The Best Diets For Your Heart—and Which Ones To Avoid
AHA Says These Are the Best Diets for Your HeartYelenaYemchuk – Getty Images
The Best Diets For Your Heart—and Which Ones To Avoid
The American Heart Association (AHA) analyzed the most popular diets out there for heart healthy properties.
The Best Diets For Your Heart—and Which Ones To Avoid
The DASH and Mediterranean diets were some of the healthiest.
The Best Diets For Your Heart—and Which Ones To Avoid
The AHA recommends against the keto and Paleo diets for heart health.
The Best Diets For Your Heart—and Which Ones To Avoid
Heart disease is the No.1 cause of death in the U.S. and, with that, many people want to do what they can to boost their heart health. Now, the American Heart Association is breaking down the most heart-healthy diets out there—and the organization also called out a few popular diets they say aren’t doing your heart any favors.
The Best Diets For Your Heart—and Which Ones To Avoid
The scientific statement, which was published in the AHA’s journal Circulation, says there is a “proliferation of nutrition misinformation and misplaced emphasis” with several popular eating plans right now. The point of the statement, the AHA says, is to “assess alignment of commonly practiced U.S. dietary patterns with the recently published American Heart Association criteria, to determine clinical and cultural factors that affect long-term adherence, and to propose approaches for adoption of healthy dietary patterns.” Basically, the organization wants to make it easier for people to choose heart healthy diets from the most popular options out there.
The Best Diets For Your Heart—and Which Ones To Avoid
The AHA then ranked popular diets, designating the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet the winner. This diet is 100% aligned with the AHA’s goals for healthy eating, the organization notes. Also in the mix: The highly popular Mediterranean diet, along with vegan and low-fat diets.
“Epidemiological research on the DASH and Mediterranean diets are what informed the AHA’s guidance in the first place, so it stands to reason those would score the highest,” says Scott Keatley, R.D., co-owner of Keatley Medical Nutrition Therapy.
But the AHA made a point to say that two diets—keto and Paleo—“align poorly” with the organization’s dietary guidance for a heart healthy diet. “Restrictions on fruits, whole grains, and legumes may result in reduced fiber intake,” the AHA explained in a press release. “Additionally, these diets are high in fat…