The typical Western diet, laden with fried foods, salty snacks, and a heavy dose of meat, increases the risk for heart attack by as much as 30%, regardless of where in the world the Western diet is being consumed, according to Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

The dietary habits of more than 16,000 people from 52 countries on five continents were scrutinized from 1999 to 2003 during the INTERHEART study to gain a better understanding of how risk factors can be successfully modified for improved health on a global basis. About one-third of the study’s participants (5,761 individuals) enrolled after suffering a single heart attack. The 10,646 remaining study participants had no signs of heart disease, angina, hypertension, high cholesterol levels, or diabetes. A mean age range of 53 to 57 years old was identified.

Diets were defined as Western, Oriental (high in soy products, including tofu), or prudent (plant based, rich in fruits and vegetables). Foods were grouped into 19 categories, some of which were dairy products, desserts, leafy greens, and pickled foods. Medical personnel interviewed each participant and scored their dietary intake according to heart attack risk.

Dietary data were evaluated by a research team at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, where factors such as age, body mass index, gender, geography, physical activity, and smoking were taken into consideration. The study, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, did not address recent shifts in regional dining traditions often attributed to increasing globalization.

The 30% risk for heart attack remained steady throughout the world when a typical Western diet was consumed. The Oriental diet seemed to offer protection against heart disease in some places but the protection wasn’t consistent worldwide. While the Oriental diet in general did not significantly alter the risk factor, the research team cautions against indulging in too many of the salty sauces, including soy, that often season Orient-inspired dishes. The prudent diet, based upon an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, proved to be the least risky for heart disease.

Food choices alone do not make a specific diet healthy or unhealthy. Serving sizes vary from one region to the next, a factor that may have influenced the increased risk of heart attack when living on the often super-sized Western diet. Cooking technique is a strong influence as well. Any food steamed, poached, roasted, stir fried, or eaten raw is a healthier choice than the same food fried. As cooking techniques vary around the world, so do the nutritional and risk factors of all foods.