What’s in a slice of bread? You don’t want to know.

Jul 1st 2009 at 10:36am

Posted in Categories: Featured | Sports & Health

Photo: Getty Images

Foods high in carbohydrates — like white bread — can be devastating to the health of your heart. Now a Tel Aviv University researcher can watch the damage as it happens.

Dr. Michael Shechter of TAU’s Sackler School of Medicine has come up with a new technique to “look inside” human arteries as food with a high glycemic index distends them for several hours. He says that his dramatic results can provide an effective new warning for people who need to change their diets.

“It’s very hard to predict heart disease,” says Dr. Shechter, a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association. “But doctors know that high glycemic foods rapidly increase blood sugar. Those who binge on these foods have a greater chance of sudden death from heart attack. Our research connects the dots, showing the link between diet and what’s happening in real time in the arteries.”

So what can you do to stay heart healthy?

Dr. Shechter says to stick to foods like oatmeal, fruits and vegetables, legumes and nuts, which have a low glycemic index. Exercising every day for at least 30 minutes, he adds, is an extra heart-smart action to take.