More and more data reveals that the long-held assumption that avoiding saturated fats is the best way to prevent heart disease may be wrong.
Plant-based diets are more likely to reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke than reducing saturated fat intake alone, according to a recent research that tracked more than 4,800 individuals for 32 years.
Yuni Choi, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Epidemiology and Community Health at the University of Minnesota, argues that although low-saturated fat can reduce LDL (the "bad") cholesterol, it cannot be used to predict cardiovascular disease. According to our findings, a plant-based diet may help prevent heart disease.
Researchers used the A Priori Diet Quality Score to evaluate study participants' eating habits after conducting three in-depth interviews on their dietary habits throughout the course of the study's follow-up period (APDQS). Increased consumption of nutrient-dense plant foods and less high-fat meats were linked to better APDQS scores. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or "bad" cholesterol levels were lower in individuals who ate a plant-based diet with less saturated fat, but only the latter diet was linked to a decreased long-term risk of heart disease and stroke.
Choi argues that focusing on a single nutrient, such as total or saturated fat, ignores the heart-healthy fats present in foods like avocado, extra virgin olive oil, walnuts, and dark chocolate, all of which are plant-based. People concerned about their heart health should eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and legumes, as well as a little amount of coffee and tea, which were linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, according to the study's findings.
There should be more than 80% plant-based foods, followed by fish and poultry that isn't fried and low-fat dairy.
A key component of the heart-healthy diet hypothesis is often overlooked because of an overemphasis on specific nutrients, according to University of Minnesota epidemiologist and professor David Jacobs. In general, a plant-based diet lowers your intake of saturated fats. That's simply how plants function.
Saturated fats should be minimized, and fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds should be emphasized as part of a plant-based diet, says Linda Van Horn, PhD of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago and a member of the American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee.
She believes that "there is little doubt that current intakes of plant-based carbohydrate, protein, and fat are below what is suggested, and increasing in that direction would be a healthful improvement," but stresses that this doesn't imply everyone has to be on a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Because plant-based diets have been linked to a decreased risk of various illnesses, researchers are also looking into how APDQS scores influence chronic problems including obesity, diabetes, and renal disease. Plant-based diets, they predict, will supply more fiber and support healthy microbiomes, therefore they want to investigate how diet impacts gut flora.
By providing a strong foundation for the public and policymakers, eating patterns may help define a healthy diet, says Jacobs.