Three different diets are equally effective in protecting against atherosclerosis

Three diets: Mediterranean, low-fat and low-carbohydrate cleanse the blood vessels of fat deposits in a comparable way, thus protecting against atherosclerosis, according to a study published in the journal Circulation.

Atherosclerotic plaque is made up of fatty deposits that build up on the walls of your blood vessels.

Scientists from the Israeli Ben-Gurion University together with colleagues from the USA, Canada and Germany decided to check to what extent atherosclerotic processes can be prevented by diet.

The research was carried out on 140 overweight people aged 40 to 65, mainly men. They were divided into three groups, each with a different diet: low-fat, low-carbohydrate, or Mediterranean (which eat a lot of vegetables and fruits and use olive oil as the main fat).

After two years of using each diet (and describing its course in the diary), the thickness of atherosclerotic plaques in the patients’ carotid arteries decreased by 5 percent.

While many have argued that a low-carbohydrate diet is the fastest at plugging blood vessels with plaque, no such effect has been seen. Even 10-15 years ago, there was a view that once atherosclerotic changes could not be reversed – later antiatherosclerotic drugs appeared. As experts comment, the diet also gives results, although its effectiveness is not great. (PAP)

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