The key to heart health isn’t just eating less pasta or potatoes, new evidence suggests. It’s not even a low-fat diet.
A study that followed about 200,000 men and women in the United States for about 30 years found that some men and women with low body fat and low carb diet It is better for heart health than others.
What mattered was the quality of the food itself, not the amount of carbohydrates or fat.
The study, led by public health researchers at Harvard University, found that if your diet contains: too much processed food If you are deficient in animal protein, fat, or vegetables, fruitwhole grains, healthy fats, or essential foods macronutrientsEven if it’s low-carb or low-fat by definition, it may not benefit your cardiovascular health as much in the long term.
“If you only focus on the nutritional content and not the quality of the food, you may not get the health benefits.” conclusion Zhiyuan Wu, an epidemiologist at Harvard University who led the study.
Study participants who ate a healthy, diverse diet containing the right macronutrients had higher levels of “Good” cholesterol Levels of fat and inflammatory markers in the blood were found to be lower compared to people who ate diets lacking these essential nutrients.
Also, the risk of developing the disease was significantly lower. coronary heart disease, most common cause of heart attack.
“These results suggest that healthy low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets may share common biological pathways that improve cardiovascular health.” explain Mr. Wu.
“Focusing on overall diet quality may give individuals the flexibility to choose eating patterns that suit their preferences while supporting heart health.”
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The study results were based on the participants’ self-reported eating habits, but because the participants were all medical professionals, they may have been more health conscious and had better access to medical care than the general population.
It’s somewhat limiting. However, the length of follow-up in this study is surprising: more than 5.2 million person-years.
Discovery adds to growth evidence In general, it suggests that eating less processed foods and more whole grains and vegetables is best for a variety of health outcomes. strict diet You may not need the ability to count calories, carbs, and fat.
“This study helps move the conversation beyond the long-standing debate about low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets.” say Harlan Krumholtz, a cardiologist at Yale University, Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
“Our findings show that what matters most for heart health is the quality of the food people eat. Whether the diet is low in carbohydrates or low in fat, an emphasis on plant-based foods, whole grains, and healthy fats is associated with improved cardiovascular outcomes.”
This study Journal of the American College of Cardiology.