Health
Heart surgeon reveals what to eat (and not eat) for optimal cardiac health
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Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in America, accounting for one in five deaths, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
While multiple lifestyle factors can cause heart health to decline, nutrition is a large component, experts confirm.
In an on-camera interview with Fox News Digital, cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Jeremy London shared how nutrition can sometimes be a sensitive topic, as diets can work differently for every individual.
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A focus on general dietary guidelines, including eating whole foods and avoiding processed foods, is a great place to start, according to the Savannah, Georgia-based expert.
Reaping the benefits of nutrition for heart health is about balance, he said.
A cardiothoracic surgeon emphasizes being “mindful of what you’re putting in your mouth.” (iStock)
“If I can eat whole foods 80% of the time, that’s a win for me,” he said. “And I think that’s reasonable.”
Hydration is also an important component of heart health, London said. He recommends reaching for more water and limiting alcohol consumption.
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“That being said, your body, your rules, as long as you know the facts,” he commented. “Alcohol is a personal choice, but it’s really toxic to every cell in the body.”
“From a nutritional standpoint, be mindful of what you’re putting in your mouth — try and focus on whole foods and limit alcohol or remove it altogether.”
The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends filling half of your plate with fruits and vegetables. (iStock)
Diet is especially important for those with heart health-related conditions such as high cholesterol, London said, as they should limit foods high in saturated fat.
Some foods, such as eggs, have been linked to high cholesterol in the past, but recent research has revealed that eggs can be a heart-healthy food.
London commented that eggs are a “wonderful nutritional source,” but added that the nutritional “pendulum” should always stay at the center.
“If I can eat whole foods 80% of the time, that’s a win for me.”
“The dietary portion of the endogenous cholesterol (produced naturally inside the body) is maybe not as important as we had thought previously,” he said.
“There are people who are ‘hyper responders’ and should avoid those situations, but [otherwise], eggs in moderation are a great source of protein and certain vitamins and minerals that you can’t get elsewhere.”
London called eggs a “wonderful nutritional source,” but some people with certain conditions should eat them in moderation. (iStock)
Individuals with high cholesterol and other heart conditions should limit refined flours and sugars, London suggested, as there’s a “direct correlation between blood glucose and triglyceride levels.”
Exercise is also an important component for better balance and results, experts agree.
What’s the 80/20 rule?
The 80/20 approach has been endorsed by experts as a proven concept for healthy eating.
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A recent medically reviewed article by WebMD detailed how eating healthy meals 80% of the time allows for “more freedom” with the other 20%. The approach can affect weight differently depending on how it’s done.
“Because the 80/20 diet features a healthy, balanced diet with a few splurges, it may help you shed a few pounds if you use it to cut down on fattening foods and watch your calories,” the article states. “Anytime you burn more calories than you take in, you’re likely to lose weight.”
An 80/20 approach to nutrition can be enough to support a healthy heart, according to experts. (iStock)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s federal diet guidelines recommend filling half of your plate with fruits and vegetables, making half of your grains whole grain, varying lean protein, and including a serving of low-fat or fat-free dairy.
Sugars, sodium and saturated fats should all be limited, the guidelines state.
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Individuals with specific conditions, such as diabetes, should consult their doctor before starting the 80/20 eating plan.
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Surviving cancer as a child or young adult may have a lasting impact on aging, new research suggests.
Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center looked at whether life-saving treatments, like chemotherapy and radiation, could speed up biological aging.
They also aimed to determine whether this age acceleration was linked to cognitive issues related to memory, focus and learning.
The team analyzed blood samples from a group of 1,400 long-term survivors treated at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, using epigenetic clocks — tools that estimate biological age by examining chemical tags on DNA.
Biological age is determined based on damage the cells accumulate over time, versus chronological age, which is measured by how long someone has been alive, according to scientists.
Biological age is determined based on the damage cells accumulate over time, according to scientists. (iStock)
“These well-established aging-related biomarkers have previously been associated with neurocognitive impairment and decline in older non-cancer populations, particularly in cognitive domains related to aging and dementia, such as memory, attention and executive function,” the study stated.
Most of the group consisted of acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivors, or Hodgkin lymphoma survivors. Participants were at least five years past their treatment, though some had survived for several decades.
They underwent neurocognitive testing to measure their attention span, memory and information processing speed.
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Chemotherapy was found to have the greatest impact on aging acceleration. The study suggests the treatment can alter DNA structure and cause cellular damage.
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“It’s no surprise to find out that young people with cancer who have chemo early in life are affected in terms of long-term aging,” Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News, told Fox News Digital.
Participants underwent neurocognitive testing to measure their attention span, memory and speed of information processing. (iStock)
Researchers also found that cellular aging was closely linked to cognitive performance, as survivors of a higher biological age had more difficulty with memory and attention.
“Chemo poisons and damages cellular function — hopefully the cancer cells more than normal cells, but there is a significant impact on normal cells as well,” said Siegel, who was not involved in the study.
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“There is also something called ‘chemo brain,’ which causes at least temporary difficulty with memory, concentration, word finding and brain fog,” the doctor added.
The research team hopes to use these findings to focus on intervention efforts, specifically by determining when accelerated aging begins.
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“Young cancer survivors have many more decades of life to live,” lead study author AnnaLynn Williams, PhD, said in a press release. “If these accelerated aging changes are occurring early on and setting them on a different trajectory, the goal is to intervene to not only increase their lifespan, but improve their quality of life.”
The team hopes this research will help in the development of early intervention tools that aim to prevent cognitive decline. (iStock)
There were some limitations to the study. The researchers could not adjust for chronic health conditions or education because they are directly impacted by treatment.
Additionally, the study only looked at the survivors at a single point of time, so it could not directly prove causation.
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The study was published in the journal Nature Communications.
Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment.
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