A healthy Nordic diet lowers cholesterol levels, which thereby cuts the risk of cardiovascular disease, a new study has found.

There was also decreased inflammation associated with pre- diabetes.

"The subjects who ate a Nordic diet had lower levels of harmful LDL cholesterol and higher levels of `good` HDL cholesterol. The amount of harmful fat particles in the blood also declined," Lieselotte Cloetens, a biomedical nutrition researcher at Lund University, said.

The "healthy Nordic diet" used in the study contains local produce such as berries, root vegetables, legumes, and cabbage.

Nuts, game, poultry and fish are also included, as well as whole grains, rapeseed oil and low-fat dairy products.