- Sudden cardiac death accounts for about 1 in 7.5 deaths in the United States.
- Researchers have shown that diet plays an important role in a person’s cardiovascular health.
In the present study, researchers found that people who followed the Mediterranean diet most closely and did not have coronary heart disease had a lower risk of sudden cardiac death. - People who primarily ate a traditional Southern diet, involving more fried food and sugary drinks, were more at risk of sudden cardiac death.
According to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP)Trusted Source, a person can improve their heart health by changing their diet. The ODPHP suggests that people eat a variety of fruit and vegetables, low fat dairy, whole grains, a variety of proteins, and unsaturated fats.
Research has shown that the Mediterranean diet, which focuses on legumes, vegetables, fruits, fish, and grains, can be protective against cardiovascular disease.
The researchers were also able to identify five dietary patterns:
- The convenience pattern: This dietary pattern primarily consisted of pasta, pizza, and Mexican and Chinese food.
- The plant-based pattern: People following this pattern ate lots of vegetables, fruits, cereals, legumes, yogurt, chicken, and fish.
- The sweets pattern: This pattern included high amounts of dessert, candy, chocolate, and sugary cereal.
- The Southern pattern: The Southern diet is high in fried foods, sweetened drinks, processed and organ meats, and eggs.
- The alcohol and salad pattern: People following this pattern consumed lots of leafy greens, dressings, tomatoes, and alcoholic drinks.
