Plant power: Meta-analysis backs ‘portfolio diet’ for cholesterol and blood pressure

By Nathan Gray

- Last updated on GMT

iStock / HYWARDS
iStock / HYWARDS
A ‘portfolio diet’ containing daily doses of plant proteins, plant stanols, fibres and nuts has could help slash cholesterol and blood pressure, leading to a lower heart disease risk, say those behind a new meta-analysis.

The analysis, published in the journal Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases​, reports that a diet containing plant protein, fibre, nuts, and plant sterols could help lower cholesterol, improve blood pressure, and improve other markers for long-term cardiovascular disease risk.

Led by senior author Dr John Sievenpiper the team set out to update the European Association for the Study of Diabetes clinical practice guidelines for nutrition therapy by performing a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials to assess the effect of the Portfolio dietary pattern on primary targets for cardiovascular disease prevention including low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), blood pressure, and other established risk factors.

The ‘Portfolio diet’ is a plant-based dietary pattern that emphasises consumption of four clinically validated cholesterol-lowering foods every day. The diet contains: 42 grams of tree nuts or peanuts, 50 grams of plant protein from soy or pulses, 20 grams of soluble fibre and 2 grams plant sterols.

"Previous clinical trials and observational studies have found strong evidence that a plant-based diet can improve heart health,"​ commented study co-author Dr Hana Kahleova, director of clinical research for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. "This study demonstrates that certain plant foods are especially effective for lowering cholesterol and boosting our overall cardiovascular health."

Study details

After searching online publications in MEDLINE, EMBASE and The Cochrane Library the team found a total of seven clinical trials that met inclusion criteria – with a total of 439 pooled participants.

Analysis found that following the dietary pattern reduced LDL-cholesterol by 17%, while also reducing total cholesterol, triglcyerides, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and C-reactive protein.

It also helped reduce 10-year coronary heart disease risk by 13%, said the team.

“Current evidence demonstrates that the Portfolio dietary pattern leads to clinically meaningful improvements in LDL-C as well as other established cardiometabolic risk factors and estimated 10-year CHD risk,” ​they concluded.

Source: Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1016/j.pcad.2018.05.004
“Portfolio Dietary Pattern and Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Controlled Trials”
Authors: Laura Chiavaroli, et al

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