As the UK crawls closer to longer and longer days and the arrival of spring, more people are intensifying their efforts to lose weight gained over the festive period.
What’s more, they are also trying to improve their cardiovascular fitness to try and get ready to enjoy the warmer months to the fullest.
As a result, gone will be beige and leaden foods of the winter and in will come fresher and healthier eating habits. However, deciding which are the best foods for one’s health can be a difficult business with a plethora of healthy options available.
With that in mind, it can sometimes be worthwhile turning to studies to ascertain which are the best foods to eat for one’s fitness and health goals.
According to one study published in the Nutrients journal, eating strawberries and blueberries three times a week could cut one’s risk of heart disease by a third.
The study, led by Dr Eric Rimm, collected data on 93,600 women between the ages of 25 and 42 and assessed what could impact their risk of heart disease. Whilst the study was conducted on women, he said the data could also apply to men.
Furthermore, although the study did not definitively say strawberries definitely reduced someone’s risk of heart disease, Dr Rimm said: “Our underlying hypothesis is that these foods are beneficial because they have a high content of anthocyanins, but it has not yet been proven whether it is just this or some other substance in blueberries and strawberries.”
What’s more, strawberries aren’t the only food that, it has been suggested, could be good for heart health.
Plant based diets
A study published in the journal PLOS ONE assessed the health benefits of plant-based diets and whether they were having as positive an impact as it was thought.
The authors concluded that vegan and vegetarian diets were linked to lower BMIs, reduced risk of cancer, and reduced risk of ischemic heart disease, but issued caution over their review.
They said: “Plant-based diets appear beneficial in reducing cardiometabolic risk factors, as well as CVDs, cancer risk and mortality.
“However, caution should be paid before broadly suggesting the adoption of A/AFPDs since the strength-of-evidence of study results is significantly limited by the large study heterogeneity alongside the potential risks associated with potentially restrictive regimens.”
Apples and bananas
Another study, this time published in the Frontiers in Nutrition journal, assessed the consequences of banana and apple consumption on the human body. As with plant-based diets, the researchers also noticed improvements.
They wrote: “The present study demonstrated that consuming apples and bananas 3–4 times/week significantly reduced the risk of all-cause mortality in patients with dyslipidemia. This finding is consistent with the findings of past studies.
“Fruits enhance health because of the antioxidant effects of vitamins C and E, as well as being rich in other nutrients including niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B12, iron, potassium, and magnesium.
“In addition, apples and bananas have a high fibre content, and increasing dietary fibre intake may also reduce blood lipid levels, blood pressure, blood glucose levels, and cardiovascular risk.”
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs)
While some foods were considered to have a positive impact on cardiovascular health, others have been highlighted as having the opposite effect.
Another study published in the Frontiers in Nutrition journal assessed the impact of UPFs on the cardiovascular health of Brazilians. Their conclusion was a damning assessment of the impact of UPFs on the heart.
They said: “UPF intake is associated with an important CVD burden in Brazil. We estimated that, approximately, one third of the CVD events per year are attributable to the consumption of UPF in the country.
“This study provides evidence regarding the overall impact of industrial food processing on preventable CVD outcomes.”
Despite this conclusion, it should be noted that these results could vary from country to country and the nature of the food and conditions being compared and assessed.
You should always consult healthcare professionals and the NHS before making drastic changes to your diet.