Nutrition for atherosclerosis is an important part of complex treatment. The cause of the disease is the deposition of harmful fats on the walls of blood vessels, which causes the formation of plaques. This disrupts blood flow and can lead to serious complications such as a stroke or heart attack. It is impossible to cope with atherosclerosis by medical methods alone, without following a diet. The patient needs not only to exclude food containing harmful fats from the diet. It is very important to eat foods that lower cholesterol and cleanse blood vessels. You need to follow a diet for a long time, sometimes even for life.
Is cholesterol always bad
Patients with atherosclerosis are aware of the dangers of cholesterol. But do lipids always lead to a deterioration in vascular patency? In medicine and nutrition, fats are divided into harmful and beneficial. Low density lipids contribute to the formation of deposits on the walls of blood vessels, which leads to atherosclerosis. High density fats preventplaque formation. They help remove bad cholesterol from the body.
Low-density fat compounds are found mainly in food. Therefore, the patient should avoid eating foods with a high content of such substances. This is one of the main principles of nutrition in atherosclerosis.
High Density Cholesterol is produced by liver cells and is virtually non-existent in food. However, there are types of food that help increase the amount of beneficial lipids in the body. You need to regularly include these foods in your diet. Cholesterol-lowering and vascular cleansers will be discussed next.
General rules of nutrition for atherosclerosis
For cardiovascular diseases, doctors prescribe table number 10. This is a general diet, many of its recommendations also apply to nutrition in atherosclerosis. But with the formation of lipid plaques in the vessels, even more stringent restrictions must be adhered to. Patients suffering from atherosclerosis should exclude trimmed pork from the menu, as well as some types of cereals (peeled rice, semolina), pasta. Egg dishes can be eaten no more than 2 times a week.
This diet is called table number 10-a, and it is prescribed for atherosclerosis. The features of this diet are as follows:
- It is necessary to drastically limit the consumption of animal fat. It is these products that contain a large amount of harmful lipids. As for vegetable fats, doctors do not impose a strict ban on their use, and some types of such foods are even useful.
- Needreduce the consumption of eggs. However, this product should not be completely excluded from the diet, because it contains many useful substances. You can eat 2-3 chicken eggs per week, this will not harm the body. The product contains fatty acids and lecithin, which may even provide benefits. You should not just abuse this dish. It is better to refuse quail eggs, as they contain even more cholesterol than chicken eggs.
- You should also not get carried away with the use of the liver, this product is rich in unhe althy fats.
- Butter should be completely excluded from the menu, like any other fat of animal origin. Food for a patient with atherosclerosis is cooked in vegetable oil.
- It is good to eat poultry meat, some types of fish, seafood.
- You should try to eat as many vegetables as possible.
- When using cereals, preference should be given to unrefined varieties.
- No spicy food.
- It is not recommended to fry vegetables, fish and meat. It is preferable to boil or stew foods. You can also cook food in a double boiler or bake in the oven.
- S alt should be kept to a minimum.
- The menu must be designed in such a way that the food contains a sufficient amount of useful substances.
Principles of nutrition in atherosclerosis provide for a reduction in the calorie content of the diet to 2500 kcal per day. This is necessary to prevent obesity. If the patient is already overweight, then the calorie content should belimit to 2000 kcal per day.
With atherosclerosis, you need to eat often. At the same time, portions of dishes should be small. If a person eats rarely and plentifully, then the food is absorbed worse and harmful lipids settle on the vessels.
The main amount of food should be taken in the morning and afternoon. In the evening, you can cook a light dinner from dishes that are well absorbed by the body (fish, seafood and dairy products). The last meal should be 1.5-2.0 hours before bedtime.
Allowed Foods
What can you eat with atherosclerosis? In dietology, it is customary to distinguish permitted, conditionally permitted and prohibited foods. For vascular diseases, the following products are considered useful and harmless:
- Vegetarian soups on vegetable broths. The first courses should be served at the table with fresh herbs. Parsley and dill help to reduce edema, which patients often suffer from. The menu for atherosclerosis should include vegetarian beetroot soup, this dish is rich in fiber and vitamins.
- Dietary meats. You should stop eating beef, lamb, pork, especially fatty varieties. It is useful to include poultry meat (chicken, turkey), rabbit in the menu. Sometimes you can eat lean veal. Meat should be boiled, stewed or baked.
- Fish. This product should be included in the diet, as it is a source of protein and beneficial omega acids. What kind of fish can be eaten with atherosclerosis of the vessels? Preference should be given to low-fat types. Sea fish is more useful than river fish.
- Vegetable dishes from beets, cabbage, zucchini,eggplant. They can be boiled or stewed. Nutrition for atherosclerosis involves the daily consumption of raw vegetables. Useful salads of cucumbers and tomatoes, but they should not be flavored with mayonnaise. Vegetable oils should be used as a dressing.
- Products from unrefined cereals. They can be consumed in the form of cereals and side dishes.
- Fruit drinks, compotes, juices (except grape). It is also allowed to drink weak black or green tea.
- Fruit. This product is useful as it is a source of vitamins. However, sweet fruits should not be abused.
- Dairy products. These foods should be included in your daily diet. However, it must be remembered that milk, cottage cheese or sour cream with a high percentage of fat in atherosclerosis are harmful.
Conditionally allowed food
Some dishes with atherosclerosis are allowed to eat in limited quantities. They are not prohibited, but they should not be abused. They should occasionally be included in the diet so that the patient does not experience hunger. These types of food include:
- Seafood. The patient can consume mussels, squid or sea kale in small quantities. This will enrich the body with iodine.
- Eggs. Proteins can be eaten every day, they do not contain harmful lipids. As for the yolks, they are included in the diet no more than 2-3 times a week.
- Fatty sea fish. This type of food is recommended for aortic lesions. If the patient has atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels, then such a productexcluded from the menu.
- Rye bread products. They can be eaten in moderation.
- Drink from chicory. Patients with atherosclerosis are strictly forbidden coffee. This drink increases blood pressure and negatively affects blood vessels. If the patient is accustomed to coffee taste, then a chicory surrogate can be used.
- Cheese. This product is allowed to be eaten in very small quantities. In this case, you need to choose mild varieties.
- Fruit. Patients with atherosclerosis should not eat sweets: chocolate, ice cream, cakes. Therefore, many patients do not have enough sugar. To compensate for this deficit, a small amount of sweet fruits and dried fruits are introduced into the diet: bananas, pears, prunes, dried apricots.
- Greens. Parsley and dill are useful for atherosclerosis, but spinach, sorrel and raw onions should be discarded. Garlic is generally not recommended. However, with atherosclerosis, doctors advise using garlic tincture in moderate doses. This is a folk remedy for plaque in the vessels.
Many patients are interested in whether it is possible to eat potatoes with atherosclerosis. For vascular diseases, doctors usually recommend eating vegetables. But you need to remember that potatoes are quite high-calorie foods. Therefore, it should be eaten in moderation, since it is undesirable for a patient with atherosclerosis to gain weight. Potatoes are cooked in boiled or baked form. You should not fry this vegetable, such food is harmful. It is very useful to use potato juice, it is a good folk remedy for the treatment of atherosclerosis.
Forbidden foods
Some products for atherosclerosis are strictly prohibited. These include the following types of food:
- any conservation;
- pickled vegetables;
- muffin;
- s alted fish (like herring);
- sausages (especially smoked and with fat);
- lard and other animal fat;
- soups with rich broth, fatty meat broths;
- smoked meat and fish products.
Alcohol is contraindicated for all patients with vascular pathologies. Coffee and strong black tea should also be avoided. These drinks often lead to hypertension.
What food cleanses blood vessels?
Some foods increase the amount of beneficial lipids in the body. This helps to clear the vessels of plaques. These types of food include the following products:
- Fish. It is useful to include salmon, mackerel and tuna dishes in the menu. These types of fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids. These substances reduce the amount of harmful triglycerides, and increase the production of high-density lipids.
- Olive oil. This product is recommended to season vegetable salads. Olive oil contains oleic acid, which increases good cholesterol levels.
- Cabbage broccoli. The composition of the vegetable includes amino acids that prevent the formation of plaque in the vessels.
- Walnuts. They are rich in omega acids, and are able to reduce the level of harmful lipids and increase the amount of useful ones.
- Green tea. The drink contains vitamin-like substances - catechins. They help the bodyprocess cholesterol and cleanse blood vessels. White tea is even richer in catechins, but this drink is quite rare.
- Persimmon. It contains polyphenols, which reduce the amount of fat in the body. This fruit has a sweet taste, but it can be eaten without fear. Persimmon does not cause an increase in blood glucose levels and is low in calories.
- Cranberries. The berry is rich in potassium. This element contributes to the production of beneficial lipids in the body.
You should try to include these foods in your diet as often as possible. Usually, with atherosclerosis, doctors prescribe drugs that lower cholesterol. Drug therapy, combined with diet and vascular cleansing products, can give good results.
Fats
Should a patient with atherosclerosis stop eating fat completely? Lipids are essential for the body to function properly. Therefore, it is not advisable to completely eliminate fats from the diet.
You just need to make sure that the diet contains as few harmful animal lipids as possible. They are found in foods such as lard, butter, fatty meats. At the same time, you can safely fill dishes with olive oil, eat avocados, fish, mussels. These foods contain he althy fats.
Carbohydrates
Harm to the body in atherosclerosis is caused by foods high in starch and simple carbohydrates. These include sugar and sweets. However, harmful starchcan be replaced with fiber products. They give a feeling of fullness. These are dishes from potatoes and other vegetables, bread made from white flour.
Proteins
Protein is necessary for the body for the strength of the musculoskeletal system. You should try to include in the menu products that include these substances. But it is important to pay attention to the content of cholesterol. Preference should be given to white poultry meat (fillet, chicken or turkey breast). This product contains enough protein, but little lipids. Useful substances are also found in low-fat dairy products and dishes from beans (peas, beans).
Vitamins
The diet of patients should be rich in vitamins. These substances are antioxidants. They remove oxidation products from the body and thereby help cleanse the blood vessels.
Vitamins for atherosclerosis are an important part of complex treatment. They are used both in the form of medications and with food. Recommended vitamin B6, C, E, as well as nicotinic acid. These substances are found in fish, meat, fruits and vegetables.
Nursing care
Nursing care for atherosclerosis is provided while in hospital. The task of nursing staff includes not only monitoring the hygiene of the patient and the timely intake of prescribed medications. It is very important to explain to a person with atherosclerosis the need to follow a diet. Also, the nurse should conduct a conversation with the patient's relatives and tell them about the principles of nutrition for vascular diseases. Oftenit happens that the patient after discharge from the hospital ceases to adhere to the recommended diet, which leads to dangerous complications. It is necessary to tell the patient about the inadmissibility of eating fatty foods, because atherosclerosis is most often the result of malnutrition.
