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One in three deaths worldwide, or 17.9 million people, are now caused by heart and circulation illnesses, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Numerous cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are avoidable, and one of the best methods to lower one’s risk is by making adjustments to one’s lifestyle.
The WHO advises a reliable source: quitting smoking, cutting back on salt, upping your intake of fruits and vegetables, and engaging in regular physical activity while avoiding excessive alcohol consumption. However, people may find it difficult to choose which diet to follow due to the abundance of contradictory information accessible.
The American Journal of Cardiology published the study. The DASHTrusted Source diet, which stands for “dietary approaches to stop hypertension,” is based on changing one’s eating habits in order to lower blood pressure. This involves limiting foods high in saturated fats, such as fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, coconut, palm kernel, and palm oils, and consuming fewer sugary drinks and sweets.
It is intended to be simple to follow, offer wholesome substitutes for processed foods, and be flexible enough to accommodate any cultural heritage.
The 437 participants in the study were allocated into three groups at random by the researchers. Each group then followed a different diet for 8 weeks after 3 weeks on a normal American diet with limited fresh produce, high total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol.
The average age of the participants was 45, and almost 50% of them were black women.
With regard to BMI, hypertension status, and physical activity, the three groups were rather evenly matched.
The original diet was maintained by those in the control group. Similar food was consumed by the second group, but they also ate more fruit and vegetables.
The DASH diet was followed by the third group.
The researchers used the Pooled Cohort Equation to determine the individuals’ atherosclerotic CVD (ASCVD) risk after the 8-week diet phase.