New evidence suggests the key to heart health isn’t cutting back on pasta or potatoes; It’s not even a low-fat diet.
A study that followed nearly 200,000 men and women in the United States for about 30 years found that some low-fat and low-carbohydrate diets are better for heart health than others.
The key is the quality of the food itself, not the quantity of carbohydrates or fats.
The study, led by public health researchers at Harvard University, suggests that a diet that contains too many processed foods and animal proteins or fats, or lacks enough vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats or essential macronutrients, may not do much good for cardiovascular health in the long term, even if it is defined as low in carbohydrates or fat.
“Focusing solely on nutritional content without paying attention to food quality may not provide health benefits,” concluded Zhiyuan Wu, an epidemiologist at Harvard University who led the study.
Study participants who ate a healthy, varied diet rich in macronutrients had higher blood levels of “good” cholesterol and lower levels of fat and inflammatory markers than those whose diets lacked these essentials.
They also had a significantly lower risk of coronary heart disease, the most common cause of heart attacks.
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“These results suggest that healthy low-carbohydrate and low-fat diets may share common biological pathways for improving cardiovascular health,” Wu explained.
“Focusing on overall diet quality can provide individuals with the flexibility to choose eating patterns that match their preferences while still supporting heart health.”
The findings are based on the self-reported diets of participants, who are all health professionals and therefore may have higher health awareness and better access to health care than the general population.
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This is somewhat limiting; however, the study’s follow-up period was impressive, totaling more than 5.2 million person-years.
These findings join growing evidence that eating less processed foods and more whole grains and vegetables is generally best for a variety of health outcomes. A strict diet that counts calories, carbs, or fat may not be necessary.
“This study helps break down the longstanding debate about low-carbohydrate versus low-fat diets,” said Harlan Krumholz, a cardiologist at Yale University and editor-in-chief of the journal. Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
“The findings suggest that what matters most for heart health is the quality of the food people eat. Regardless of whether the diet is lower in carbohydrates or fats, an emphasis on plant-based foods, whole grains and healthy fats is associated with better cardiovascular outcomes.”
The research was published in Journal of the American College of Cardiology.