That's the Portfolio Diet. It's a plant-based, therapeutic diet created by Canadian researcher Dr. David J. Jenkins to help lower blood cholesterol, according to the New York Post .
The Portfolio Diet has four essential components: Soluble fiber, soy protein, plant sterols, and nuts. It is a low-saturated-fat, high-fiber diet. Studies have found that this diet is as effective at treating blood cholesterol as statin drugs.
A diet that can help control cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke
The Portfolio Diet is designed to lower cholesterol and heart disease risk by incorporating foods that have been shown in studies to help lower cholesterol.
These are the following foods:
Fruits: Avocado, pear, apple, orange, banana, kiwi, peach.
Vegetables: Okra, eggplant, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, radishes.
Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds.
Whole grains: Oats, quinoa, brown rice, barley.
Beans: Black beans, kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, lima beans.
Soy protein: Tofu, tempeh, soy milk.
Healthy fats: Margarine and vegetable oils.
Additionally, this diet encourages the use of supplements such as psyllium fiber and plant sterols.
Foods to avoid
Some foods to reduce in the Portfolio Diet include: Processed foods such as chips, cookies, fried foods, prepackaged meals, processed meats; refined carbs such as white flour pasta, white rice, white bread; sugar, sweets, soft drinks.
Plant-Based Portfolio Diet Aims to Lower Blood Cholesterol
What does the scientific evidence say about the Portfolio Diet?
The benefits of the Portfolio Diet have been scientifically proven. Previous research has shown that it can lower “bad” LDL cholesterol as well as statin drugs.
New research published in the American Heart Association's academic journal Circulation , which looked at the diets of more than 200,000 participants, has confirmed that the Portfolio Diet is effective in reducing the risk of stroke and heart disease.
After 30 years of follow-up, people with the highest Portfolio Diet scores had a 14 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke than those with the lowest scores, according to the New York Post .
Adherence to the Portfolio Diet reduces the risk of both heart disease and stroke, said study leader Dr Andrea Glenn from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.
At the same time, the study also highlights ways to reduce your risk of heart disease by consuming more of the foods recommended in the Portfolio Diet.
"You don't need to do everything, just a few small changes can reap cardiovascular benefits. The more foods you eat from the Portfolio Diet, the more likely you are to protect against heart disease," adds Dr. Glenn.
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