Environment plays a major role on how and what we eat, how often we get exercise and our stress levels. Our cholesterol levels are a direct result of our environment. Being aware of this can help us take the steps necessary to make sure we don't let our surrounds dictate how we treat ourselves.
A clinical study called The Seven Countries Study compared the diets of individuals in several countries with low as well as high coronary heart disease rates. The results are quite graphic. They reveal a direct correlation between the amount of saturated fat in a person's diet, his blood cholesterol level, and the incidence of heart disease.
There's quite a difference as you travel from country to country. The rate in Japan, for example is at a low of 100 per 100,000 to a high of 900 per 100,000 in Finland.
The Japanese, who eat little beef, depend mostly on a diet of fish. The Finns, though, base their diets on large quantities of cheese and whole milk products -- foods, which contain high levels of saturated fat.
Countries with high rates of coronary heart disease all have one thing in common: saturated fat. This accounts for more than 15 percent of the calories in the average diet. What countries would that be? Yep, count the United States in as well as Scotland, Holland, England and the previously mentioned Finland.
Those countries coming in with low blood cholesterol levels and corresponding low coronary heart disease have, not surprisingly, diets in which saturated fats account for less than 10 percent of their total calories. The two the researchers named were Japan, which we've already talked about, and Greece.
Now, you might be thinking that these statistics can very easily be chalked up to coincidence. But, consider the results of this study. It shows what happens when a group of Japanese migrates to Hawaii and San Francisco, adapting their diet to fit the culture in which they're living.
As you'll recall, the Japanese -- as living in Japan -- have among the lowest rates of coronary heart disease in the world. They have also had correspondingly low cholesterol levels. The average level was discovered to be less than 170 mg/dL.
When a group of Japanese migrated to Hawaii, their diet change. And we know this because researchers studied their habits. These individual ate more fat and, in particular, more saturated fat than they had in their native country. The diets weren't as high as the standard American diet, though.
As a result, the Japanese in Hawaii experienced higher blood cholesterol levels and, not surprisingly, higher rates of coronary heart disease than their counterparts in Japan.
Those Japanese who migrated to San Francisco, however, adopted an even more "Americanized" diet, according to this study. And they have the cholesterol levels of your average American.
The researchers are convinced these statistics prove that diet -- and not genetics -- plays a large part when it comes to the presence of cholesterol in your bloodstream.
And here's just one more shred of evidence which points to diet as the culprit. Recently, American fast food restaurants have been springing up in Japan. And they are popular.
As you might expect just from the direction of the previous research, cholesterol levels too are popping up along with an increased incidence of coronary heart disease. In fact, heart attacks have increased fivefold.
We need to be aware of how our surroundings affect us. Just because everyone in the office is having fatty pizza, doesn't mean we need to feel pressured to join in. We can still maintain the integrity of our nutritional plan and enjoy the company of others.
Often when we go on vacation, we take a vacation from our healthy nutrition plan. We can still enjoy our new surroundings and enjoy the food and flavor of were we are vacationing without totally abandoning our healthy lifestyle. Or how about holidays? Again, easier said than done, I know. But we as individuals need to take responsibility for our health and the choices we make.
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