Results from a new trial have shown a diet that combines fruit, vegetables, fish, poultry and nuts can protect you from a heart attack.

The trial tested the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet – a diet that is rich in fruit and veg but low in saturated fat.

The study involved 459 people with slightly high blood pressure. The group were then randomly assigned the DASH diet, a diet high in fat, and a high fat diet supplemented with more fruit and veg.

After eight weeks, the DASH diet was found to lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol and decrease the risk of heart disease in the next 10 years compared to the other diets.

While the trial was well-conducted and had a number of strengths, it did fail to monitor participants over 10 years choosing instead to estimate heart disease risk.

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