Dietary causes of deep vein thrombosis
Introduction
There are many conditions in Western industrialised societies today that were unheard of, or at least very rare, just a century ago. The same conditions are still unheard of in primitive peoples who do not have the 'benefits' of our knowledge. There is a very good reason for this: They eat what Nature intended; we don't.
The diseases caused by our incorrect and unnatural diets are those featured on these pages.
Dietary causes of DVT:
Carbohydrate-rich 'healthy' diet; processed convenience foods.
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a potentially fatal condition. It is euphemistically called 'economy class syndrome' because it was first reported in people who sat for long periods in the economy section of aircraft on long-haul flights.
More recently deep vein thrombosis has also been reported in people who sit for long periods at their office desks. Deep vein thrombosis is a condition where clots (thromboses) form in the deep veins of the legs, which may then travel to other parts of the body. If the clot goes to and blocks a major blood vessel — in the lungs or heart, for example — it can have fatal consequences.
When my wife and I flew out to Singapore in 1962, we had never heard of deep vein thrombosis. There we were, sat on an aircraft for 24 hours with not the slightest knowledge of such things. But, in those days, neither had anyone else. Planes were slower; they were also smaller, with less room to move around; and we sat for much longer. So why didn't we get deep vein thrombosis in those days? Why is it that deep vein thrombosis only reared its ugly head in the last decade or so?
It's because, since 'healthy eating' was introduced in the 1980s, we have been eating increasing amounts of starchy and sugary foods. It's what we are told to eat. But these raise levels of glucose in the bloodstream to abnormally high levels. In turn, these high glucose levels 'glycosylate' proteins. Glycosylation is a process wherby the glucose is incorporated into proteins. In a way, it's a bit like icing a cake.
The problem is that this glycosylation tends to make the blood stickier. It makes it clot more readily.
The reason we didn't get deep vein thrombosis in the 1960s was probably because of the way we ate in those days.
The answer to deep vein thrombosis is not necessarily to move about more, do special exercises and wear anti-deep vein thrombosisstockings. These all may reduce the risk, but they don't address the cause: a 'healthy' carbohydrate-based diet which puts large amounts of glucose into the bloodstream.
All one needs to do to prevent deep vein thrombosis is eat less carbohydrate-rich foods.
Last updated 1 August 2008
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