Hundreds of millions of people who have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease can reduce the risk of a heart attack, stroke or premature death, according to a global study.
The finding came after a review of forty trials involving 35,548 participants who underwent seven different diet programs, and who were followed by researchers from the United States, Canada, China, Spain, Colombia and Brazil for an average of three years, according to the newspaper.Guardian” British.
According to this study, which is the first of its kind, Mediterranean and low-fat diets reduce the risk of premature death and heart attacks in people at increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
They also warned that the Mediterranean programs could reduce the risk of stroke.
The researchers acknowledged several limitations of their work, such as the inability to measure adherence to the diet programs and the possibility that some of the benefits may result from other components of the programmes, such as drug therapies and support for smoking cessation.
For her part, Tracey Parker, a nutritionist at the British Heart Foundation, who was not involved in the study, said: “It has long been known that Mediterranean diets are good for the heart, but it is good to know that they also protect against the risk of premature death due to many heart diseases.” and blood vessels.”
And she added, “Whether a person is exposed to these risks or not, a healthy lifestyle that includes a balanced diet such as the Mediterranean diet can help reduce the risk of heart and circulatory diseases.”
And she continued, “Through these nutritional programs, risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease, such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, are also reduced.”
Parker stressed that following this diet is easy, explaining: “Just make sure to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, beans, lentils, whole grains, fish, nuts and seeds, along with some low-fat dairy products in addition to relying on fats from unsaturated sources such as olive oil.”
“It’s also important to eat less processed meats, salt and sweets,” she concluded.