Heart disease? I get no beef from that.

Today on local television I saw my first health warning about the risks of a diet high in saturated fat. I haven't come across many health warnings or advertisements like this in South America. They are part of everyday life back in the UK with many food companies cashing in on a health conscious society with their promises of 'lower cholesterol levels' if you buy their margerine or a 'healthy heart' if you eat their whole grain bread.

I just can't see a health warning filtering into everyday eating out here, especially a social get together. The typical Argentine dish is the Asado - a meat lovers dream with beef steak, pork sausages and other animal parts, salted up and slapped on the grill for a couple of hours (with a little salad garnish for show).
The following situation would just not happen at an asado...

Hello bypass

'So, more meat?'
'Umm you know what? I think I'll pass...  there is a dangerous amount of saturated fat in that piece of cow and I am thinking about my cholesterol level.

(cue crickets)

You would never be invited back again, you would be sent into social exile along with those pesky vegetarians, who probably wouldn't even talk to you, and you would be called a right pain in the arsado.
Obviously, in the UK no one wants to be that health conscious nuisance who refuses food at a dinner party because they are dieting, but healthy eating is still prevalent in social situations.
The diet out here seems to go hand in hand with high cholesterol and high blood pressure - as my boss pointed out during last weekends asado - 'you can never have too much salt' (excellent news - I'll pass that on to my arteries).

So with a diet high in saturated fat and salt, surely cardiovascular problems are sky high? According to research, heart disease is indeed high in Argentina with cardiovascular diseases causing 30% of total deaths a year, but compared with the UK, where a third of all deaths are due to cardiovascular diseases, the rate is not that high.

You tell em Daise

With the average Argentine consuming a person of beef per year (about 70 kilos) why aren't the related problems through the roof? According to Beef magazine (not kidding - it exists, and is actually quite a good read....if you are into, well, beef) 60% of Argentine cattle are still grass fed - which is proven to produce beef lower in saturated fats and high in omega 3 (not the name of a spacecraft but a very handy fatty acid). These grass fed cattle produce better and healthier beef then cattle raised in feedlots - the other farming method. The feedlot option however is becoming increasingly popular with many farmers now choosing it because of the increased efficiency and convenience. It also frees up a lot of grazing land which can be used for the profitable growing of grains such as soybeans.
It is estimated that within the next 5 years 60% of Argentine beef will be farmed using feedlots - not good news for the arteries.


Another interesting fact I came across however, is that the traditional herbal tea - a massive part of Argentine culture - Mate (pronounced mah tay - not like your buddy) has been shown to lower cholesterol (so actually kind of your buddy). Yes, Mate magazine (not really) states that a study conducted in Argentina showed that drinking mate can have a significant increase in the activity of an enzyme that promotes HDL (good) cholesterol whilst lowering LDL (naughty) cholesterol.


The Argentines also seem to be a fairly active nation which helps in preventing CVDs. In BA gym culture is big time with a gym just around any corner. My local gym 'HOT gym' - oh yes, I am all about quality - is particularly busy. However I'm pretty sure one of the trainers has been taking fitness advice from a fat person - walking is just as effective as running? Am I missing a trick here - why on earth do people run then?

Obviously my research has solely consisted of a few hours on the internet and a cup of tea, but could we perhaps say that the Argentines compensate for their fatty diet with more exercise, good quality food and a helping hand from the local drink?
Also, another factor to consider is that they aren't quite yet at the same level of fast food indulgence as the 'great English speaking nations'. They are however on that McDonalds appreciation trajectory and it is becoming more popular all the time.

So, although the situation is not noticably worse than other countries, Argentina stills needs to keep those warnings coming. Another study says that mortality due to heart disease and strokes is estimated to increase by approximately 145 percent among men and women in South American countries in the next 10 years, compared with a 28 percent increase for women and a 50 percent increase for men over the same period in developed countries.

Preventative medicine is generally not a priority for developing countries but it seems to be increasing in Argentina and lets hope it keeps on going based on these statistics.

The future for Argentine cattle