Heart disease is the number one killer and a major cause of disability in the United States, according to the National Institutes of Health. The trans fats and saturated fats found in fast foods are a contributing factor in the heart disease epidemic. There are different types of heart disease well as varying degrees of severity.
Types of Heart Disease
Coronary arteries are blood vessels that supply blood to the heart. A narrowing or blockage of these arteries is a common form of heart disease called coronary artery disease. The narrowing happens slowly over time, leading to blockage and heart attacks. Heart disease can also be caused by faulty valves and pumping problems, which eventually can lead to heart failure.
Trans Fats
Trans fats increase the risk of coronary heart disease more than any other food ingredient, says Harvard University. French fries and chicken nuggets from fast-food restaurants in Denmark contain no trans fats, but in the United States the same fast food has 5 to 10g of trans fat per serving, according to Health Finder, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website. As of 2010, the New York City Department of Health is following Denmark's example by asking restaurants and food suppliers to eliminate partially hydrogenated oils and provide trans fat-free foods.
Saturated Fats
Most French fries and onion rings served in U.S. fast food restaurants are immersed and fried in corn-based oil, which is high in saturated fat, higher than canola, sunflower or safflower oils. Saturated fat is a known contributor to heart disease. Fast food hamburgers and cheeseburgers can contain as much 71g of fat, 31g of saturated fat and 290mg of cholesterol.
Statins
Taking over-the-counter and prescription statin medications may offset the increased risk of heart attack that exists after eating fast food. In the "American Journal of Cardiology," Dr. Darrel Francis and colleagues suggested that fast food restaurants provide heart-healthy statins free of charge to neutralize the health risk. They say it makes sense to provide risk-reducing supplements along with the ketchup and mustard, free of charge. "It's ironic that people are free to take as many unhealthy condiments in fast food outlets as they like, but statins, which are beneficial to heart health, have to be prescribed," Dr Francis said.
References
- Harvard University Gazette: Fatty foods feed heart attacks, researchers say
- EurekaAlert: Free statins with fast food could neutralize heart risk
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Most Fast-Food French Fries Cooked in Unhealthiest Oil
- MedlinePlus: Heart Diseases
- The Cancer Project: Dietitians Rank Five Unhealthiest 'Gourmet Burgers'
