Best Heart-Healthy Diets
Being overweight is just one factor that puts people at risk for heart disease and stroke. A heart-healthy diet can help you lose weight or lower cholesterol, blood pressure, or triglycerides. According to experts who rated the 25 diets below, the Ornish diet is the most heart-healthy.
Ornish Diet
Dieters are sure to do their heart a favor on the Ornish diet, according to experts, and if they use a rigorous version of the plan they could actually reverse heart disease. But the balanced, sound menu promotes heart health only if—experts emphasized if—the diet’s rules are followed.
TLC Diet
The Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet helps keep cardiovascular disease at bay, according to experts who reviewed the research. Following the diet should bring down blood pressure and improve cholesterol levels, for example.
DASH Diet
The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension program, or DASH, was devised to help control high blood pressure, and its effects on that marker of cardiovascular health have been extensively studied. So it’s no surprise that experts regarded it as a good diet for the heart.
Mediterranean Diet
Lots of research has validated the Mediterranean diet’s ability to prevent cardiovascular disease because of its emphasis on produce, monounsaturated fats, and protein from fish, with only a small amount from red meat.
Vegan Diet
Veganism earned high marks for its potential to boost cardiovascular health. It emphasizes the right foods—fruits, veggies, and whole grains—while steering dieters away from salty, processed choices.
Mayo Clinic Diet
Experts saw the Mayo Clinic Diet as a sound option for preventing or controlling heart problems. Its focus is on coaching dieters to develop healthy, lasting habits around which foods they choose to eat and which to avoid.
Vegetarian Diet
A vegetarian diet has the potential to decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to experts, as long as vegetarians don’t load up on full-fat dairy and processed foods. It’s a good bet for heart-conscious dieters, especially those who don’t have the heart to eat animals anyway.
Biggest Loser Diet
The Biggest Loser diet scored above average in the heart category. It mirrors the medical community’s consensus about what makes a heart-healthy plan. It’s heavy on fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains, and light on saturated fat and added sugar. And exercise is integral to the program, not an add-on.
Volumetrics Diet
Research indicates Volumetrics can improve cardiovascular health, and the diet reflects the essence of a heart-healthy approach to eating: It’s heavy on fruits, veggies, and whole grains, and light on saturated fat and salt.
Weight Watchers Diet
Weight Watchers is a healthy diet for the heart, according to experts, but it’s not as strong in this area as it is for weight loss. Some evidence suggests it helps lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, potentially warding off heart problems. And weight loss can help prevent heart disease.
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