Archie Heartbreakers

It’s nice to have general recommendations, but many people prefer to have a clearer plan to follow.

If you’re one of those people, here are some of the best research-backed, heart-healthy diets. These diets also boast a higher-than-average adherence rate. That’s how likely you are to stick to them in the long term.

The Mediterranean diet is tops on most lists and has the most research backing it. It includes:

The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet was crafted specifically to stop high blood pressure. It’s part of a plan that also includes exercise. But, it’s also proven to reduce cholesterol.

The recommendation is to eat a diet rich in:

The DASH diet also calls for reducing total fat, especially saturated fat.

The National Institutes of Health developed the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet to reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke. It includes eating based on certain numeric guidelines and getting 30 minutes a day of physical activity most days of the week. Key dietary recommendations are:

The Dean Ornish diet is a low fat, lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet. That means you avoid eating meat from animals, but you can have milk and egg products. In this case, it allows for egg whites and nonfat dairy.

This diet emphasizes eating mostly plants in their natural forms. You get most of your protein from plant sources, such as tofu, beans, and tempeh. It also emphasizes whole grains and healthy fats, and limits simple carbohydrates, especially sugar.

Though there isn’t much new research available, an older 2009 study found that the Ornish diet was effective at reducing total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides.

The Flexitarian diet has become more popular over the years. It’s a popular choice for some people who tried going fully vegetarian or vegan but may have found that eating plan too hard to stick to, or wanted some animal foods in their diets.

A 2015 study found that people who occasionally strayed from a vegetarian or vegan diet had significantly reduced their cholesterol and lost weight. A 2017 review also found that a Flexitarian diet improved metabolic health and blood pressure, and reduced the risk of diabetes.

The Flexitarian diet has no rigid rules, just lifestyle recommendations:

The vegan diet has become one of the most hyped eating plans, followed by an ever-lengthening list of celebrities. It calls for cutting out all animal products. This can reduce cholesterol greatly, as long as you stick to:

A 2018 study concluded that, in most countries, a vegan diet can significantly reduce LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. The study also showed reductions in body mass index (BMI), waist size, blood sugar, and blood pressure.

Some studies suggest that low carb diets raise your LDL cholesterol levels. But the South Beach Diet claims to do just the opposite. An older study found that the South Beach Diet did reduce LDL and total cholesterol.

The South Beach diet doesn’t call for totally eliminating carbs, but rather choosing those with a low glycemic index. It’s a phased program that initially calls for cutting out carbs, then reintroducing them a little at a time.

The diet’s effect on your cholesterol level depends on the types of protein and fat you choose to eat. The South Beach meal plan reduces your intake of saturated fats, which should lower your LDL cholesterol.

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