Preventing Heart Disease with a Healthy Diet

A heart healthy diet is not about food restrictions or elimination. Rather, a heart healthy diet is about variety and moderation. In some cases, adding certain foods to your diet is just as important as limiting other foods. This article outlines the shift away from a focus on low-fat diets and more to overall dietary patterns that emphasize a plant-centric eating habits (such as including a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains into your meals).

The reality is that eating more whole or minimally processed, plant-based foods will naturally lower your intake of fat, especially saturated fat. Found mainly in meat and dairy products, saturated fat can boost levels of harmful LDL cholesterol, a key contributor to heart disease. But simply cutting back on all types of fat does not necessarily translate into a diet that lowers cardiovascular risk.

SOURCE: Harvard Health Publishing: Harvard Medical School • LAST UPDATED: April 14, 2023