In a new global study covering 80 countries, a lack of certain foods in the diet is associated with higher rates of cardiovascular disease and death worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates that almost 18 million people died of cardiovascular disease in 2019, accounting for 32% of all deaths worldwide. Of these deaths, 85% were caused by myocardial infarction and stroke.

A study conducted in 80 countries on every inhabited continent and published in the Journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) shows that diets emphasizing fruits, vegetables, dairy products (especially full-fat, low-fat), nuts, legumes and fish were more associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and premature death in all regions of the world.

Adding unprocessed red meat or whole grains had little effect on the results.

6 foods that protect you from cardiovascular problems

A study led by researchers from McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences at the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) in Canada found that insufficient intake of a combination of six staple foods is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in adults. .

Thus, consumption fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, fish and whole milk products It is important to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, including myocardial infarction and stroke, say the experts who led this study.

The study also found that a healthy diet can be achieved in a number of ways, such as eating moderate amounts of whole grains or unprocessed meats.

Previous studies like this have focused on Western countries and diets that combined unhealthy, ultra-processed foods with nutrient-dense foods.

This study was global in scope and focused on foods commonly considered healthy.

PHRI researchers and their collaborators around the world analyzed data from 245,000 people in 80 countries from several studies.

The results were published Thursday in the European Heart Journal.

Based on the ongoing global study, the researchers derived a large-scale dietary assessment called PURE (Predictive Urban and Rural Epidemiology) and then replicated it in five independent studies to measure health outcomes in different regions of the world, and in people with or without previous CVD.

“Previous dietary assessments, including the EAT-Lancet Planetary Health Diet — rich in fruits and vegetables, protein and fat from mostly plant foods, and unsaturated fats from fish and carbohydrates from whole grains — and the Mediterranean diet have tested the relationship between diet. of cardiovascular disease and death, mainly in Western countries,” said Salim Yusuf, lead author of the study and a PURE research fellow.

The PURE Healthy Diet Score included a good representation of high-, middle-, and low-income countries.

According to the authors, the PURE Healthy Diet ranking is not only truly global, but also focuses exclusively on natural foods.

“We were unique in this approach. Another diet combines foods thought to be harmful — such as processed and ultra-processed — with foods and nutrients thought to protect health,” said first author Andrew Mente, a PHRI researcher and associate professor of health research methods. ‘I, Evidence and influence from McMaster.

“Recently, more and more attention has been paid to eating healthier foods to prevent disease. In addition to more fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes, researchers have shown that moderation is important in the consumption of natural products,” he noted.

How many servings of fruits, vegetables and dairy products do you need every day?

Moderate amounts of fish and whole milk products are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality.

“The same results for health can be obtained with a moderate consumption of grains and meat – provided that they are unrefined whole grains and unprocessed meat,” the researcher said.

The PURE Healthy Diet rating recommends an average daily intake of: two to three servings of fruit; two or three servings of vegetables; walnuts, portion; and two portions of milk.

The bill also includes three to four weekly servings of legumes and two to three weekly servings of fish.

Possible substitutes include whole grains, one serving per day, and unprocessed red meat or poultry, one serving per day. (news.ro / photo: Dreamstime.com)