BEST HEART-HEALTHY DIETS
Review on Established and Emerging Heart-Healthy Diets for Cardiovascular Health Prevention.
Best Heart-Healthy Diets and Cardiovascular Disease Prevention.
The American Heart Association (AHA) Highlights Diet as one of “Life’s Essential 8” to help Promote Cardiovascular Health and Prevent Disease.
- This review presents the Established and Emerging Diets for Cardiovascular Health and Disease Prevention.
- Research has shown the Link Between Diet and Cardiovascular Disease Risk, emphasizing the importance of a Heart Healthy Diet for Cardiovascular Prevention.
- A large International Study, INTERHEART (A Global Study of Risk Factors in Acute Myocardial Infarction - MI), showed that more than 90% of MIs were due to Preventable and Modifiable Risk Factors (Like DIET).
- Furthermore, Daily consumption of Fruits and Vegetables, along with regular Physical Activity, was associated with a 40% Reduction in Myocardial Infarction.
- Lifestyle changes, including a Heart-Healthy Diet, are the foundation of Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Prevention Guidelines, as they can have a favorable impact on Risk Factors like Diabetes, Hypertension, Dyslipidemia, and excess Visceral Fat (Abdominal Fat).
- Among the various Dietary Approaches, the MEDITERRANEAN Diet stands out for its high effectiveness, and for being the most recommended Balanced Diet to Promote Cardiovascular Health.
- The DASH Diet is followed, especially recommended for preventing and controlling Hypertension, with special care in the consumption of Sodium (Salt).
- Likewise, a Healthy PLANT-BASED Diet is well established and recommended, although special attention is required on Sugar and Salt consumption, as well as possible Nutrient Deficiencies if the diet is not well balanced. Veganism, Flexitarian Diet, and Vegetarianism are some of the common ones.
On the other hand, there is a controversy about the benefits of Emerging Diets such as Ketogenic (Keto) or Very Low Carbohydrate (VLC), and Intermittent Fasting (IF), mainly focused on Weight Loss.
- Here, doubt persists about whether the Benefits of Weight Loss outweigh the Risk of Negative Effects on the Blood Lipid Profile.
- Established Heart-Healthy Diets are those with the Best Evidence on CV Risk Prevention.
- Included here are the Mediterranean Diet (Ranked First), followed by the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Diet, and the Healthy Plant-based Diet.
- All of them have shown varying degrees of Cardioprotective Effects and are endorsed by Professional Healthcare Societies.
The Gut Microbiome and Heart Health
- Additionally, this review explores the Impact of Diet on Gut Microbiome and its Cardiovascular Health relationship. This relation has been called the HEART-GUT AXIS.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f7c060e-c808-411e-b971-3ce6add34261_2215x1962.png)
The Impact of the Diet on the Gut Microbiome and its Implications for Cardiovascular Health has redirected attention from Precision Medicine to the Investigation of Cardiometabolic Risk Factors.
The relationship between Cardiometabolic Risk factors and the Gut Microbiome (The Heart–Gut Axis) is an Emerging Area of Study.
The effects of Specific Diet Compounds on Cardiometabolic Risk Factors are currently being investigated. (See image above).
In addition, the alterations caused by Diet on the Diversity of the Gut Microbiome are investigated, as well as its impact on Cardiovascular Health (Heart-Gut Axis).
- Finally, the review addresses the need for additional Nutrition Education in Schools of Health Professionals Schools.
Likewise, it Highlights the importance of forming a Multidisciplinary Team with Patients to improve their Nutritional Knowledge about the adoption of Heart-Healthy Diets.
See Full Article at »
INTERHEART (A Global Study of Risk Factors in Acute Myocardial Infarction - MI) https://www.phri.ca/research/interheart/