According to a recent study, Southern diet is not healthy at all as it seems that the regular intake of this kind of food might increase the risk of heart diseases. The new study claims that this pattern of diet has a 56 percent greater risk of getting heart problems, no matter the gender or race.
The discoveries were revealed after comparing the southern diet with others. The subject of the study was to find out what types of negative effects this kind of food has on the heart. Southern food is usually made up of fried and high in fat meals.
In the study, 17,418 individuals 45 years of age or older were put together from all over the Unites States. The participants in the study were closely followed up for six years in order to discover if they developed heart diseases.
Scientists from numerous universities, including the Hayward University, Boston and the University of Alabama looked at the data gathered from the participants throughout the study period. According to previous information, scientists have been able to establish five patterns of diet.
The Southern pattern is made up of sugary drinks, bacon, ham, meat, eggs and fried food. The convenience patters is made up of Chinese and Mexican food, pizza and pasta dishes. The plant-based pattern is made up of fish, poultry, yogurt, beans, vegetables, fruits and cereals. The alcohol/salad pattern is made up of salad dressing, tomatoes, leafy vegetables, liquor, wine and beer.
People who eat a Southern diet have an increased risk of suffering from acute heart diseases. During the period of six years, 536 heart attacks were reported, including some deaths.
The lead author of the study, James M. Shikany said that regardless of your race, gender or location, if you eat a Southern diet frequently you must be aware of the risks of suffering from a heart disease and attempt to make some changes in your diet.
In United States, heart disease is a significant cause of death. Around 735,000 individuals suffer from heart attacks every year in the United States and around 12,000 of them die. It is crucial to maintain a healthy lifestyle and diet.
Shikany said that people should try to cut down the number of times they eat processed meats or a certain type of food from every day to at least three days a week, in the beginning. They should also try to replace them with grilled or baked chicken and vegetable-based foods.
Image Source: a57.foxnews.com