|
 To see what kind of diet patterns might be the most heart healthy, a
team of doctors and researchers examined results from more than a
dozen previously published nutrition studies. Taken together, all of
this evidence shows the best regimen for heart health includes
plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes, the study
concludes.
“There is a great amount of misinformation about nutrition fads,
including antioxidant pills, juicing and gluten-free diets,” said
lead study author Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular
prevention and wellness in the division of cardiology at National
Jewish Health in Denver.
“However, there are number of dietary patterns that have clearly
been demonstrated to reduce the risk of many chronic diseases,
including coronary heart disease,” Freeman said in a statement.
“There is growing consensus that a predominantly plant-based diet
that emphasizes green, leafy vegetables, whole grains, legumes and
fruit is where the best improvements are seen in heart health.”
Based on the scientific data available, nuts in moderation,
extra-virgin olive oil and lean meats can also be part of a heart
healthy diet, Freeman and colleagues report in the Journal of the
American College of Cardiology.
To help avoid high cholesterol, one risk factor for heart disease,
the study authors also recommend skipping or limiting eggs and other
oils like coconut and palm oil.
Even though U.S. dietary guidelines released last year removed
previous recommendations to limit cholesterol, the current research
review still advises against eating too many eggs because they are
associated with higher cholesterol levels in the blood.
Coconut oil and palm oil may be trendy, but there isn’t much data to
show they’re healthy for routine use, the study also concludes.
Olive oil does have proven benefits, but should be consumed in
moderation because it’s high in calories.
When it comes to antioxidants, another diet fad, there’s no evidence
that supplements can help the heart and some evidence that they may
have harmful health effects. But the science does support eating
whole fruits and vegetables to get these nutrients.
Juicing, too, may not be as good for the heart as whole fruits and
vegetables if people end up drinking too many calories, the
researchers note. Juices without added sugar may, however, make
sense for people who don’t eat enough fruits and vegetables.
[to top of second column] |
“The problem with juicing is that many individuals who drink these
tend to consume more calories from added sugars (fruit, yogurt,
milk) than they realize,” Dr. Daniel Rader of the Perelman School of
Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia said by
email. He wasn’t involved in the study.
Gluten-free diets that avoid ingredients like wheat, barley and rye
are necessary for people with celiac disease or gluten allergies,
but don’t have proven benefits for anyone else, the study concludes.
It’s possible that fad diets avoiding gluten without a medical
reason to do this might appear to be successful because people who
try eating this way to improve their health also do other things
that are healthy like getting plenty of exercise and sleep and
avoiding smoking and junk food, said Alvaro Hernaez, a researcher at
the Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute in Barcelona.
“They feel better because of the general improvement in their
lifestyle habits,” Hernaez, who wasn’t involved in the study, said
by email.
Fads diets, especially those that load up on meat or restrict too
much food, should be avoided, said Samantha Heller, a nutritionist
at New York University Langone Medical Center who wasn’t involved in
the study.
“We would all benefit from eating fewer foods that come from animals
such as ham, beef, cheese, butter and pork, and eating a lot more
plant foods,” Heller said by email.
SOURCE: http://bit.ly/2mBgBKW Journal of the American College of
Cardiology, online February 27, 2017.
[© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2017 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
