Meat and dairy products can also boost heart health

New international study: Not only herbal diet heart healthy

A new international study has shown that not only herbal foods such as fruits, vegetables and nuts are heart-healthy, but also unprocessed meat and dairy products. However, health experts point out that these study results should not be considered a license for excessive meat consumption.

Herbal food is good for the heart

Various scientific studies have shown that plant-based nutrition is beneficial for heart health. For example, researchers found that a diet high in whole grains and nuts can reduce the risk of heart disease. The Mediterranean cuisine with lots of vegetables and certain fruits such as bananas and avocados can protect against cardiovascular diseases. A new study has now shown that certain non-herbal foods may be good for the heart.

According to a new study, not only fruits, vegetables and nuts are heart-healthy, but also unprocessed meat and dairy products. As a license for excessive meat consumption, the study results should not be considered. (Image: bit24 / fotolia.com)

Extend life through non-processed meat and dairy products

It has long been thought that dairy products are not good for the heart because of the saturated fats.

However, researchers from the University of Texas found in a study published a few weeks ago that the consumption of such fats in yogurt, cheese, butter and milk does not lead to an increased risk of heart disease.

Also, meat consumption is apparently less problematic than previously thought.

Because a large, international study has shown that not only fruits, vegetables and nuts are heart-healthy and prolong life, but also unprocessed meat and dairy products.

This is reported by the German Society for Cardiology - Cardiovascular Research e.V. in a communication published by the Informationsdienst Wissenschaft (idw).

Limit consumption of refined carbohydrates

What heart healthy nutrition really is, is often different from what many consider it, said Prof. Dr. med. Salim Yusuf from McMaster University in Hamilton (Canada) at the European Congress of Cardiology in Munich.

"For example, our results show that dairy products and meat are heart-healthy and contribute to longevity. This deviates from conventional dietary recommendations, "said the expert at the presentation of the PURE study.

Prof. Yusuf pointed out, however, that only unprocessed meat is part of a heart healthy diet.

In addition, the amount of refined carbohydrates consumed should be limited. Refined carbohydrates have been processed industrially, with most of the fiber content being removed.

This is how whole wheat flour turns into white flour and sugar cane or sugar beet into table sugar.

Data from 50 countries

To get to these results, the researchers analyzed results from five studies involving more than 218,000 participants from more than 50 countries in five continents.

After an average follow-up of 9.1 years, there were 6,821 deaths and 5,466 cardiovascular events, including death from cardiovascular disease, nonfatal heart attacks, strokes and heart failure.

The aim of the PURE study, which was also published in the journal "The Lancet", was to identify components of a modern and international diet that promotes heart health and longevity.

"Recommendations for a quality diet to prevent cardiovascular disease are often based on studies done decades ago in high-income countries," says Prof. Yusuf.

So far, there has been little information about what people eat worldwide today and how that affects their heart health.

The conclusion of the new study: People with a diet that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish, dairy products and meat had the lowest risk of or death from cardiovascular disease.

No license for excessive meat consumption

"From a cardiological point of view, these results should not be interpreted as a license to consume excessive amounts of meat - in any case, excessive meat and sausage products are not recommended - but as a plea for a balanced diet," commented Prof. Dr. med. Ulf Landmesser (Charité, Berlin) the study results.

"In any case, this international study must also take into account regional differences in diet and the availability of food," said the doctor.

"In the affluent countries, from a medical point of view, meat consumption tends to be far too high; here, a higher proportion of the components of a heart healthy diet mentioned in the study by Prof. Yusuf should be sought: fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish and dairy products in the latter the fat content should not be too high. For example, too much fat cheese is not ideal. "

In any case, the results should not be over-interpreted: "This is an observational study," says Prof. Landmesser.

"These are less meaningful than intervention studies in which the effectiveness of a given intervention - such as a nutritional intervention - is examined and compared, for example, with a control group without that intervention." (Ad)