A new study from McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences has found the best way to protect your heart—and it’s simpler than you might think.
The answer lies in six important foods that can help lower your risk of heart problems like heart attacks and strokes.
These six foods, called the “Magnificent Six,” are fruits, vegetables, legumes (like beans and lentils), nuts, fish, and whole-fat dairy products. Eating these regularly can support a strong and healthy heart.
The best part? You don’t need to give up all your favorite foods. The study shows that you can still enjoy moderate amounts of whole grains and unprocessed meats, like fresh poultry or beef. This means you can follow a heart-healthy diet without completely changing everything you eat.
Most earlier studies about healthy eating have focused on diets from Western countries. These diets often mix healthy foods with processed or packaged ones, making it hard to see which foods truly help. But this new research looked at diets from people all around the world.
Heart disease is the number one cause of death worldwide. In 2019, the World Health Organization reported that nearly 18 million people died from heart problems. That’s 32% of all deaths that year. Many of those deaths were caused by heart attacks or strokes.
To learn more about the link between food and heart health, scientists looked at information from 245,000 people living in 80 different countries. The results were published in the European Heart Journal.
The team used data from a major global study called PURE (Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiological). This long-term study explores health trends in people from different areas and income levels. The team also checked their results against five other studies to make sure their findings worked for people everywhere—rich or poor, healthy or sick.
Dr. Salim Yusuf, who led the study, said that most healthy eating advice comes from research in Western countries. This study is different because it included people from all over the world, making the results more useful for everyone.
The researchers created a score, called the PURE Healthy Diet Score, based only on healthy, natural foods. Other diet studies sometimes mix good and bad foods together, which makes it harder to tell what really helps. This study focused only on the good stuff.
Andrew Mente, the lead author, said that foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes were clearly helpful in lowering disease risk. They also found that eating moderate amounts of fish and full-fat dairy lowered the chances of heart disease and early death. Whole grains and unprocessed meats also provided some benefits when eaten in moderation.
So, what should a heart-healthy day look like? The PURE Healthy Diet Score recommends:
2 to 3 servings of fruit each day
2 to 3 servings of vegetables each day
1 serving of nuts each day
2 servings of dairy each day
3 to 4 servings of legumes each week
2 to 3 servings of fish each week
If you don’t like some of these foods, you can switch in a daily serving of whole grains or unprocessed meat or poultry. This flexibility makes it easier for people to follow a healthy eating plan.
In summary, including the Magnificent Six in your diet—fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, fish, and whole-fat dairy—can help protect your heart. Add a few whole grains or some unprocessed meat, and you’ve got a balanced and tasty way to stay healthy.
Start adding these heart-friendly foods to your meals today. Even small changes can make a big difference over time.
If you care about heart health, please read studies that apple juice could benefit your heart health, and Yogurt may help lower the death risks in heart disease.
For more information about health, please see recent studies that Vitamin D deficiency can increase heart disease risk, and results showing Zinc and vitamin B6 linked to lower death risk in heart disease.
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