A new study reveals one of the tricks for cardiovascular health could be cutting just 300 calories from your daily diet. Participants in the study published in the journal The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, were on a calorie restriction diet lowered their blood pressure and levels of bad (LDL) cholesterol, and saw a 24 per cent drop in concentrations of triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood.
Dr William Kraus, distinguished professor at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina, said a reduction of 300 calories daily refers to the average cutback in calories obtained by the study participants. He said, “Exercise and diet are the two most profound and easily implemented interventions we have in our environment that can reduce our cardiovascular risks. There aren't five drugs on the market when combined that could approach what we saw in this study from moderate calorie restriction.”
Kraus said, “This trial went on for two years, so some participants were able to maintain the restrictions and others were not as successful.” In each group, the researchers closely monitored each adult's cholesterol levels, blood pressure and triglycerides concentrations over a two-year period. Those factors can influence your risk of heart disease. Levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol decreased significantly after one year, in the calorie restriction group.
The researchers also found that, in the calorie restriction group, the lowering of blood pressure was evident as early as six months, reached statistical significance by one year and persisted for the duration of the study.
