Researchers at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center found out that making changes to what you eat and lowering your salt intake can reduce your risk of heart disease quickly.
They focused on a particular diet called the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.
Who Participated in the Study?
The study involved 412 adults. These people had slightly high or borderline blood pressure readings. Half of them followed the DASH diet, while the other half ate as they normally would.
Each group tried eating different levels of salt in their food for four weeks at a time: low (50 mmol/day), medium (100 mmol/day), and high (150 mmol/day).
What Were The Results?
The study found that the DASH diet reduced the chances of having a heart attack by 18% and 13% respectively. Just reducing the salt intake from high to low levels decreased the risk of heart failure by 19%.
When people combined the DASH diet with low salt intake, the results were even better. Their risk of heart attack went down by 20% and heart failure risk reduced by 23%.
Why is This Important?
The research team used advanced methods to show how these diet changes can quickly improve the condition of the heart.
Their findings suggest that a diet low in sodium and following the DASH diet can prevent damage to the heart.
This is very important because it could encourage people in the United States and around the world to change their eating habits to protect their hearts.
More on Heart Health
If you’re interested in keeping your heart healthy, you might also want to read up on studies about the ideal blood sugar levels to avoid strokes and heart attacks, and how Vitamin K can cut your risk of heart disease by a third.
You should also know about recent studies showing how obesity can make heart damage worse if you catch COVID-19, and how a certain combination of drugs can reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke by half.
This study was conducted by Stephen P. Juraschek and his team, and was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
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