A global study published this month suggests unprocessed red meat and full-fat dairy can be part of a heart-healthy diet.
The study, “Diet, cardiovascular disease, and mortality in 80 countries” published in the European Heart Journal, was conducted in 80 countries on all inhabited continents, and challenges advice from previous studies to limit both products.
“Low-fat foods have taken centre stage with the public, food industry and policymakers, with nutrition labels focused on reducing fat and saturated fat,” said study author Dr. Andrew Mente of the Population Health Research Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.
“Our findings suggest that the priority should be increasing protective foods such as nuts (often avoided as too energy dense), fish, and dairy, rather than restricting dairy (especially whole-fat) to very low amounts. Our results show that up to two servings a day of dairy, mainly whole-fat, can be included in a healthy diet. This is in keeping with modern nutrition science showing that dairy, particularly whole-fat, may protect against high blood pressure and metabolic syndrome.”
The findings also showed the addition of unprocessed red meat or whole grains had little impact on outcomes.
Researchers used a new diet score based on six foods that have been linked with longevity: fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, fish, and dairy. You can read more here.
