title: Japanese dietary lifestyle and cardiovascular disease.
abstract: To demonstrate the reasons for low morbidity and mortality from coronary artery disease (CAD) and reconfirm the effectiveness of the Japanese dietary lifestyle for preventing CAD, we herein review the CAD risk transition, and post-war changes in Japanese food and nutrient intake. Large-scale cohort studies in Japan were selectively reviewed. Low serum total cholesterol contributed to preventing CAD, and decreased blood pressure was the major factor favoring stroke reduction. Japanese consumed more plant and marine origin foods, but fewer animal foods with saturated fatty acids (SFA) during the 1960-70s than in recent decades. Adequate control of total energy with restriction of saturated fatty acids from animal foods, increased intake of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, including fish, soybean products, fruits and vegetables together with low salt intake are responsible for promoting CAD and stroke prevention. A diet with adequate total calories and increased intake of fish and plant foods, but decreased intake of refined carbohydrates and animal fat, a so-called Japan diet, appears to be quite effective for prevention of CAD risk factors and is recommended as dietary therapy for preventing CAD.
authors.affiliation: Division of Metabolism and Nutrition, Department of Internal Medicine, The Jikei University Graduate School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan. n-tada27@jikei.ac.jp
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tada
authors.forename: Chizuko
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maruyama
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koba
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Sadatoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Birou
authors.forename: Tamio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Teramoto
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sasaki
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004032:Diet; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008019:Life Style; D012307:Risk Factors