Experts including one of an Indian origin have suggested that a diet rich in fruit and raw vegetables could be the key to prevent heart disease.

In one of the largest diet and heart studies conducted, they found the potent mixture of these everyday foods could have a major impact on long-term health.

Eating high levels of the combination daily has been shown to dramatically weaken the effects of a key gene in the body, which is a big cause of heart disease.

Their analysis found that those who ate a healthy diet rich in fruit and vegetables significantly reduced the influence of the gene, effectively protecting them from developing the killer disease.

`We observed that the effect of a high-risk genotype can be mitigated by consuming a diet high in fruits and vegetables,` the Daily Express quoted study co-author Professor Sonia Anand, from McMaster University in Canada, as saying.

`Our results support the public health recommendation to consume more than five servings of fruits or vegetables as a way to promote good health,` she added.

Source: ANI
Image: Flickr/creativecommons garussell11