How healthy is healthy eating?

[Posted: Fri 29/06/2012 www.irishhealth.com]

Eating more fruit and vegetables may reduce the risk of heart disease, but only by a small amount, according to a new analysis.

One study found that eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day reduced the chances of heart disease by about six in 1,000 compared to people eating three or fewer, according to a review by the British Medical Journal's consumer health team.

It also found that low-fat diets can lower cholesterol by a small amount, and can reduce the risk of heart attacks and stroke for people who already have heart disease.

However, according to the review of published research, it is not really known what effect these diets can have on healthy people.

The review also found that maintaining a healthy weight, not drinking too much, not eating a lot of red meat, and taking plenty of exercise are the best ways to avoid getting some cancers.

There is, however, no magic diet that prevents cancer, the review stressed.

It added that the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest ways to eat, and people who eat this type of food are likely to live longer, are less likely to have heart attacks, and less likely to get cancer.