How Many Calories Are Too Many For The Heart? Study Gives The Answer

Calorie cutting is believed to be the secret mantra to stay healthy in modern times. Several studies have suggested that excess calorie consumption can lead to obesity, which is prime cause of many chronic illnesses, including cardiovascular diseases.

A research published in the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology journal last week focussed on the effective of calorie cutting in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The study, titled "2 years of calorie restriction and cardiometabolic risk (CALERIE)," was done by a group of researchers from the Duke University Medical Center.

Cardiovascular diseases are the prime cause of death around the world. On an average, more than 17 million people worldwide died due to this chronic illness, mainly due to heart attack and stroke.

In the United States, one in every four deaths is caused due to heart diseases. Nearly 610,000 Americans die due to this illness.

For the study, the researchers observed more than 140 people between the age group of 21 and 50. The participants were asked to practise calorie restriction for two years. Although they were allowed to eat whatever they liked, researchers asked them to cut 25% of their daily intake.

At the end of the study, scientists found that many participants failed to achieve their goal of reducing 25% of their daily calorie intake. On an average, participants managed to cut down only 12% of their total calorie intake, that is just 300 calories.

Still, the dieters managed to experience significant health benefits, including better blood sugar control, improved blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels. The participants also had a biomarker reductions linked to chronic inflammation that is associated with cancer, heart disease and cognitive decline. The dieters even lost body fat and lost weight over of course of two years.

“This shows that even a modification that is not as severe as what we used in this study could reduce the burden of diabetes and cardiovascular disease that we have in this country. People can do this fairly easily by simply watching their little indiscretions here and there, or maybe reducing the amount of them, like not snacking after dinner,” lead researcher William Kraus said in a statement.