Five Foods That Hurt Your Heart

Avoid these to live longer

By Elaine Magee, MPH, RD
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Western Diet Carries Risk

Fried food and salty snacks are the American way, but we have exported our Western diet (high in fried foods, salty snacks, eggs, and meat) to many countries around the world—along with the health risks that go with it.

Canadian researchers examined the dietary trends of more than 16,000 people living in 52 different countries and concluded that the higher the regular intake of fried and salty foods, the higher the risk of heart attack.  

The prudent way of eating, which emphasizes fruits and vegetables, had the lowest risk of heart attack while the Asian way of eating was somewhat nutritionally neutral, probably owing to its higher sodium levels.

It didn’t matter where people lived: the researchers concluded that an unhealthy diet increases the risk of acute heart attack and accounts for about 30% of the population-attributable risk.


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