Research by professor Kim Jeong-seon's team at the National Cancer Center published in international journal
What factors most influence our health? Diet, exercise and genetics all play a role, but what we eat — and how much — has an outsized effect on the body. A large-scale meta-analysis by South Korean researchers found that consuming certain foods, including coffee, vegetables and dairy products, is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease among Koreans. However, the research team said the findings do not imply causation and that overall dietary patterns must be considered alongside individual food intake.
According to the Korea Food Communication Forum, professor Kim Jeong-seon's team at the Department of Cancer Biomedical Science, Graduate School of Cancer Science and Policy at the National Cancer Center published a study in a recent issue of the Journal of Lipid and Atherosclerosis finding that "coffee, fruit, vegetables and dairy showed an inverse association with cardiovascular disease risk, while sugary drinks were associated with increased risk." The paper is titled "Association of Dietary Intake with Cardiovascular Disease, Blood Pressure and Lipids in Koreans."
The study is a systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizing 151 domestic and international studies, examining the relationship between dietary patterns and cardiovascular disease risk factors among Koreans. The research team assessed associations between intake of various food groups — including fruit, vegetables, dairy, coffee and sugary drinks — and the risk of hypertension, hyperlipidemia and cardiovascular disease.
Those with higher coffee consumption showed a cardiovascular disease risk approximately 20 percent lower than those who drank less, and also showed a tendency toward reduced risk of elevated triglycerides. Long-term studies of hundreds of thousands of adults in Europe and the United States, cited in the meta-analysis, found that those who drank about two to four cups of coffee per day had a 10 to 20 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared with non-drinkers. This association appeared relatively consistently among filtered coffee drinkers in particular. The researchers suggested that polyphenols in coffee — including chlorogenic acid, in addition to caffeine — may benefit vascular function through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
Fruit and vegetable consumption showed similar protective effects. Higher fruit intake was associated with a roughly 26 percent lower risk of hypertension, while higher vegetable intake was linked to a reduced risk of elevated triglycerides. Dairy consumption was also associated with lower risks of abnormal blood pressure and lipid levels.
"Coffee, fruit, vegetables and dairy showed positive associations with cardiovascular health," the research team said in the paper, adding that "this study is a meta-analysis synthesizing individual studies and does not establish a causal relationship proving that specific foods prevent or treat cardiovascular disease." Physical activity, smoking, body weight and other factors may also have influenced the results. The study is considered significant as a large-scale dietary meta-analysis focused on Koreans, and has been recognized for presenting the health effects of individual foods in a relatively systematic manner.
kty@heraldcorp.com
