High-fat and fried foods could actually help to protect the heart during cardiac arrest, reports a surprising study presented at the annual Experimental Biology conference in Washington D.C.
Researchers from the University of Cincinnati worked with lab mice, feeding them a lard-based diet for various lengths of time, from 24 hours to six weeks, while a control group continued to eat normally. The researchers then triggered cardiac arrest in the animals in order to see the effects of diet.
Unexpectedly, the mice that had been fed high-fat diets for up to two weeks actually had the mildest of heart attacks. Being on the high-fat diet for a single day reduced the severity of heart attack by 70 percent.
"This shows that acute, or short-term, high-fat feeding in animal models does preserve cardiac function," explained Lauren Haar, one of the study authors.
"This may also show that, while it is important to eat right, not all bad foods should be avoided all of the time… This could change the way we view nutrition and dietary recommendations."
The researchers are quick to caution, however, that these findings are only preliminary and further studies will be required to confirm these results. To ensure the best heart health, follow the advice of your medical practitioner.