“The Top 10 Diets for a Healthy Heart: Evaluating the Pros and Cons of Popular Eating Patterns”

2023-04-30 14:11:57

Author : EFE

The Mediterranean, the vegetarian and the “pescatarian” are among those that report the greatest benefits.
Photo : Pexels

According to researchers, the abundance of misinformation about dietary patterns circulating on social media has reached “critical” levels.

A multidisciplinary team of scientists has analyzed 10 of the most popular diets in the world and evaluated the most and least healthy elements that contribute to heart health and has concluded that the Mediterranean, the vegetarian and the “pescatarian” are among those that report the greatest benefits.

But the diet that has received the highest score from scientists is the “style” diet.dash” –Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension-, specifically aimed at stopping and reducing hypertension.

The findings have been published in a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association which appeared this week in Circulation magazine, in which it is revealed that 2 diets, known as “Paleolithic” -which excludes whole and refined cereals, legumes, oils and dairy products- and the “ketogenic” -very low in carbohydrates-, do not respond to heart-healthy eating patterns.

The American researcher Christopher David Gardner, who has chaired the drafting committee of the new scientific statement, has warned of la number of different and popular dietary patterns that have proliferated in recent yearsand of what the abundance of misinformation about them circulating on social media has reached “critical” levels.

Researchers have analyzed the 10 most popular diets and its relationship with cardiometabolic health and the risk of heart and vascular diseasesand have studied the factors that most affect metabolism, such as blood glucose, cholesterol, blood pressure or body weight, since abnormal levels of any of these factors can increase the risk of heart disease and abnormalities in more than one multiplies those risks.

The new one guide to heart healthy eating stresses the importance of limiting unhealthy fats and reduce excess carbohydrate intake -especially processed carbohydrates and sugary drinks-.

Among the 10 diets analyzed are the so-called “dash”, the Mediterranean, the different modalities of the vegetarian style -those that include fish; those that include dairy or eggs; or vegan-, those that are low or very fat, those that are low or very low in carbohydrates and the so-called “Paleolithic” diet.

The eating style “dash” has received a “perfect” score by meeting all the patterns recommended by the American Heart Association.

Those eating patterns are low in salt, added sugar, alcohol, tropical oils, and processed foods, and high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and non-starchy legumes.; and in the case of this diet the protein tends to come mainly from plant sources -such as legumes, beans or nuts-, along with fish or shellfish, poultry and lean meats and low-fat or fat-free dairy products.

The Mediterranean diet is also highly valuedand scientists have highlighted that it does not explicitly include added salt and includes moderate alcohol consumption -rather than avoiding or limiting alcohol-, and most of the characteristics of the vegetarian diet also align with the dietary guidelines of the American Heart Association.

Besides, pescatarian eating patterns and vegetarian diets that include eggs, dairy products -or both- have also been placed at the high level of this classification by scientists.

About the vegan and low fat dietswhich affect the consumption of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes and nuts, and which limit alcohol and foods and drinks with added sugars, researchers have pointed out are difficult to follow long-term or when eating out.

and have observed that these diets may increase the risk of vitamin B-12 deficiencywhich can cause abnormalities in the red blood cells that lead to anemia and that therefore in many cases supplementation may be recommended.

About low or very low fat diets, scientists have pointed out that they are useful to delay the accumulation of fat in the arterieswhich it is beneficial for losing weight, blood pressure, blood sugar or cholesterolbut restrict consumption of foods such as nuts or healthy vegetable oils, which can lead to anemia and muscle weakness.

The American Heart Association receives funding from individuals, foundations and companies -including some pharmaceuticals-but he has stressed in his publication that he follows “strict” policies to prevent these relationships from influencing the scientific content of his work.

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