One of the leading causes of death in older adults in America is heart disease. One of the most significant risk factors connected with this diseases is a poor diet. But according to various studies, the elderly can lower their risk of developing heart disease if they adopt one of the alternative forms of nutrition. One that has been proven to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke is the Japanese diet.
The Japanese diet consists of grains, vegetables, and fish which makes it extremely healthy. The key to this diet is not only in its ingredients but in the moderation of how much food you consume. Other overlooked but key elements in this diet are water and tea. Below you have an outline of the Japanese diet:
* Five to seven servings of grains (rice, bread, noodles, pasta)
* Five to six servings of vegetable dishes
* Three to five servings of fish and meat dishes (meat, fish, egg, and soybean)
* Two servings of dairy
* Two servings of fruit
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If you stick to this food guide, you can also throw in a moderate amount of snacks and beverages. This diet is healthy and well balanced in vitamins and minerals, which is the main reason why it’s ideal for preventing heart disease and stroke. Another thing that can make this diet more effective is using water instead of oil and limiting the size of your portions.
The study, conducted by the American Heart Association (AHA), states that Japan as a nation has a very small proportion of their population dealing with heart disease because their diet is low in saturated fats. This is mostly because it is based on fish and soy. To come to this conclusion, the AHA conducted tests on Japanese people living in Japan and Japanese immigrants that adopted the American lifestyle in Hawaii. These studies showed that the residents of Japan had a lower body mass index and lower levels of both low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), compared to the levels of those living in Hawaii.
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