Research
Mixed
Adherence to healthy dietary patterns (e.g., Mediterranean, DASH) significantly reduces the risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events and all-cause mortality, with effect sizes comparable to pharmacological interventions.
Focus on eating more plants (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts) and fish, while cutting back on sugary drinks, refined grains, and processed meats. This pattern, whether called Mediterranean or DASH, is as effective for heart health as many prescription drugs.
StrongSupportsVERY_HIGH confidence
in large prospective cohort studies and randomized trials, higher intakes of fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, whole grains, fish, nuts, seeds, and legumes and lower intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages, refined grains, and red and processed meats are associated with reduced ASCVD risk... adherence to whole patterns of healthy eating (eg, the Mediterranean diet, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension [DASH] diet, and others) also reduce the risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality... in those with ASCVD, effect sizes are similar to some pharmacological interventions.
Why this rating
Supported by large prospective cohort studies, randomized trials, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews.
Source
Medical Nutrition Education, Training, and Competencies to Advance Guideline-Based Diet Counseling by Physicians: A Science Advisory From the American Heart Association
Karen Aspry et al. · Circulation · 2018
clinical_guidelineCited 167×
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