A new research done in Greece said that Mediterranean-style diet can actually help prevent heart ailments. This diet basically includes a lot of fruits, vegetables, oil, nuts, whole grains, legumes, and fish. The author, Dr. Christina Chrysohoou from the University of Athens said that the nutrients from these foods help shield people’s hearts from diseases.
However, there is less information available on how these foods can help people who already have existing heart diseases. Dr. Chrysohoou’s team then set off to monitor 1,000 patients who have suffered from chest pains and heart attacks in the past. The test subjects were also limited to individuals who suffered from these chest pains and heart attacks during light exertion or while they were at rest.
The patients’ diets were also rated, from 0 to 55, on how close their individual diets resembled the Mediterranean ideal. The study showed that those who have converted to the Mediterranean diet have a lowered risk of suffering from another heart attack. The risk is lowered by 31%, to be exact, compared to the time they were discharged from the hospital.
Those who scored the lowest in the rating are more likely to suffer from another heart attack within the year. For every point added to the 55-point score, the risk lowers by 12%. Researchers found that patients who have adapted the Mediterranean diet are least likely to overwork the pumping mechanism of their hearts, as well as suffer from cardiac remodeling, or the harmful changing of the heart’s structures.