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and simmer for about 45 minutes, until the beets are tender.

2.Meanwhile, heat a large pan over a medium heat and cook the bacon until crisp, about 5 minutes per side.

3.Pat the bacon dry and crumble it.

4.For perfect hard boiled eggs, place the eggs in a pot with cold water and gently bring to a boil. When the water boils, cover the pot, turn off the heat and let stand for exactly 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, drain the hot water and rinse with icy cold water for a minute to stop the cooking and prevent a grey ring from forming around the yolk.

5.When the eggs are cool enough the handle, peel them and chop them coarsely.

6.Drain and rinse the beets with cold water.

7.When cold enough to handle, remove the skin from the beets and cut them in cubes.

8.Place the beet cubes in a bowl, add the other ingredients and combine well.

9.Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and place in the refrigerator to chill before serving.

Bacon and Beet Salad



Increased saturated fat consumption and lower rates of heart disease and stroke

This post includes a summary of a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Vol 61, 1351S-1359S
Study title and authors:

How could changes in diet explain changes in coronary heart disease mortality in Spain? The Spanish paradox

L Serra-Majem, L Ribas, R Tresserras, J Ngo and L Salleras

Department of Public Health, University of Barcelona, Spain.

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/61/6/1351S

This paper reviewed and compared trends in coronary heart disease and stroke mortality in Spain from 1966 to 1990 and changes in food consumption.

The review found:
(a) Rates of heart disease deaths fell.
(b) Rates of stroke death fell.
(c) There was an increase in meat consumption.
(d) There was a decrease in carbohydrate consumption.
(e) Fat and saturated fat intakes increased.

This review shows that an increase in consumption of saturated fat and meat, together with a decrease in consumption of carbohydrate led to lower rates of heart disease and stroke.