This Might Make You Think Twice Before Ordering Your Next Milkshake!
Who doesn’t love a milkshake? Let’s face it, one isn’t going to kill us is it? New research suggests otherwise though, in fact they suggest that just one milkshake could be all it takes to trigger heart disease.
Would you believe that in just four hours after indulging in a delicious milkshake that contains 1,000 calories, 80g of fat and is made from full-fat milk, whipped cream and ice cream, your blood vessels are less able to relax? Stiff vessels raise the risk of high blood pressure, and as we know high blood pressure will ultimately increase the risk of us suffering with a heart attack or heart failure.The milky indulgence also increases blood’s fat and cholesterol levels.
The study was carried out by Dr. Neal Weintraub and his team from the Medical College of Georgia and they believe that their results explain why some people die suddenly within hours of eating a fatty meal. “We see this hopefully as a public service to get people to think twice about eating this way” said Dr. Weintraub. He would like people to consider this before indulging, “Is this food worth your life?”
The American Heart Association recommends adults limit their fat intake to 20-to-35 percent of their daily calories.
How the Research was Carried Out
The researchers analyzed 10 healthy men.
Only men were included in the study due to oestrogen protecting against heart disease in healthy, premenopausal women.
Half of the men drank milkshakes containing around 80g of fat and 1,000 calories.
The remainder ate three big bowls of sugar-coated cereal flakes with zero-fat milk, which contained a similar number of calories as the milkshake but with very little fat.
All of the participants’ had blood samples taken four hours after eating the food.
Four hours is the approximate time it takes people to digest meals.
Changes Linked to Heart Attacks Occur Within Four Hours
Results suggest four hours after drinking a milkshake people’s white blood cells, which are critical to immunity, produce an enzyme known as myeloperoxidase (MPO).
MPO has previously been linked to stiffened blood vessels, ‘internal’ stress and heart attacks.
Dr Weintraub said: “Myeloperoxidase levels in the blood are directly implicated in heart attacks.”
Certain white blood cells also become larger after consuming a fatty milkshake and become deposited in artery plaque, which suggests they play a role in high blood pressure.
Red blood cells, which transport oxygen around the body, also change after drinking calorie-laden milkshakes.
Dr Harris said: “They changed size, they changed shape, they got smaller.”
Although it is unclear if such alterations affect people’s health, red blood cells carry substances that affect blood vessel relaxation and cholesterol levels.
Don’t panic though! Researchers suggest the impact of eating unhealthy food usually resolves around eight hours after its’ consumption. However, making similar choices every day could have a serious impact on your health.Study author Dr Julia Brittain said: “The take-home message is that your body can usually handle this if you don’t do it again at the next meal and the next and the next.’”
The findings were published in the journal Laboratory Investigation.