Cardiovascular diseases are one of the most common causes of death today. According to 2017 data, on average, someone dies of cardiovascular diseases every 37 seconds in the U.S. Moreover, there are 2,353 cardiovascular-related deaths each day.?
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While living a healthy and active lifestyle involving workouts and walks is helpful in eliminating the risk for developing cardiovascular diseases, what also helps is the kind of diet you¡¯re on. And today, I came across two different studies that reveal two food items that can help eliminate cardiovascular disease risk.
According to a study published in Circulation, researchers from the Hospital Clinic de Barcelona recruited 628 adults, each aged between 63 to 79 who resided in either Barcelona, Spain or Loma Linda, California. Researchers segregated them in two groups, with one adding half a cup of daily walnut consumption, while the other abstained from consuming any kind of nuts.?
After two years, the team tested the cholesterol levels in individuals of each group, while also looking for levels of concentration and size of lipoproteins.
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Researchers found that the participants put on the walnut diet ended up with lower LDL cholesterol levels at the end of the study period by an average of 4.3 milligrams per decilitre. The total cholesterol levels went down by an average of 8.5 milligrams per decilitre.?
Regular walnut consumption was found to be associated with a 4.3 percent reduction in the total number of LDL particles and small LDL particles by 6.1 percent -- both indicating a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.?
A study led by researchers from Semmelweis University in Budapest (presented at the 2021 congress of the European Society of Cardiology) looked at the association between coffee habits and incidences of heart attack and stroke. For this, they looked at the coffee consumption habits of 468,629 adults over an average period of 11 years.?
Data for the study was collected by UK Biobank. Researchers divided the subjects into three groups based on their daily coffee consumption with 22 percent reporting they didn¡¯t drink coffee regularly, 58.4 percent drinking half to three cups of coffee in a day and 19.5 percent consuming more than three cups of coffee in a day.?
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In the initial stages of the study, none of the participants -- with an average age of 56.2 years -- had any sign of heart disease. Researchers found that moderate coffee consumption -- up to three cups a day -- was linked to a 12 percent lower risk of death from cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, these drinkers also were at 21 percent lower risk of death from stroke than those who didn¡¯t consume any coffee at all.?
To further understand this association, researchers observed the heart structure and function of 30,650 participants using data collected by MRI scans.?
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Paper author and cardiologist Judit Simon of Hungary's Semmelweis University explained, ¡°The imaging analysis indicated that compared with participants who did not drink coffee regularly, daily consumers had healthier sized and better functioning hearts. Our findings suggest that coffee consumption of up to 3 cups per day is associated with favourable cardiovascular outcomes.¡±
Simon added, ¡°While further studies are needed to explain the underlying mechanisms, the observed benefits might be partly explained by positive alterations in cardiac structure and function.¡±
For more health and tech news, keep visiting Indiatimes.com, and let us know if you are going to drink more coffee and eat more walnuts to reduce the risk of heart diseases.