Heart-Healthy Diets

Heart-Healthy Diets

Although there are many major dietary approaches for protecting health, experts generally agree on the following recommendations for heart protection:

• Choose fiber-rich food (whole grains, legumes, nuts) as the main source of carbohydrates, along with a high intake of fresh fruits and vegetables. Walnuts in particular have cholesterol-lowering properties and are a good source of antioxidants and alpha-linolenic acid.
• Avoid saturated fats (found mostly in animal products) and trans fatty acids (found in hydrogenated fats and many commercial products and fast foods). Choose unsaturated fats (particularly omega-3 fatty acids found in vegetable and fish oils).
• In selecting proteins, choose soy protein, poultry, and fish over meat. A 2006 study found that soy does not help improve cholesterol. However, experts still recommend it as a heart healthy food choice.
• Weight control, quitting smoking, and exercise are essential companions of any diet program.

After embarking on any heart healthy diet, it generally takes an average of 3 to 6 months before any noticeable reduction in cholesterol occurs, although some people have reported better levels in as few as 4 weeks. An intensive program may be necessary to achieve any significant improvements in cholesterol levels and to reduce heart risk factors.

[For more information, see In-Depth Report #43: Heart-healthy diet.]

Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) from the National Cholesterol Education Program

Dietary guidelines from the National Cholesterol Education Program recommend:

• Choose five or more servings of fresh fruits and vegetables and six or more servings of whole grains and legumes. Soluble fiber is preferred (from cereal grains, beans, peas, legumes, and many fruits and vegetables).
• Fats can be up to 35% of daily calories, but no more than 7% should be from saturated fat. (People with high triglycerides or low HDL or both may need a higher fat intake.) Choose fats containing unsaturated fatty acids (from vegetables, fish, legumes, and nuts). Choose margarines containing sterols or stanols (such as Benecol or Take Control). Avoid trans fatty acids found in commercial products as much as possible.
• Proteins should be limited in general to fat-free and low-fat milk products, fish, legumes, skinless poultry, and lean means.
• Limit cholesterol intake to less than 200 mg per day.
• Maintain healthy body weight and a healthy level of physical fitness.