When it comes to our health, it’s no secret that the food we eat has a significant effect on our bodies, but a new study has shown that people can reduce the risk of early death by 28 per cent just by following a healthy eating pattern.

According to the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care 27 per cent of deaths in Australia are caused by cardiovascular diseases, with at least 1.2 million Australians being diagnosed with 1 or more heart conditions.

Obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol can all greatly increase the chance of heart disease. However, the results of a study published in the journal Advances in Nutrition shows that sticking with healthy food choices in these 10 food groups gives you the “maximum health benefits.”

Over a five-year period, study co-author and researcher at the University of New South Wales Dr Luna Xu and her team looked at the diets of over 70,000 people who had died from cardiovascular diseases, comparing their long-term eating habits to healthy people.

The team specifically looked into their consumption of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, eggs, poultry, dairy products, fish or seafood, and red or processed meat.

The researchers found that those who ate more red and processed meats over a long period of time had a 23 per cent risk of cardiovascular death, compared to those who ate more fruits and vegetables, who had a reduced likelihood of cardiovascular death of 28 per cent.

Though their findings did not show any link between fish or seafood consumption and heart disease, they concluded that there was no difference in whether people ate more or fewer dairy products and legumes.

“There are a lot of debates about diet,” says Xu. “For example, some people say dairy is good for [reducing the risk of] heart disease, but some people say it’s not healthy.”

Australia has numerous programs and initiatives established to help manage cardiovascular conditions, like the Heart Foundations Heart Healthy Eating Patterns, which gives a rundown on the different foods you should be eating regularly over days, weeks and months.

“Even small changes in an eating pattern can result in improved cardiovascular outcomes,” says Heart Foundation senior dietitian Jemma O’Hanlon.

“We continue to encourage Australians to protect their hearts by increasing, for the long term, their intake of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts and to lower their intake of red or processed meats where possible.”

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.