Doc's Christmas warning: Don't pig out on lechon

MANILA, Philippines – As the Yuletide merriment goes into high gear, Dr Ludgerio Torres of the Philippine Heart Center warned against pigging out on cholesterol-laden food like lechon baboy, the most favored fiesta food of Filipinos. In a television report Tuesday, Torres said emergency admissions caused by heart attacks during the holidays increase every year. “Marami ang incident ng heart attack at stroke pag ganito ang panahon [Heart attacks and strokes are common during the holidays]," Torres said in an interview aired on Tuesday over 24 Oras, GMA's early evening newscast. One of the major reasons for the heart attack, Torres said, is bingeing on fatty foods. "Pagkadumikit na ‘yan sa wall ng ating arteries, kumikipot yung mga arteries na yan gawa ng sebo [Fatty foods can cause clotting of the arteries'," he said. Lechon is the most preferred Christmas food of Filipinos, rich and poor alike, according to a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey. With 14 percent preference rate, it topped other choices such as ham, salads, spaghetti, and other pasta dishes. Celebrating the Christmas season for most Filipinos also translates to drinking beer and other alcoholic beverages, which also produces adverse effects on one’s health, the television report said. Torres said one must be mindful of his or her diet while enjoying the holidays, adding that everything should be taken in moderation. For those who cannot resist bingeing on fats and bad cholesterol during the holidays, Torres has an advice: Drink red wine. “Yung red wine kaya ina-advice ay dahil nagpapainit sa ating katawan yan. Nagpapa-increase ng ating metabolism. Yung red wine mismo nag i-increase ng good cholesterol [We advice red wine because it increases the person’s metabolism rate and it helps produce good cholesterol]," Torres said. - GMANews.TV