The Approach
An American Heart Association Science Advisory summary of the Lyon Diet Heart Study starts with these words, “Diet is a cornerstone of cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention and treatment efforts.” The Lyon diet that was the focus of this studied emphasized foods that are considered to be part of the Mediteranean Diet.
The Components
The experimental diet was high in fruits, root vegetables, cereal grains and breads, nuts, seeds, and beans. Low to moderate fish and poultry were consumed instead of pork and red meat. Olive oil, canola oil, and a special magerine that contained a higher amount of omega 3’s and no hydrogenated oils were used to add oil and fats to foods.
Looking at the Facts
Subjects tested in this study had already had warning signs of or experienced heart problems. The goal was to see if the Lyons diet could decrease risk of a second cardiovascular episode.
Compared to the control group that ate more of a traditional American diet, the experimental group had a 50-70% decrease in risk for a second cardiovascular event. These results were remarkable and show once again that diet has an enormous effect on our health and disease prevention. This can be a ray of hope for people who want to decrease their risk of a second heart attack.