In a new study from the University of Oxford, researchers found that two common diet patterns may be linked to an increased risk of heart disease and death in middle-age.
The first was high in chocolate, confectionary, butter and white bread and low in fresh fruit and vegetables.
The second was high in sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit juice, chocolate, confectionary, table sugar and preserves and low in butter and higher-fat cheese.
In the study, the team analyzed data collected from 116,806 adults from England, Scotland and Wales who were recruited to the UK Biobank between 2006 and 2010.
Participants were aged between 37 and 73 years old, with an average age of 56 years old.
The team found that those whose diet included higher amounts of chocolate, confectionary, butter and white bread, were more likely to be male, younger, experiencing economic deprivation, current smokers, less physically active, living with obesity or have hypertension compared to those whose diet did not include high amounts of these foods.
In this group, individuals who were younger than 60 years old or living with overweight or obesity had a higher risk of heart disease than individuals who were older than 60 years or not living with overweight or obesity.
Those whose diet was high in sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit juice and preserves were found to have an increased risk for heart disease and mortality, even though they also tended to be physically active and less likely to be current smokers or living with obesity, hypertension, diabetes or high cholesterol, than those who did not eat this diet.
Women, individuals who were younger than 60 years old or who lived with obesity in particular had a higher risk of heart disease if they consumed a diet high in these foods.
The research suggests that eating less chocolate, confectionery, butter, low-fiber bread, sugar-sweetened beverages, fruit juice, table sugar and preserves could be associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease or death during middle age.
This is consistent with previous research which has suggested that eating foods that contain less sugar and fewer calories may be associated with a lower risk of heart disease.
The findings of this study could be used to create food-based dietary advice that could help people eat more healthily and reduce their risk of heart disease.
If you care about heart health, please read studies about these 5 eating tips could keep you heart healthy and findings of 10 heart tests your doctor may let you do, and what they mean.
For more information about heart disease prevention and treatment, please see recent studies about an easy way to prevent heart disease, reduce cholesterol and results showing that this diabetes drug may harm your heart health.
The study is published in BMC Medicine. One author of the study is Carmen Piernas.
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