Health & Medicine

Cafeteria Diet Leads to Stroke in Youth

Brooke Miller
First Posted: Oct 02, 2012 05:57 AM EDT

A diet that is with high-calorie, high-sugar, high-sodium, often referred to the 'cafeteria diet' gradually increases the risk of stroke or death at a young age.  This alarming study that was being presented in the Oct.1 Canadian Stroke Congress.

Excessive intake of the cafeteria diet triggers symptoms of metabolic syndrome that is a combination of high levels of cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure and obesity. This experiment was conducted in rats and they noticed these changes occur after only two months.

According to the study the animals were at age equivalent to 16 to 22 years in humans at the time of disease onset.

According to lead researcher Dr. Dale Corbett, scientific director of the Heart and Stroke Foundation Centre for Stroke Recovery "I think we'll soon start to see people in their 30s or 40s having strokes, having dementia, because of this junk food diet. Young people will have major, major problems much earlier in life."

The inactive rats were given unlimited access to both nutritional food pellets and a daily selection of common junk food items including cookies, sausage and cupcakes. Apart from this they were given access to both water and a 30 percent sucrose solution designed to imitate soft drinks.

"We're not sure whether metabolic syndrome can be reversed. If it can't, and we continue to live and eat like this, then we're each a ticking time bomb of health problems," said Dr. Corbett. He also highlights the importance of preventing metabolic syndrome with regular exercise and a balanced diet.

"Metabolic syndrome and stroke are huge health concerns for the public," says Dr. Mark Bayley, Co-Chair of the Canadian Stroke Congress and Medical Director of the Neurological Rehabilitation Program at Toronto Rehab. "We cannot afford to continue making poor nutritional choices. Our diet is killing us."

"Laboratory models often use relatively young animals who are healthier and on better diets than we are," says Dr. Corbett. "However, it is important to remember that for many people, the consequences would be even worse, since a lot of people with stroke also have pre-existing health problems."

Be far from certain dangerous cafeteria foods such as the fried things at the bar such as the fried chicken nibblets, shrimps & clams, deep fried wedges, pork chop. And also do not consume any non lettuce based salad such as sea food salad, chicken salad, macaroni salad. Enrolment 

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