The New York Times : reported that Mediterranean Diet vs. Statins to Prevent Heart Attack and Stroke?

Both the Mediterranean diet and statins can be effective in helping to lower the risk of potentially fatal complications of heart disease. How does the Mediterranean diet stack up against statins in preventing heart attacks and strokes? A large and rigorous study published in 2013, for example, found that switching to a Mediterranean diet prevented about 30 percent of heart attacks, strokes and deaths from heart disease in people at high risk. So, that's a great starting point."If cholesterol numbers remain high despite a heart-healthy diet, statins or other medical treatments can be added, he said. "Quantitatively, you get more mileage from optimal exercise and diet than statins, so it's not one or the other: Everybody needs the diet and exercise, and some people, despite that, will still need statins.

Bob Harper Switches to Mediterranean Diet After Heart Attack​

Since my heart attack, my doctors have suggested more of a Mediterranean Diet so tonight's dinner is branzino with Brussels sprouts and I started with a salad. And you can supercharge your diet by scaling back on red meat and going for fish (try Atlantic mackerel and sardines) and legumes (such as chickpeas and lentils) to keep your heart healthy. #heartattacksurvivor A post shared by Bob Harper (@trainerbob) on Mar 7, 2017 at 4:53pm PSTThe Med diet has long been touted as one of the healthiest diets to follow for its emphasis on plants, fish, and healthy fats like olive oil. If you want to try the Mediterranean diet, start by upping your intake of fresh fruits and veggies and olive oil (look for new-crop oil in a glass bottle and make sure to store it away from the light). Recent research also suggests that it can help boost your levels of "good" cholesterol as well as improve your mood.

Poor Diet Tied to Heart Disease, Diabetes Deaths

Each of these factors accounted for between 6 percent and 9 percent of deaths from heart disease, stroke and diabetes. The researchers used data from multiple national sources to examine deaths from cardiometabolic diseases -- heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes -- in 2012, and the role that diet may have played. "Optimal" intake of foods and nutrients was based on levels associated with lower disease risk in studies and clinical trials. Using available studies and clinical trials, researchers identified 10 dietary factors with the strongest evidence of a protective or harmful association with death due to "cardiometabolic" disease. Optimal intake "could be modestly lower or higher," she explained.



collected by :Lucy William