A new study has looked at the links between markers of heart health and three types of diet: the DASH diet, a different fruit- and vegetable-rich diet, and a typical Western diet. Its conclusion? Diets that include lots of fruit and vegetables are associated with better heart health.
A new observational analysis recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine adds to evidence that diets rich in fruits and vegetables may help protect cardiovascular health.
The analysis draws on data from the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) trial, which assessed the effects of a specially designed diet on blood pressure, in comparison with other types of diets.
This DASH diet was developed by specialists in nutrition who were affiliated with the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
On the whole, the DASH diet favors the intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, poultry, fish, nuts, and beans over that of red meats and fatty, sugary, or salty foods.
For the current analysis, the researchers — including the study’s lead author, Dr. Stephen Juraschek, of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, in Boston, MA — compared the effects of three types of diet on markers of heart health. The diets trialed were the DASH diet, a different diet rich in fruits and vegetables, and “a typical American diet.”
The latter reflected levels of nutrient consumption reported by the average U.S. adult, while the diet rich in fruits and vegetables was, in many ways, similar, but it contained more natural fiber and included fewer snacks and sweets.
Researchers looked at data from three randomly assigned groups of participants from the DASH trials. The total number of participants in the present analysis was 326, and each had followed one of the three diets mentioned