Healthy Diet Lowers Death Risk for Women

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In the current effort, Heidemann and her team gleaned its observations from an analysis of the eating habits of more than 72,000 women who had participated in the Nurse's Health Study between 1984 and 2002.

All the women were between the ages of 30 and 55, and most were white. Prior to participation, none had any history of heart attack, angina, coronary-artery surgery, diabetes or cancer.

The authors sifted through five food questionnaires that had been completed every two to four years during the study period. The data concerned both portion sizes and frequency of consumption with respect to 116 different food items. In turn, foods were categorized as belonging to either a prudent or a Western diet.

Information was also collected regarding age, body weight and mass, blood pressure, supplement usage and physical activity routines.

Older women, those who exercised more, and those taking multivitamins and/or hormone replacement therapy were more likely to consume a prudent diet. By contrast, less active younger women who were more likely to smoke and less likely to take supplements were found more likely to have consumed a Western diet.

By the study's conclusion, just over 6,000 women had died: 1,154 from heart disease, 3,139 from cancer, and 1,718 from other causes.

With regard to both heart disease and death from all causes, consumption of a prudent diet was associated with a lower incidence of death compared with consumption of a Western diet.

High adherence to a Western diet was associated with a 22 percent higher risk of death from heart disease, a 21 percent higher risk of death from all causes, and a 16 percent higher risk of death from cancer.

Although a prudent diet was linked to a lower risk for death from cancer, the association was deemed not significant after accounting for other lifestyle and health factors.

"The results highlight the importance of intensifying efforts to promote the adoption of a healthy diet," Heidemann said.

"Recommendations to prevent chronic diseases and promote longevity may need to focus on overall dietary patterns, rather than individual nutrients," she added.