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Diets incorporating dairy and meat were associated with good heart health in a study of around 130,000 people across 18 countries over 10 years.
The findings of the Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiological (PURE) study were presented at the European Society of Cardiology congress in Germany and published in the scientific journal The Lancet this week.
“Thinking on what constitutes a high-quality diet for a global population needs to be reconsidered. For example, our results show that dairy products and meat are beneficial for heart health and longevity. This differs from current dietary advice,” said Prof Salim Yusuf, senior author and director of the Population Health Research Institute at McMaster University in Canada.
Broader picture
The research aims to give a broader picture than existing science on nutrition and cardiovascular health, which was until now based on studies conducted decades ago in rich countries.
By including data from South America, Africa and Asia, the PURE study suggests that people should limit the amount of refined carbohydrates they eat, such as white bread and sugar. Meanwhile, the scientists say that dairy foods and unprocessed meat can be included as part of a healthy diet.
The UK's NHS warned after the publication of preliminary results from the PURE study last year that it should not encourage people to consume more of anything in this region of the world, as "many of us simply eat too much" anyway.
Emerging countries
However, the results of the PURE study suggest that the inclusion of dairy and meat in the diets of people who move out of poverty in emerging countries does not put them at an increased risk of heart disease.
“People who consumed a diet emphasising fruit, vegetables, nuts, legumes, fish, dairy products and meat had the lowest risks of cardiovascular disease and early death,” said Dr Andrew Mente, co-author of the PURE study. “Regarding meat, we found that unprocessed meat is associated with benefit.”
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