A new study examines the links between various diets containing fried foods and the risk of sudden cardiac death. The researchers were able to show that nutrition plays an important role in a person's cardiovascular health. They found that people who have a...Mediterranean dietfollowed most closely and did not have coronary artery disease had a lower risk of sudden cardiac death. However, those who consumed mostly fried foods and sugary drinks were at higher risk.
Western diet and fried foods as a risk factor for cardiac death
The study results show that the Mediterranean diet, which focuses on legumes, vegetables, fruits, fish and grains, can protect against cardiovascular disease. Researchers obtained health and demographic background information from participants at baseline. Each year they also filled out a questionnaire about food frequency. Using this data, the study authors were able to give each subject a Mediterranean diet score that reflected their adherence to the Mediterranean diet. One dietary pattern consisted primarily of pasta, pizza, and Mexican and Chinese food. The plant-based pattern involved eating lots of vegetables, fruits, grains, legumes, yogurt, chicken, and fish. The sweets diet contained large amounts of desserts, sugary foods, chocolate, and grains. There was also a lot of fried food, sweetened drinks, processed meat and offal, and eggs. People following a diet with alcohol and salads consumed a lot of leafy greens, dressings, tomatoes and alcoholic beverages.
The researchers found that those who eat a Western diet have a 46% higher risk of sudden cardiac death. Conversely, participants who adhered most closely to the Mediterranean diet had a 26% lower risk of this. Accordingly, the results suggest that diet may be a modifiable risk factor for heart health. The study authors recommend adding fish to your daily menu 1 or 2 days a week instead of always eating beef or pork. In addition, people should eat vegetables as a side dish more often instead of always consuming potatoes or other starchy side dishes. Reducing the amount of sweetened drinks and sweets consumed daily is also recommended. The resultsthis studyhowever, need to be confirmed in other populations and cohorts to see whether these hold in study samples of different ages, in participants of different socioeconomic status, and in underserved populations.
