Heart disease kills more people globally each year than any other illness, but diet can be quite effective in preventing it. In fact, a new study found that 2 out of every 3 deaths from heart disease could be prevented through healthy diet changes. When you consider that heart disease kills 9 million people worldwide each year, this could have a huge impact.
The study from Central South University in Changsha, China analyzed the 11 most prominent factors of heart disease, including diet, smoking, high blood pressure, and air pollution, and analyzed what proportion of deaths could be prevented by eliminating each factor.
The study’s biggest takeaway was that small changes can have a big impact. When it comes to diet, eliminating sugary beverages, swapping processed foods for fruits and vegetables, and getting plenty of whole grains and omega-3 can greatly reduce the risk of heart disease. Dietary changes were even more effective at reducing death rates than eliminating smoking, which had the potential to reduce death rates by 20%.
Eating well is a solution for everyone looking to improve their health, especially heart health. If you’re trying to adopt more wholesome eating habits into your daily life, check out our article on Ayurveda, an Indian practice for developing a better relationship with food.
