Portfolio diet can lower heart disease risk

Toronto, July 28: Some patients also choose the portfolio diet for ethical and environmental reasons, veggie diets generally have a smaller ecofootprint.

Some patients also choose the portfolio diet for ethical and environmental reasons, veggie diets generally have a smaller eco- footprint.

Turns out, portfolio diet, a plant- based way of eating , reduces risk factors for cardiovascular disease including blood pressure, triglycerides, and inflammation.

University of Toronto researchers stated that in addition to reducing LDL ( or ' bad') cholesterol by about 30 per cent when combined with a low- saturated fat diet, the researchers found the diet limited other factors for an estimated 13 per cent reduction in the risk for heart disease.

Associate professor, John Sievenpiper said, “We’ve known the portfolio diet lowers LDL cholesterol, but we didn't have a clear picture of what else it could do. This study allows for greater clarity and certainty about the effects of the diet and its health potential.”

The portfolio diet has four main components.

Based on a 2,000 calorie diet, it includes 45 grams of nuts, or about a handful; 50 grams of plant protein such as soy, or pulses like beans and peas; 20 grams of viscous soluble fibre from oats, eggplant, apples, etc.; and 2 grams of plant sterols, natural compounds that check cholesterol.