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Top Study Shows That U.S Diet Has Improved in Heart Disease Prevention Efforts Resources
by Syble James

In the last 20 years, Americans have increased their consumption of foods, such as fruits, vegetables and grains that have been linked to prevention of several diseases, including heart disease, according to a recent study.

The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Minnesota which examined the diets of 5,000 men and 6,000 women to determine whether they were eating according to American Heart Association (AHA) dietary guidelines. The results which were published in this month’s issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association revealed that during the past 20 years participants improved their diets by eating more fruits, vegetables, total grains and whole grains. They also consumed less saturated fat, trans fat, total fat, cholesterol, and alcohol.

However, the researchers found that participants were consuming more calories than they burn, which usually leads to weight gain.

The data which was collected from people 25 to 74 years old who took part in the Minnesota Heart Survey, revealed overall improvement in following the recommendations developed to reduce heart disease risk between 1980 – 1982 and 2000-2002. Improvements related to the amount of fats in people’s diets reached a plateau during 1995 – 1997. However, there was a slight increase in consumption of saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol between 1995 – 1997 and 2000 – 2002.

The study showed that improvements in whole grain consumption also appear to have leveled off between the survey periods despite more evidence emphasizing the health benefits of whole grain.

The findings suggest that efforts to educate Americans about the benefits of diet for the prevention of heart disease may be yielding results. The researchers also indicated that their findings could provide insight into trends in overall consumption habits in relation to national dietary guidance for prevention of major chronic diseases, because of a nearly complete overlap between AHA guidelines and the government’s guidelines.

“In comparing the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 with the AHA dietary guidelines, only a few differences are apparent. Most notably, Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 includes recommendations related to added sugars and potassium that are not included or explicitly stated in the AHA dietary guidelines,” wrote the researchers.

It is encouraging to see the increase in consumer awareness and adoption of dietary guidelines. It is to be expected that as more research over a longer time period becomes available, more benefits will be “discovered,” and greater acceptance by consumers will follow.