Oncina-Cánovas et al. examined data from approximately 600 Spanish adults aged 65 and over. Each participant’s eating habits were tracked using a detailed questionnaire. Your diet should include healthy plant foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes, grains, potatoes, nuts, olive oil) and animal foods (meat, animal fats, eggs, fish, seafood, dairy). You were given a score based on how much you ate. by each participant. These scores were also affected if participants ate unhealthy foods that were strictly plant-based, such as sugary drinks and potato chips.
Participants were followed for 12 years, during which time 251 people died. Almost 40% of those deaths were related to CVD.
Overall, a healthy PVG diet that prioritizes plant-based foods has a 41% lower risk of all-cause mortality and reduced CVD compared to an unhealthy PVG diet that is high in animal-based foods and unhealthy plant-based foods. was associated with a 53% lower risk of death.
The research group noted that dietary patterns were self-reported, which could be considered a limitation of the analysis. He added that while some foods may have been misclassified when completing the questionnaire, “there should be no difference in inaccuracy.”
“This study conducted in older adults from the Mediterranean region suggests that PVG dietary patterns may influence the risk of all-cause and CVD mortality… Confirm these results “further prospective studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods are needed,” the authors concluded.
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