Eating a Mediterranean diet could decrease the chances of developing heart disease by nearly 25 per cent in women, according to a new study.
According to the World Health Organization, heart disease is the number one killer of both woman and men across the globe. Heart Research UK statistics show that coronary artery disease killed more than two times the number of women as breast cancer in 2020.
However, research suggests that eating a specific diet could help reduce risk. Analysis, published in the journal Heart in the British Medical Journal, combined studies on the Mediterranean diet to identify the benefits of foods - such as vegetables and fruits, whole grains, legume, nuts and seafood - as well as a lower intake of red and processed meats.
Women taking part in the study were given a higher intake of foods associated with the diet. From an initial haul of 190 relevant studies, the researchers analysed a total of 16 published between 2003 and 2021.
The studies involved more than 700,000 female participants aged 18 and above whose cardiovascular health was monitored for an average of 12.5 years.
The team, led by academics from the University of Sydney in Australia, found that woman who most closely followed the Mediterranean diet had a 24 per cent lower risk of heart disease as well as a 23 per cent lower risk of early death compared to woman who barely followed the diet.
The researchers acknowledged that there are various limitations on their findings. For example, the data analysed was self-supported, meaning participants were relied up to log their own food intake.
However, the Mediterranean diet's antioxidant and gut microbiome effects on inflammation and the risk of heart disease are amongst the possible explanations for the findings. The increased fibre intake of those sticking to the diet, as well as the presence of polyphenols, nitrates, omega-3 fatty acids and reduced glycaemic load may also contribute to better cardiovascular health, the researchers suggest.
The research also found that was a decline in deaths from stroke, but it was not statistically significant, with a recent separate study suggesting that people who follow a Mediterranean diet seeing a reduction in their risk of developing dementia in later life.
The findings have seen researchers call for more sex-specific studies to guide clinical practice and heart health.
Commenting on the study, Victoria Taylor, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, said: “It’s long been known that eating a Mediterranean-style diet is good for your heart, but it’s encouraging to see this research suggest that when we look at women separately from men, the benefits remain.
“Heart disease is often seen as a male problem but coronary heart disease kills more than twice as many women as breast cancer in the UK each year.
“Sex-specific research like this is vital for reducing the heart disease gender gap and improving women’s care.
“Whatever your gender, a healthy lifestyle which includes a balanced diet like the Mediterranean-style diet can help you to lower your risk of developing heart and circulatory diseases and the risk factors for them, such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
“It’s easy to do – make sure you are eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, beans, lentils, wholegrains, fish, nuts and seeds, along with some low-fat dairy and fat from unsaturated sources like olive oil. It’s also important to eat less processed meat, salt and sweet treats.”
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