If you’ve ever scoffed at warnings that too much red or processed meat is bad for the heart while oily fish is good for you, there’s now some visual evidence to support that advice.
British researchers used heart imaging to see how these foods affected volunteers’ heart health.
The images revealed that those who ate more red and processed meat had poorer heart function, smaller ventricles and stiffer arteries. The researchers also found that as study participants ate more fish, their arteries were stretchier and their hearts worked better.
“You kind of are what you eat, and what you eat impacts you way earlier on than what you think it may,” said Dr. Tamanna Singh. She is a member of the American College of Cardiology’s Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease Council who reviewed the findings.