Eat this, not that! AHA's guide for a heart healthy diet

The American Heart Association (AHA) recently released guidelines for overall dietary patterns to improve heart health. The new recommendations were published in the journal Circulation.

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According to AHA, poor diet quality is strongly associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. People are advised to consume food and beverages that are good for their hearts, regardless of whether they are prepared at home or outside.

Central to the AHA’s guidance, these are some requirements for a heart-healthy dietary pattern:

• Choose whole-grain foods and products
• Eat plenty and a variety of fruits and vegetables
• Choose healthy sources of protein: plants, seafood, unprocessed meat and low-fat dairy products
• Choose and prepare foods with little or no salt
• Use liquid plant oils rather than tropical oils, such as coconut and palm
• Choose minimally processed foods instead of ultra-processed foods
• Minimise the intake of beverages and foods with added sugars
• Adjust energy intake to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight
• If you do not drink alcohol, do not start; if you choose to drink alcohol, limit the intake

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