A diet rich in fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of heart failure by 40%

A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and healthy proteins such as those found in fish is not only good for your line . It is also good for your cardiovascular health.

Here is the conclusion of a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology . The authors looked at the association between five diets and the risk of heart failure . 
They found that those rich in fruits, vegetables like the Mediterranean diet were associated with a lower risk of heart failure in adults without known heart disease. On the other hand, so-called "western" diets consisting of fruit foods, sugary drinks, processed meat and saturated fats are associated with increased risk.

Eat fruits and vegetables to preserve your heart

Heart failure is characterized by a chronic failure of the heart to pump enough blood or pump it hard enough to deliver the oxygen needed by the body. As the leading cause of hospitalization in people over 65, the risk factors for this disorder include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, and family history. In France, more than one million people suffer from this pathology, while it affects between 5 and 6 million Americans.

To establish the relationship between heart failure and eating habits , the researchers followed 16,608 people with no underlying heart disease or insufficiency. They also screened 5 typical diets consumed by these volunteers: a first called "convenience", high in meat, pasta, Mexican dishes and fast food. A second "vegetable", rich in fruits, vegetables, cereals and fish. A third "sweet", rich in bread, sweet foods, fat and chocolate. A fourth "southern" characterized by a high consumption of fried foods, processed meats, eggs, saturated fats and sugary drinks. And finally a last rich in alcohol and salads with vinaigrette.

After an average of 8.7 years of follow-up, the researchers recorded 363 hospitalizations for heart failure. They also found a 41% decrease in the risk of new hospitalization for heart failure among participants who followed the fruit-and-vegetable diet compared to those who did not.

A risk of heart failure related to that of obesity

And it was people in the "southern" diet who had the highest risk of heart failure. By regularly consuming fried foods, fats and sugary drinks, they have a 72% higher risk of hospitalization.

However, according to the researchers, when they adjusted the diet to body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation, and chronic renal failure, this association was no longer statistically significant. This could mean that this diet would affect the risk of heart failure due to factors such as obesity and excess abdominal fat.

For the authors of the study, it is essential to consider diet as a risk factor for heart failure, and therefore to focus prevention on the need to adopt healthier eating habits.