Reversing Heart Disease by Dr. Dean Ornish Article

Reversing Heart Disease by Dr. Dean Ornish - Article Example Low calories slow metabolic rates which makes it difficult to lose weight. In Reversal diet, fewer calorie consumption increases instead of decreasing metabolic rates. Thus, consuming lot of fat gives us a quintuple whammy (Ornish, 250). Reversal diet allows egg white which has high protein. Other than this, protein consumption remains low since animal products are not allowed (Ornish, 247,252). Blood cholesterol comes from animal products like meats, poultry, fish and dairy. Moreover, saturated fat found in animal products is also converted into cholesterol by the liver (Ornish, 254). Dr. Stamler and his colleagues have found out that people with cholesterol levels higher than 180 have increased the risk of heart disease. He has concluded that range of safe cholesterol levels is very small (Ornish, 255). An average person consumes 40 to 50 percent of their calories as fat. The ideal amount that should be consumed is less than 10 percent of calories as fat (Ornish, 246). Saturated fat increases our blood cholesterol level unlike polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat (Ornish, 256). Hydrogenation is the manner by which fat is made more saturated. Therefore, there is more saturated fat in moderately hydrogenated oil (Ornish, 257). Epidemiological research tells us high cholesterol and saturated fat increase blood cholesterol level leading to higher risk of coronary heart disease (Ornish, 258). HDL is considered as â€Å"good cholesterol† while LDL as â€Å"bad cholesterol†. People practicing American diet have the same risk of coronary heart disease.