Groundbreaking new research suggests that adopting a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes could be a powerful weapon against a severe form of heart disease, offering both prevention and a potential path to reversal for patients.
A Targeted Effect on a Dangerous Condition
The study, conducted by researchers at Georgia State University in the US and published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, focused on coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD). This condition, a key concern for people with high blood pressure, occurs when the heart's tiniest blood vessels become damaged, causing chest pain, frequent hospitalisations, heart failure, and even death. It is known to afflict women more severely than men.
Current treatments for CMD are only moderately effective, and patients often continue to face poor outcomes. The research team, led by Rami S Najjar, investigated the role of nutrition and discovered that a plant-based diet both prevented the development of CMD and reversed established CMD in hypertensive rats.
How the Dietary Switch Works
Remarkably, the diet's benefits occurred even though high blood pressure persisted, indicating a "targeted effect" on the small blood vessels of the heart. Scientists believe the improvement comes from enhanced function of the blood vessel cells, which counteracts the damaging effects of hypertension. Essentially, the plant-based diet appeared to rescue the vessels, allowing them to dilate normally again.
For the study, female hypertensive rats were fed for six months either a control diet with no plant foods or a plant-based diet comprising 28 per cent fruits, nuts, vegetables, and legumes. The diets were matched for all nutrients, with the high antioxidant content of the plant-based diet being a key difference.
After six months, rats on the control diet were switched to the plant-based regimen to see if it could treat CMD after it was already established. Using methods comparable to human clinical assessments, including measuring heart blood vessel flow and cardiac MRIs, researchers concluded the diet was successful in reversing the condition.
Translating the Findings to Human Health
This research, one of the first to show diet can directly treat CMD, paves the way for human clinical trials. The scientists suggest that for humans, an equivalent daily diet could include items such as one cup of black beans, one large red bell pepper, one and a half cups of Brussels sprouts, two lemons, one medium sweet potato, one and a half cups of walnuts, and one cup of blueberries.
This study offers a promising, accessible strategy for combating a heart condition that has historically been difficult to manage, highlighting the profound impact of dietary choices on cardiovascular health.
