Diet and antiatherogenic aspects — a review

There is evidence that dietary changes could be associated with a significant decrease in blood lipids with a beneficial influence on all the risk factors of coronary heart disease (CHD). Dietary recommendations made for Americans do not appear to be suitable for Asians because most Asians are consuming a diet similar to the phase I diet advised by the American Heart Association (AHA). Several studies have demonstrated that foods such as guava, fish, fenugreek, mushroom, star gooseberry, onion, garlic, Bengal gram, blackgram, horsegram, redgram, parwar, konjac food, bitter gourd, oatmeal, soyabean, almonds, walnuts, elucine (ragi) and tapioca root can cause a beneficial change of blood lipids and decrease atherosclerosis. Several of these foods can also lower blood sugar, hyperinsulinemia and platelet‐aggregation. Banana, guava, musk melon, sweet lemon, lemon, tomato and star gooseberry may also diminish blood pressure. It has been demonstrated that a diet rich in these foods, if administered for a prolonged period, may cause a significant decrease in CHD and total mortality.

Key words:

• CHD
• atherosclerosis
• diet
• lipids