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An Apple a Day - Harvard
Healthy foods matter more than type of diet in reducing risk of heart disease
Achieving or maintaining a healthy body weight is one key to preventing cardiovascular disease. But even experts don’t agree on the best way to achieve that goal, with some recommending eliminating carbohydrates and others emphasizing reducing fats to lose weight. Few studies have investigated the effects of these specific macronutrients on cardiovascular health.
In a study published online in International Journal of Cardiology, researchers at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center examined the effects of three healthy diets emphasizing different macronutrients—carbohydrates, proteins or unsaturated fats—on biomarkers that directly reflect heart injury. Using highly specific tests, the team found that all three diets reduced heart cell damage and inflammation, consistent with improved heart health.
“It’s possible that macronutrients matter less than simply eating healthy foods,” said corresponding author Stephen Juraschek, HMS assistant professor of medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess and HMS.
Healthy foods matter more than type of diet in reducing risk of heart disease
Achieving or maintaining a healthy body weight is one key to preventing cardiovascular disease. But even experts don’t agree on the best way to achieve that goal, with some recommending eliminating carbohydrates and others emphasizing reducing fats to lose weight. Few studies have investigated the effects of these specific macronutrients on cardiovascular health.
In a study published online in International Journal of Cardiology, researchers at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center examined the effects of three healthy diets emphasizing different macronutrients—carbohydrates, proteins or unsaturated fats—on biomarkers that directly reflect heart injury. Using highly specific tests, the team found that all three diets reduced heart cell damage and inflammation, consistent with improved heart health.
“It’s possible that macronutrients matter less than simply eating healthy foods,” said corresponding author Stephen Juraschek, HMS assistant professor of medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess and HMS.