Everyone knows we shouldn’t overindulge. It sets back our health goals and can make us feel unwell. But cardiologists say there’s another reason we should eat in moderation. Overdoing it can increase the risk of a heart attack.
“Small amounts of indulgences in moderation are always OK,” said Ameya Kulkarni, a cardiologist at Kaiser Permanente. “If you’re young and healthy and you have a single big meal, it’s unlikely to induce a heart attack, but in the right population, it certainly could increase risk.”
Studies have found that a hard workout, a big meal or emotional stress can all trigger heart attacks. A large meal with a lot of saturated fat, calories and simple carbs all put a similar strain on the heart as a hard workout. It causes blood pressure to rise, while the fat in the food can increase the risk of blood clots.
“These are things that combine together so that, a few hours later, you get a heart attack,” said Steve Kopecky, a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic.
Dr. Rahul Gupta, Director of Cardiology at Gleneagles Hospital in Mumbai, said, "Even one high-fat meal can temporarily increase heart rate, raise blood pressure and trigger angina in people with coronary artery disease."
He explained that, after eating a large meal, the body directs blood to digestive processes and away from the heart. That means the heart has to beat faster to make up for it.
A study also found that fat meals make arteries temporarily stiffer and less able to dilate within hours of eating. That puts additional strain on the heart.
If you do overindulge, there are steps you can take to make it safe. Cardiologists recommend going for a short walk.
Because there is reduced blood flow, “Lying down after a meal can trigger cardiac symptoms,” says Dr. Srihari Naidu, a cardiologist at New York Medical College.
Instead of lying down, he recommended going for a short walk. He pointed out that it will lower the risk of heartburn and will also get blood flowing away from the digestive tract to the rest of the body.
Thanksgiving is in the rearview mirror. But Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s and all the other winter holidays are still coming up. This is important information to know at any time of the year.
