The burden of cardiovascular disease in the African American community remains high

and is a primary cause of disparities in life expectancy between African Americans and whites.

Why is there such an excess burden?

Because of an excess burden of risk factors.

For example, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and high cholesterol.

And what's underlying those risk factors?

Much can be traced back to diet.

Among the ethnic groups, the proportions of people meeting healthy diet recommendations

were generally lowest among blacks. In this national survey, most black Americans

were found to be eating a particularly poor diet, as defined by the American Heart Association.

African Americans may face unique challenges to adherence to dietary recommendations,

and one such challenge is in alignment with a cultural tradition of soul food.

Now, some soul food components are fantastic. Can't get much healthier than collard

greens and sweet potatoes, tomatoes, legumes, dried peas, and, you know, beans, black-eyed peas,

watermelon, blackberries, corn, okra. It's all making me hungry. But conversely,

soul food can also, behind added fats, sugars, and salt, with

prominent use of high-fat meats, not to mention the use of deep frying. So like, you know, fried

chicken and chitlins, which are pig intestines, foods that can be high in sodium and saturated

fat dietary factors linked to chronic disease.

Where did the pig intestine's custom come from?

You have to trace the roots.

Soul food is what the enslaved Africans were forced to come up with in the deep south to survive

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