Embrace the cheeseburger. A novel study has offered compelling insights suggesting that whole-fat dairy, such as cheese, whole yogurt, and whole milk, may actually act as safeguards against heart disease, strokes, and other types of cardiovascular disease.

The researchers also highlight the potential benefits of unprocessed red meat within a balanced diet.

These counterintuitive findings come from the innovative Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiological (PURE) Healthy Diet Score, which identifies six food groups, namely fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, fish, and whole-fat dairy, that contribute to reducing the risk of heart disease.

The study also acknowledges a place for whole grains and unprocessed meats like pork and beef, instead of processed options like bacon or salami, in a balanced diet.

Dr. Andrew Mente, the study author from McMaster University in Canada, observed, “Low-fat foods have taken center stage with the public … with nutrition labels focused on reducing fat and saturated fat.”

However, he argues against this preconception, noting, “our results show that up to two servings a day of dairy, mainly whole-fat, can be included in a healthy diet.”

The PURE diet, published in the European Heart Journal, proposes the following regimen:

Fruit: 2 to 3 servings daily
Vegetables: 2 to 3 servings daily
Legumes (beans, lentils, peas): 3 to 4 servings weekly
Nuts: 7 servings weekly
Fish: 2 to 3 servings weekly
Dairy: 2 servings daily

The researchers found that moderate amounts of fish and whole-fat dairy correlate with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Mente posited, “the same health outcomes can be achieved with moderate consumption of grains and meats — as long as they are unrefined whole grains and unprocessed meats.”

The PURE diet stands distinct from other health diets like the Mediterranean diet, as it incorporates data from affluent Western economies as well as low-income nations.

Its founded on data from a diverse global sample of 147,642 people spanning 21 countries across five continents.

Dr. Mente emphasized, “This was by far the most diverse study of nutrition and health outcomes in the world and the only one with sufficient representation from high-, middle- and low-income countries.”

The results demonstrated that healthier diets, those scoring five or higher on the PURE scale of zero to six, were linked with a 30% lower risk of death, 18% decreased likelihood of cardiovascular disease, 14% less risk of a heart attack, and 19% lower risk of stroke.

These numbers were most prominent in areas with a low-quality diet, predominated by refined carbohydrates.

Dr. Salim Yusuf, a co-author of the study, suggested, “a large proportion of deaths and cardiovascular disease in adults around the world may be due to undernutrition, that is, low intakes of energy and protective foods.”

However, while embracing unprocessed red meat and full-fat dairy, the authors caution that “variety and moderation” remain essential to a healthy diet, emphasizing that whole grains and unprocessed meats should still be consumed in moderation, approximately one serving daily.

The results of the PURE study could disrupt decades of nutritional wisdom.

Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University in Boston noted, “The new results in PURE, in combination with prior reports, call for a re-evaluation of unrelenting guidelines to avoid whole-fat dairy products.”

He added, “It is time for national nutrition guidelines … and food-based healthcare interventions to catch up to the science.”