The portfolio diet – which also focuses heavily on fruits and vegetables – would help fight cardiovascular disease and stroke.
- The portfolio diet is designed to reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol.
- It is not based on banning foods, but rather on a list of foods recommended for the heart.
- New research shows it may also reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Have you ever heard of the portfolio diet? No, it’s not very surprising, this diet, developed to fight bad cholesterol, is much less known than the other alternatives: Mediterranean and DASH… And yet its constitution – which also gives pride of place to fruits and vegetables – is beneficial for heart health according to a North American study published in the journalAmerican Heart Named association Traffic.
Portfolio Plan: What does this heart-healthy diet consist of?
Originally from Canada, the portfolio diet was designed in the early 2000s to lower “bad” cholesterol levels. LDL. Rather than banning food categories, it offers a portfolio (hence its name) products to add to your diet.
The list of foods to favor includes:
- of the plant-based proteins like soy and other legumes;
- of the foods containing soluble fiber such as oats, barley, berries, apples and citrus fruits;
- of the nuts and seeds;
- of the phytosterols: these substances, which reduce the absorption of cholesterol, are present in foods such as beans, soy, corn or squash. It is also possible to absorb it through supplements;
- of avocado and healthy, high-fat vegetable oils monounsaturated.
Previous research has confirmed that this diet can lower cholesterol LDL “as much as an early generation statin”. New work, presented by theAmerican Heart Association, reveal that prolonged adherence to this diet can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Cardiac disease : the portfolio plan reduces risks by 14%
Dietitian Dr. Andrea Glenn and her team came to this conclusion after examining data on the eating habits of 166,270 women and 43,970 men. After up to 30 years of follow-up, people who adopted the portfolio diet had a 14% lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke compared to those who did not follow it.
“Through this research, we found that the Portfolio Diet Score was consistently associated with a lower risk of heart disease and stroke, highlighting an opportunity for people to reduce their risk of disease. heart rate by consuming more of these foods recommended in the diet”indicates the lead author of the study, Dr. Andrea Glenn in a communicated.
“The portfolio regime is perhaps not as well known as the DASH and the Mediterranean diet, but there is significant overlap, explains the expert. They put all emphasize the consumption of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, plant proteins, nuts and vegetable oils.“
She adds : “You also don’t need to follow it like a strict vegan or vegetarian diet to see the benefits, but the more foods you eat (from the portfolio regime, Editor’s note)the greater your protection against heart disease.”
