{"id":6671,"date":"2020-02-12T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-02-12T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prd-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/?p=6671"},"modified":"2023-06-29T20:14:10","modified_gmt":"2023-06-29T20:14:10","slug":"what-are-the-best-diets-heart-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/what-are-the-best-diets-heart-health\/","title":{"rendered":"What are the best diets for heart health?","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

By Sabrina Shaheen, MD\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

As a cardiologist with a special interest in cardiovascular disease prevention, I often encounter questions from patients about the risks and benefits of different diets. Let\u2019s take a quick look at some popular diet plans and how they impact cardiovascular health.<\/p>\n

Mediterranean diet<\/h3>\n

The Mediterranean diet is low in red meat, sugar, processed foods and saturated fat, and high in produce, nuts and other healthful foods. It offers a host of health benefits, including weight loss, heart and brain health, cancer prevention and diabetes prevention and control.<\/p>\n

More about the Mediterranean diet<\/a><\/p>\n

DASH diet<\/h3>\n

The DASH diet, which stands for \u201cdietary approaches to stop hypertension,\u201d is promoted by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. It emphasizes the foods you have always been told to eat (fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy), which are high in nutrients such as potassium, calcium, protein and fiber, all of which can lower blood pressure.<\/p>\n

DASH also discourages foods that are high in saturated fat, such as fatty meats, full-fat dairy foods and tropical oils, as well as sugar-sweetened beverages and sweets. Following DASH means capping sodium at 2,300 milligrams a day.<\/p>\n

DASH tools and resources from NIH<\/a><\/p>\n

Cardiac benefits of the Mediterranean and DASH diets:<\/p>\n