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Following a diet is not easy, especially if you choose it on your own. Why? Simply: because people differ from one another. That’s why, those who want to lose weight or want to follow a diet just because they consider it’s healthy, should see a physician who, based on a medical examination, can direct them on the diet that best suits them. Or else, they might face an increased risk for a series of conditions, including heart disease.
According to a review conducted by researcher at McMaster University, which involved 146 studies published from 1950 to June 2007, vegetables, nuts and a Mediterranean diet appear to be associated with a lower risk of heart disease.
A Mediterranean diet incorporates fruits, vegetables, healthy fats such as olive and canola oil, small portions of nuts, fish, red wine in moderation and very little red meat.
“People should focus on consuming a healthy dietary pattern, such as the Mediterranean diet, high in fruits and vegetables, and a diet low in trans fat,” says senior author Dr. Sonia Anand, a professor of medicine at McMaster and a researcher in the Population Health Research Institute.
“We hope our comprehensive review will clarify healthy and harmful foods as related to heart disease for the general public,” Anand added.
On the other hand, diets containing trans-fatty acids and foods with a high glycemic index -- carbohydrates that break down rapidly during digestion releasing glucose rapidly into the bloodstream -- or a western dietary pattern, appear to increase heart disease risk, the study found.
The study, supported by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health, was published in Monday’s Archives of Internal Medicine.
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