The American Heart Association, also known as the AHA, was founded by a group of medical doctors in 1924. It's purpose is to provide information about the heart, heart disease and cardiovascular health. The organization moved into the field of public education in the 1930s, and split into divisions to better reach the public in 1949. Nutrition guidelines are disseminated by the organization as part of its mission.
Function
The AHA tracks the heart health of Americans, makes nutritional recommendations, suggests ways to relieve stress, and encourages aerobic exercise to strengthen the heart. The AHA works with the American Cancer Society on campaigns that share the goal of heart health education. The group also works with the American Red Cross to educate people on how to use emergency cardiovascular measures, including CPR and defibrillators, to save lives.
Guidelines
The AHA's diet and lifestyle recommendations include tracking calories, eating nutritious foods from a variety of food groups, not smoking and avoiding excess alcohol. AHA guidelines also recommend cutting back on fat, salt and high-calorie dairy products. The AHA states that "a healthy diet and lifestyle are your best weapons in the fight against heart disease."
Features
The AHA nutrition program is a multidirectional effort that offers printed pamphlets and an online education center. Featured topics include healthy diet goals; healthy shopping and cooking, with a list of recipes; and tips for dining out. The association also evaluates popular dieting trends and makes recommendations based on scientific study of the diets and the possibility of health complications. Specialized AHA programs that target key risk groups include the Go Red for Women/Go Red por tu Corazon program that encourages women to live heart-healthy lifestyles.
Considerations
Tips for heart-healthy eating, in paper and online PDF pamphlets compiled by the AHA, offer nutritional guidelines for changing dieting habits and developing new eating practices. The Easy Food Tips brochure makes suggestions on how to lower fat and cholesterol, and presents a comprehensive list of food substitutions for foods high in fat, salt and damaging cholesterol. Many of the guides offer nutrition education that includes reading and understanding product labeling, as well as the role of nutritional information in planning healthy meals.
Warnings
Heart problems and an unhealthy appearance do not always go hand-in-hand. Although the AHA links fat to high cholesterol and other conditions leading to heart disease, the heart can be damaged by consuming unhealthy amounts of certain types of food. Protein and high-fat foods can damage the hearts of people who may look outwardly healthy, according to the association. High levels of high-fat foods contribute over time to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, stroke, and kidney and liver disorders. Osteoporosis is also linked to this type of diet. The association discourages the use of high-protein diets and protein-drink weight and maintenance plans.
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