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“A nutritionally rich, plant-centered diet is beneficial for cardiovascular health. Since there were few vegetarians among the participants, the study was not able to assess the possible benefits of a strict vegetarian diet, which excludes all animal products, including meat, dairy, and eggs. In addition, between years 7 and 20 of the study, when participants’ ages ranged from 25 to 50, those who improved their diet quality the most (eating more beneficial plant foods and fewer adversely rated animal products) were 61 percent less likely to develop subsequent cardiovascular disease, in comparison to the participants whose diet quality declined the most during that time. The people who scored in the top 20 percent on the long-term diet quality score (meaning they ate the most nutritionally rich plant foods and fewer adversely rated animal products) were 52 percent less likely to develop cardiovascular disease, after considering several factors (including age, sex, race, average caloric consumption, education, parental history of heart disease, smoking, and moderate physical activity). The Researchers found that during 32 years of follow-up, 289 of the participants developed cardiovascular disease (including heart attack, stroke, heart failure, heart-related chest pain, or clogged arteries anywhere in the body). Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service), the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, and the Mediterranean diet.” “Our scoring is very comprehensive, and it has many similarities with diets like the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Healthy Eating Index (from the U.S. Jacobs Jr., Ph.D., senior author of the study and Mayo Professor of Public Health in the division of epidemiology and community health at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health in Minneapolis. “As opposed to existing diet quality scores that are usually based on small numbers of food groups, APDQS is explicit in capturing the overall quality of diet using 46 individual food groups, describing the whole diet that the general population commonly consumes,” said David R. Overall, higher values correspond to a nutritionally rich, plant-centered diet.
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Participants who received higher scores ate various beneficial foods, while people who had lower scores ate more adverse foods. The food groups were classified into beneficial foods (such as fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and whole grains) adverse foods (such as fried potatoes, high-fat red meat, salty snacks, pastries, and soft drinks) and neutral foods (such as potatoes, refined grains, lean meats, and shellfish) based on their known association with cardiovascular disease.
#Port folio diet free#
Participants were 18- to 30-years-old at the time of enrollment (1985-1986) in this study and were free of cardiovascular disease at that time.Īfter detailed diet history interviews, the quality of the participants’ diets was scored based on the A Priori Diet Quality Score (APDQS) composed of 46 food groups at years 0, 7, and 20 of the study.
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“Earlier research was focused on single nutrients or single foods, yet there is little data about a plant-centered diet and the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease,” said Yuni Choi, Ph.D., lead author of the young adult study and a postdoctoral researcher in the division of epidemiology and community health at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health in Minneapolis.Ĭhoi and colleagues examined diet, and the occurrence of heart disease in 4,946 adults enrolled in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. One study, titled “ Plant-Centered Diet and Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Disease During Young to Middle Adulthood,” evaluated whether long-term consumption of a plant-centered diet and a shift toward a plant-centered diet starting in young adulthood is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease in midlife. It also advises limited consumption of saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, red meat, sweets, and sugary drinks. Mississippi capital’s black business owners decry water woes Malcolm X becomes 1st black honoree in Nebraska Hall of FameĬommentary: Water blame game can’t shroud the truth Marcus Wright speaksĬommunity voices heard loud and clear at College HillĬommentary: What you can’t see in Jackson “Cover Mississippi”, kickoff campaign launches this Friday at Metro Mall Remembering Katrina: “I didn’t plan to evacuate”Īmber Alert: Two year old Myra Lewis is missing KATRINA: Jordan family reflects on unforgettable experience Mike Epsy: Statment of Candidacy for United States Senate
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