Traditional African cuisines often include foods with high levels of fat and salt. Diets high in fat can lead to weight gain and in turn, this can lead to high blood pressure and raised cholesterol. Eating too much salt can raise your blood pressure, which can lead to heart attacks and stroke.
Keys to help prevent or manage cardiovascular disease are to cut down on fat and salt overall and increase the amount of fruit and vegetables in your diet. Eating more fruit and vegetables can often mean that you naturally eat less food that is high in fat, salt, and sugar.