Researchers Release Extensive Study On Foods Which Affect Heart Disease

With the rise of mortality due to lifestyles and the increase in lifestyle related diseases there’s been an increased amount of study on how to prevent these diseases. One way, experts suggest, is by making adaptations to diets. Researchers at Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy recently released a list of ten foods which play a role in affecting heart disease.

The Study

The researchers studied national surveys conducted in the US from 1999-2012. The surveys covered 16,000 people who filled out food diaries and had their health conditions recorded over time.

In 2012, more than 700,000 Americans died of heart disease, stroke or diabetes.  “Of these, an estimated 45 percent (318,656 due to heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes) were associated with suboptimal intakes of the 10 dietary factors,” they wrote in their report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

What Should You Be Eating/ Cutting Down On?

The study suggests that individuals should eat more nuts, seafood, vegetables, fruits, whole grains and polyunsaturated fats to reduce the risk of heart and other lifestyle diseases.

It also suggests one should eat less of sodium, processed meats, sugar-sweetened beverages and red meat to prevent the onset of disease.

These results should help identify priorities, guide public health planning, and inform strategies to alter dietary habits and improve health,” wrote the researchers.