Eating cavemen diet reduces risk of heart disease

London, May 9 (UNI) Having a caveman diet could cut the risk of heart disease, a new research says.

The study found that three weeks on a stone-age diet rich in lean meat, vegetables, berries and nuts lowered the chances of suffering a heart attack or stroke.

Scientists at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden said the volunteers lost weight, had lowered blood pressure and had slashed levels of a blood-thickening agent known to cause deadly clots after being fed with the diet.

The results, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, supported earlier findings that the so-called paleolithic diet could protect against diabetes.

For centuries, our ancestors lived only on foods that could be speared or picked from trees and plants.

Some scientists argue that the modern human body is still genetically programmed for this type of diet. That means no cereals, bread, milk, butter, cheese or sugar but plenty of lean meat, fish, fruits, vegetables and nuts.

Dr Per Wandell, who led the study, said, ''A short-term intervention with a paleolithic diet had some favourable effects on cardiovascular risk factors.'' ''But one negative effect was the decreased intake of calcium (from dairy goods), which could be a risk factor for osteoporosis later in life,'' the Daily Mail quoted him as saying.

UNI XC RJ NS1255