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Question (Apr 20, 2009 at 11:15am)
Apr. 20, 2009 at 11:15am
I eat a pretty heart-healthy diet, but I'm still confused about "good" foods and "bad" foods. One day eggs are out, then they are in. What does the science say?
Posted in Questions by Anonymous
Comments (1)
Joe says:
This is one of the most frequently asked questions I get. The truth is that what we know for sure about diet and what protects the heart is a relatively short list. A recent analysis of nearly 200 studies involving millions of people concluded the following:
"Good" or heart-healthy foods clearly include vegetables, nuts and monounsaturated fats (such as olive oil.) The Mediterranean diet is the most heart-healthy as it is rich in vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, whole grains, cheese or yogurt, fish and olive oil.
"Bad" or clearly linked with heart disease are the following: trans fats (found in many cookies, snack foods and stick margarines) and refined carbohydrates (such as white bread, cookies and cake.) The Western diet is the worse for heart-health as it is rich in processed meat, red meat, butter, high-fat dairy products, eggs and refined grains.
This analysis also covered many "question mark" foods where there is not yet strong evidence about whether they're good or bad for the heart. Stay tuned...
1 | Apr. 20, 2009 at 11:27am
