Health and Nutrition Info
By Didrik J. Sopler, Ph.D, L.Ac.
11-14-08

Associations between eating habits and mortality documented

A very interesting and also a very large study done by the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health was published this year (Heidemann C, et al, 2008). The research involved 72,113 women who were followed from 1984 to 2002 analyzing dietary patterns from validated food frequency questionnaires.

The researchers looked at the relationship between dietary patterns and the risk of cardiovascular, cancer and all-cause mortality in these women who were free of myocardial infarction, angina, coronary artery surgery, stroke, diabetes and cancer at the start of the study. The investigators identified two major dietary patterns. One they called high prudent pattern which represented high intakes of vegetables, fruit, legumes, fish, poultry and whole grains, and the other was called the high western pattern and reflected high intakes of red meat, processed meat, refined grains, french fries and sweets/desserts.

After 18 years of follow-up it was documented that the prudent diet was associated with a 28% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality and a 17% lower risk of all-cause mortality when the highest quintile was compared with the lowest quintile.

The western pattern on the other hand was associated with a 22% higher risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease, a 16% higher risk of mortality from cancer and a 21% increased mortality from all-causes.

Wishing you the best of health,

Didrik

References:

Heidemann C, et al. Dietary patterns and risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all causes in a prospective cohort of women. Circulation. 2008 Jul 15;118(3):230-7.