Two common dietary patterns, including high consumption of chocolate and sweets, may be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death in middle age, according to a study published in BMC Medicine.
Specifically, researchers from the University of Oxford identified two diets that were associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and death in middle age. The first included a lot of chocolate, pastries, butter and white bread and a few fresh fruits and vegetables. The second included a lot of sugary drinks, fruit juices, chocolate, pastries, table sugar and preservatives, and a little butter and high-fat cheese.
To examine the effects of diet on cardiovascular risk and mortality, the authors analyzed data from 116.806 adults in England, Scotland and Wales, aged 37 to 73, with a mean age of 56 years. Participants reported the food they ate over the past 24 hours and then the researchers identified the nutrients in the food groups the participants had consumed and calculated the incidence of cardiovascular disease and mortality through hospital admissions files until 2017 and deaths. and 2020 respectively.
The researchers found that those who followed the first diet were more likely to be men, young people with financial problems, smokers, less physically active, obese or hypertensive compared to those whose diets were not high in the foods in this diet. In the first diet group, people who were younger than 60 or overweight or obese had a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than those over 60 or of normal weight.
From the other side, Participants on the second type of diet were found to have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality, although they tended to be more physically active and were less likely to smoke or suffer from obesity, hypertension, diabetes or high cholesterol. followed this diet. Women, people under the age of 60, or those with obesity in particular had a higher risk of cardiovascular disease if they ate a diet high in the second diet.
The authors warn that the observational nature of the study does not allow conclusions about a causal relationship between diet, cardiovascular disease and mortality. In addition, as the nutritional data were obtained from individual 24-hour evaluations and not from a continuous period of time, they may not be representative of participants' diets for a long time. Future research could explore possible reasons for the correlations between the diets examined in this study and cardiovascular disease and mortality.
"Our research suggests that lower consumption of chocolate, confectionery, butter, low-fiber bread, sugary drinks, standardized fruit juices, table sugar and preservatives could be associated with lower risk of heart disease or lower risk. . Our findings are also relevant to a previous study that suggested that eating foods that contain less sugar and calories may be associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. "The findings of this study could be used to create a nutrition-based diet counseling that will help people follow a healthier diet and reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease," said Carmen Piernas, the study's author.
Source: ygeiamou.gr