Chocolate & Veggies: Two Approaches to Heart Health in the News Recently

In yet further support of what we undoubtedly already knew, two lines of thought about cardiac disease and nutrition have emerged lately in the press.

The story that got more media attention by far was former President Clinton’s embrace of the vegan lifestyle. Of course, Clinton is widely remembered for his fondness for junk and fast food. Campaign pit stops frequently took in the local McDonald’s, and he was fond of distributing doughnuts as treats to tired staffers.

But then he got a wake-up call, as do over 250,000 people each year in the United States: heart bypass surgery (quadruple bypass, in his case),  following an episode of significant chest pain.

And as many spouses before her have done, Clinton’s wife, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, decided her husband’s dietary choices needed a makeover. After consulting with Dr. Dean Ornish, a well-known cardiac specialist who has authored a number of books on heart disease and lifestyle changes, the Clintons went vegan.

Veganism is a more restrictive form of vegetarianism. A true vegan diet consumes no animal products whatsoever. Thus, where a vegetarian might choose to eat eggs or drink milk, the vegan diet eschews both eggs and all dairy products. Dr. Ornish and other cardiac health specialists believe that  a plant-based diet not only reduces the risks associated with heart disease, but may even reverse the course of cardiac disease once it’s begun in a patient.

The second story which, although it didn’t get as much attention in the press, will undoubtedly be seized upon with much less resistance than the vegan-diet story, is that a recent controversial study concluded increased chocolate consumption reduces heart disease. But before you go out to stock up on M&Ms or Godiva, you should know that many experts assert that there is no proof that chocolate consumption has any direct impact on heart health, and there are indicators that increased calorie & sugar intake can be harmful to your health. It should also be noted that the study in question was an observational one  — not based on the control-vs-test group approach — and it depended on participants to accurately self-report their chocolate intake.

Bottom line? When it comes to coronary disease and nutrition it seems to be:

• Salads: yes, especially without the fat-drenched dressings
• Chocolate: maybe, but definitely in moderation (and better dark than milk)