In a new study, researchers found plant-based foods should dominate heart-healthy diets.
This comprehensive review of research on food and heart disease provides updated evidence on how much, and how often, each item can be safely consumed.
Overall, there is consistent evidence that for healthy adults, low consumption of salt and foods of animal origin, and increased intake of plant-based foods—including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts—are linked with reduced risk of atherosclerosis.
The same applies to replacing butter and other animal fats with non-tropical vegetable fats such as olive oil.
New evidence differentiates processed and red meat—both associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease—from poultry, which shows no relationship at moderate intakes (up to three servings of 100 g per week).
Red meat (i.e. beef, pork, lamb) should be limited to two servings of 100 g per week, and processed meat (i.e. bacon, sausages, salami) limited to occasional use.
Legumes (up to four servings of 180 g per week) are the recommended protein replacement for red meat.
Moderate fish consumption (two to four servings of 150 g per week) is also supported by the latest evidence for the prevention of heart disease, although there might be sustainability concerns.
Poultry may be a suitable protein alternative to red meat but in moderate amounts.
As for fruits and vegetables, given their strong association with a lower risk of atherosclerosis, daily consumption should be increased to as much as 400 g for each. Regarding nuts, a handful (around 30 g) per day is recommended.
For the healthy population, recent evidence does not support a requirement to use low-fat, instead of full-fat, dairy products to prevent heart disease.
Rather, both full-fat and low-fat dairy products, in moderate amounts and in the context of a balanced diet, are not associated with increased risk.
The team says small quantities of cheese (three servings of 50 g per week) and regular yogurt consumption (200 g per day) are even linked with a protective effect due to the fact that they are fermented.
gut bacteria play a major role in influencing cardiovascular risk. Fermented dairy products contain good bacteria which promote health.
With respect to cereals, novel advice is given according to the glycaemic index (GI), where high GI foods raise blood sugar more quickly than low GI foods.
High GI foods (i.e. white bread, white rice) are associated with a higher atherosclerosis risk; therefore, consumption should be limited to two servings per week and they should otherwise be replaced with whole grain foods (i.e. bread, rice, oat, barley) and low GI foods (i.e. pasta, parboiled rice, corn tortilla).
As for beverages, coffee and tea (up to three cups daily) are linked to reduced cardiovascular risk. Soft drinks, including low-calorie options, are linked with higher risk and should be replaced with water except on limited occasions.
Regarding chocolate, the available evidence allows up to 10 g of dark chocolate per day.
The team says that eating should be enjoyable to motivate healthy people to make long-term changes.
People need to rediscover culinary traditions such as the Mediterranean diet which has delicious recipes using beans, whole grains, nuts, fruits and vegetables.
If you care about nutrition and heart health, please read studies about avoiding these foods could help prevent heart disease, stroke and findings of these foods may worsen heart failure.
For more information about food and heart health, please see recent studies about food high in omega-3 fats can improve recovery after heart attack and results showing that eating foods that promote inflammation may worsen heart failure.
The study is published in Cardiovascular Research. One author of the study is Professor Gabriele Riccardi.
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