12/30/2018 / By RJ Jhonson
If you think you know everything there is to know about a diet that is healthy for your heart, think again. According to results from the observational Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiological (PURE) study published in the Lancet, the foods that make up a heart-healthy diet for people worldwide may be different from what was previously believed. Where before, dairy products, healthy fat, and meat were highly recommended to be avoided, they are now considered beneficial to heart health.
“Thinking on what constitutes a high-quality diet for a global population needs to be reconsidered,” says Salim Yusuf, senior author and director of the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada.
“For example, our results show that dairy products are beneficial for heart health and longevity. This differs from current dietary advice,” he explains.
Editor’s note: Artificially altered dairy products such as homogenized, pasteurized cow’s milk, should always be avoided and present a different risk to human health. Unprocessed milk — raw milk — is more compatible with human digestion and physiology, since its molecules and digestive enzymes remain intact.
The recommendations and guidelines currently being followed and upheld for a high-quality diet that helps lower the risk of cardiovascular disease are based on studies conducted decades ago, often in high-income countries. Data on what constitutes the rest of the world’s diet is rather limited.
The research was conducted in order to clarify what truly constitutes a heart-healthy diet. For the study, the researchers developed a dietary quality score based on foods that previous studies have associated with a lower risk of death. These include fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, fish, dairy products, and meat.
The study required the involvement of 218,000 people from over 50 countries. These participants were divided into five groups according to the quality of their diet. Those who consumed plenty of fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, fish, meat, and dairy products have the lowest risk of developing cardiovascular disease and suffering from premature death, according to the study’s findings.
The results offered that contrary to what was formerly believed, dairy products and unprocessed meats may, in fact, be considered good for the heart. They did confirm, however, that refined carbohydrates are less than ideal and, therefore, must be limited. (Related: Man prevents heart disease with superfoods; defies family history of death with perfect health score.)
To lower your risk of suffering from heart attack and stroke, you need to choose foods that are good for your health. Here are some tips on how to eat better for a healthier heart:
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