Food factors for atherosclerosis prevention: Asian perspective derived from analyses of worldwide dietary biomarkers.

Worldwide epidemiological surveys covering 61 populations in 25 countries have shown that fish and soybean diets contribute to healthy longevity through the prevention of cardiovascular diseases in the Japanese population, particularly in Okinawans who consume a lot of fish and soy products. This is supported by the finding that 24 h urinary excretions of taurine and isoflavones, which are rich in fish and soybeans, are inversely related to mortality rates of coronary artery disease (CAD). Immigrant studies of Okinawans in Hawaii (USA) and Brazil showed that dietary factors were more important determinants of cardiovascular diseases than genetic factors. Intervention studies in these immigrants and Scottish people, whose CAD mortality rates are among the highest in the world, confirmed that diets fortified with fish oil (docosahexaenoic acid) and soy protein (isoflavone) alleviated the risks of CAD and osteoporosis. Asian eating patterns, consisting of daily seafood and/or soy consumption, confer protection against CAD despite a Westernized life style; moreover, dietary biomarkers indicate that approximately 100 g of soybean curd (tofu) or fish may contribute to lower CAD mortality, as low as that found among the Japanese.