Did you know that you can reverse certain diseases such as hypertension (high blood
pressure) and type 2 diabetes through the foods you eat? Yes, by changing your diet to
incorporate certain foods and lowering others, you could stop taking the medication that you
are on because your body will be restored to normal functioning.
Over the next coming months, we will explore how we can use our diet to prevent and
manage different types of diseases. This month will link how diet causes diseases so that you
can appreciate why it is important to eat healthy foods.
What we know
The scientific community agrees that adding a lot of salt to our food is associated with
hypertension, this is the reason why the doctors have been telling us to reduce our salt intake.
The current global recommendation for salt intake is 5-6g per day per person; this translates
to about 1 teaspoon per day. Research done in Malawi shows that we consume an average of
11g of salt per day which is almost double the recommended. This is bad because the number
of people being diagnosed with hypertension is increasing rapidly and many people do not
even know they have high blood pressure. One study done in Malawi found that 41% of the
people they studied did not know they were hypertensive. It is very important for you to
know whether you are hypertensive or not because if you do not know, the disease will
progress and put you at risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease which can lead to
a heart attack or a stroke.
What should you do then? Go to the hospital and get tested for hypertension and reduce your
salt intake. The good news is, once salt intake is lowered to less than 1 teaspoon per day,
blood pressure reduces, and this can be seen from as little as 4 weeks.
A study conducted in Malawi showed a high consumption of added sugar averaging more
than 6 teaspoons per day, which is the global recommendation. Added sugars are all
sweeteners such as table sugar, honey and syrups that are added to food and drinks as they are
processed or prepared. Sugars found in milk, fruits and vegetables are referred to as natural
sugars and they do not fall in this category. So, why is a high consumption of added sugar
bad? Because research has shown its association with diseases such as hypertension, certain
cancers, type 2 diabetes, and heart diseases. Added sugars lead to increasing body weight
which makes individuals overweight and obese, this deposits fat around the stomach thereby
increasing risk of diseases. It is therefore important to reduce the amount of added sugar in
the diet by avoiding foods and drinks processed with sugar such as biscuits, chocolates,
cakes, mandasi, sobo, fanta, coke, frozzy and even 100% juice should be drunk in
moderation. Also reduce the amount of sugar you add to tea, coffee, porridge and other foods.
I am sure you have heard that eating a diet high in fat is bad and indeed this is true, but it is
not the ultimate truth. They are two different types of dietary fats, those that are good and
those that are bad for health. The good fats are the type that are liquid at room temperature
such as sunflower oils and the bad ones are those that are solid at room temperature such as
margarine. Studies show that a high consumption of bad fats is associated with increasing
your risk for getting a stroke, heart attack and other heart diseases. Some studies have shown
that people who eat more bad fats have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes,
hypertension, and some cancers such as breast, endometrial and colon cancer. Because fats
have more energy than other foods, eating a small amount increases the total amount of
energy eaten in a day, thereby increasing body weight which leads to overweight and obesity.
The global recommendation is that a maximum of 30% of the diet should be from fat. Studies
show a reduced risk of diseases through increasing intake of good fats and reducing bad fat
intake. So, eat more avocados, nuts and seeds and oily fish such as butterfish and bombe.
Choose cooking oils that are clear and do not start clotting (turning white or milky) on the
shelf. Avoid cuts of meat that have fat on them, choose the lean cuts with as little white on
them as possible.
As Malawians, we love to eat beef, pork, goat and even sheep meat; these are generally
categorized as red meat. A lot of research has been conducted on the impact of red meat on
health and while the agreement on the strength of the evidence is poor, some studies have
shown that a high consumption of red meat is associated with colon cancer, type 2 diabetes,
and heart diseases. There is stronger agreement however that ultra-processed red meats such
as bacon, polonies, ham and Vienna sausages among others are associated with increased risk
for heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It is better for us to eat more white meat which comes
from poultry and fish than red meat. This does not mean we should stop eating red meat, it
means that we should lower the amounts of red meat we eat to 3 times per week and avoid
eating the processed versions of red meats.
As you can see, what you eat influences your health tremendously and hence must be given
specific attention. Make good food choices to prevent and manage chronic disease.
Interact with us
Nutrition is not a one size fits all, the advice given above is general for all. For specific
recommendations, reach out to us so that we can work with you to improve the quality of
your life. Send us an email at ykaimila@nuwece.com or WhatsApp us at +265886273455.
We would love to hear your thoughts on what we have shared and what you would like for us
to discuss next.