Variety in food could cut down risk of diseases

A wide range of food that contains anti-oxidants, wholegrains and vital fatty acids can cut the risk of illnesses like heart disease, Alzheimer's and diabetes.

Scientists found that such a diet could reduce cholesterol by a third and bring blood pressure down by nearly a 10th.

But the results of the study carried out at Antidiabetic Food Centre at Lund University in Sweden have shown that multiple rather than just single foods with anti-inflammatory effects work wonders.

"The results have exceeded our expectations," the Telegraph quoted Inger Bjorck, professor of food-related nutrition at the university and head of the Antidiabetic Food Centre, who carried out the research, as saying.

"Our purpose was to find out which preventive effect can be obtained on established risk markers by combining food concepts with an expected positive impact on inflammation," she said.

Bjorck said it was not possible to tell precisely which food factors had a greater or lesser impact on the research results.

"That's the point. We believe in the idea of combined effects. Drug or specific products with health claims affect only one or maybe a couple of risk factors," she added.