Cutting just 300 calories per day may keep your heart healthy

Heart disease is the leading cause of disability and death worldwide. About 2,200 people in the U.S. die per day due to cardiovascular problems, or one every 40 seconds.

With that in mind, if you knew that you could help keep your heart healthy by eating just a little bit less every day — about six standard-size Oreos’ worth of calories — would you?

Researchers have found evidence that just a modest reduction in our daily caloric intake could have protective benefits for our hearts, according to a paper published this week in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

The paper drew on data from the Comprehensive Assessment of Long-term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy (CALERIE) study. That landmark project, supported by the National Institutes of Health, was one of the most in-depth efforts to measure the long-term impacts of caloric restriction in humans. Researchers have published numerous analyses drawing on data from the two-year study, examining various factors associated with life expectancy and longevity.

This paper, the latest to draw from the data, primarily examines how moderate caloric restriction impacts heart health and how it may potentially prevent aging-related decline.

The experiment began with 218 participants, all of whom were normal weight or just slightly overweight and between ages 21 and 50. Researchers started 143 participants on a diet that reduced their caloric intake by 25%; 75 others were assigned to a normal diet. In the end, 188 participants completed the study — 117 with caloric restriction and 71 without.

For the first four weeks of the study, people in the calorie-cutting group were fed in-house at one of three clinical centers. During this time, they were instructed on how to reduce their caloric intake and gradually fell into one of six eating plans based on their own preferences. More at NPR.org