A diet high in fats, processed meats and sugary drinks would significantly increase the risk of sudden cardiac death, reveals a new large-scale study.
- The study, conducted on more than 21,000 people over a ten-year period, shows that regularly consuming fatty, sugary and processed foods increases the risk of sudden cardiac death by 46%.
- On the contrary, following a Mediterranean diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, cereals and legumes reduces the risk of coronary heart disease by 26%.
To keep a healthy heart and thus prolong life expectancy, it is better to favor the Mediterranean diet than the southern diet. This is highlighted by a vast study, the results of which have just been published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
Conducted among 21,000 people over a period of ten years, it shows that regularly consuming fried foods, high in added fats, but also processed meats such as deli meats and sodas significantly increases the risk of sudden cardiac death. On the contrary, favoring a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, whole grains and legumes, but low in meat and dairy products can reduce this risk.
A 46% higher risk of sudden death
To reach this conclusion, the researchers looked at data from more than 21,000 people aged 45 and over. The latter were part of a national research project called REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS), which examines geographic and racial differences in stroke. Of the participants in this analysis, 56% were female, 33% were black adults, and 56% lived in the southeastern United States, an area known as the Stroke Belt due to its higher stroke death rate. .
Among the participants, some had a history of coronary heart disease, others did not. They were asked to answer questionnaires about their diet. After an average of nearly 10 years of follow-up every six months to check for cardiovascular disease events, more than 400 sudden cardiac deaths were reported among study participants.
In detail, participants who followed the southern-style diet had a 46% higher risk of sudden cardiac death than people who adhered least to this diet. Furthermore, participants who adhered most closely to the traditional Mediterranean diet had a 26% lower risk of sudden cardiac death than those who adhered least to this eating style.
8 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day for a healthy heart
“These findings support the idea that healthier eating can prevent deadly cardiovascular disease and should encourage us all to adopt healthier eating as part of our lifestyles. says Stephen Juraschek, member of the American Heart Association’s Nutrition Committee of the Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Council. To the best of their ability, people should assess the number of servings of fruits and vegetables they consume each day and try to increase this number to at least 5-6 servings per day, as recommended by the American Heart Association. The optimum would be 8 to 9 servings a day.”
This study also raises important issues about health equity, food security and social determinants of health, say the authors, who found that the Southern diet was followed primarily by certain racial, ethnic or socio-economic groups. economic. “The gap in healthy eating between people with and without means continues to widen in the United States, and there is a dire need to understand the complex societal factors that have led and continue to perpetuate these disparities”believes Stephen Juraschek.
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