23/03/2009

Important to eat a balanced diet, says BHF

In response to a recent study in the Archives of Internal Medicine (1) on the increased risk of heart disease in individuals that eat high amounts of red and processed meat, Victoria Taylor, senior dietician at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said:

“This study does not look at the mechanisms by which red meat may affect cardiovascular disease (CVD) but we do know that meat is one of the main sources of saturated fat in the UK diet. A diet high in saturated fat is linked to raised blood cholesterol levels, a risk factor for heart disease.

“There can be some health benefits to including lean red meat in the diet but too much may not be beneficial to health. A healthy diet should not only be balanced, but also varied in terms of the actual foods selected from the food groups. For a heart healthy diet a range of protein sources including oily fish as well as pulses and vegetables should be incorporated to get the full benefit of all the nutrients these provide.

“Those who eat red meat should aim to keep the fat content to a minimum by choosing lean cuts, removing visible fat and skin and cooking without adding fat.”

For more information please call the BHF press office on 020 7554 0164 or 07764 290 381 (out of office hours) or email newsdesk@bhf.org.uk

- (1) Arch Intern Med. 2009; 169[6]:543-545.

- The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is the nation’s heart charity, dedicated to saving lives through pioneering research, patient care, campaigning for change and by providing vital information. But we urgently need help. We rely on donations of time and money to continue our life-saving work. Because together we can beat heart disease.

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