An apple a day isn’t guaranteed to keep the doctor away, but following this philosophy is a good strategy for overall heart health. That’s according to a recently published research article from the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
The observational study looked at the data of people following a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, along with those following the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. This data was compared with a typical American diet given to a different group.
After 8 weeks, researchers said that people on the fruit and vegetable diet, as well as those on the DASH diet, had a lower risk of cardiac damage compared with the control group. Their research coincides with another small study published last week that concluded that even one meal high in saturated fats can hamper your ability to mentally focus. The researchers made it a point to explain that it’s not just about the particular vegetables or fruits you eat, but rather, the approach to diet.
“It’s tricky with a dietary approach to just research the components,” said senior author Dr. Stephen P. Juraschek. “Sometimes, it’s more natural to emphasize a pattern because that’s how we eat. We don’t eat just one thing. On the flip side, there could be a number of different components that may be contributory that we’re not measuring right.”
In other words, it’s difficult to boil cardiovascular health down to the individual compounds that can be found in your food or in a supplement bottle. What matters most is that when it comes to delivering nutrition to your body, fruits and vegetables tend to punch above their weight and they should most definitely be included in your diet.
