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The Mediterranean diet and its many benefits are often touted by doctors, nutritionists and dieticians. However, a lesser-known approach to structuring your meals — the portfolio diet — offers similar heart-health benefits. The portfolio diet was created in the early 2000s by Dr. David Jenkins, a professor in the department of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto. With an investment portfolio, "you're spreading out your risks and benefits and trying to maximize your financial returns," Jenkins told The New York Times. Similarly, by centering foods that can lower cholesterol levels in your diet you can decrease your risk of heart disease and boost your heart health, he explained. Foods to eat on the portfolio diet The staples of the portfolio diet are viscous fiber, plant-based proteins, nuts and seeds, monounsaturated fats and phytosterols, also known as plant sterols. Legumes (including plant-based proteins derived from soy beans like tofu, tempeh and soy milk) Nuts Seeds Extra virgin olive oil and other healthy fats like avocados Fruits Vegetables Each of the food groups have properties that can lower cholesterol levels, according to experts. "Viscous fiber is a type of soluble fiber that has a somewhat sticky quality," Andrea Glenn, assistant professor in the department of Nutrition and Food Studies at NYU, told Harvard Health Publishing last year. Glenn co-authored a large observational study on the effects of the portfolio diet, which published in 2023. Viscous fiber is found in oats, eggplant, chia seeds and barley. While phytosterols are "a natural compound in plant-based foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and nuts," the health blog states. The daily recommended servings of the foods in the portfolio diet are 20 grams of viscous fiber, 45 grams of nuts and seeds, 50 grams of plant proteins, two grams of plant sterols and 45 grams of oils/monounsaturated fats. Foods to avoid include ultra-processed foods, red meat, butter, cream and dairy products high in cholesterol and saturated fat. But you can start gradually incorporating some of those key foods into your meals and still see positive effects on your health. "It's not an all-or-nothing approach. You can take your own diet and make a few small changes and see cardiovascular benefits," Glenn told the American Heart Association in 2023. "The more of the foods (from the portfolio diet) that you eat, the greater your heart disease risk protection." More on the science behind the portfolio diet A few small studies led by Jenkins in 2003, including the trial that introduced the diet to the world, found an association between following the portfolio diet and a lower risk of heart disease and stroke. Jenkins and his fellow researchers also discovered that the eating pattern led to decreases in the levels of "bad cholesterol," or LDL, by about 30% in individuals with high cholesterol. Still, more robust research was needed to declare that the portfolio diet leads to heart-health benefits for everyone, including healthy individuals. Glenn and her team analyzed data that tracked the self-reported eating habits of 210,000 nurses and other health professionals over 30 years. The researchers learned that people who ate very similarly to the portfolio diet had a 14% lower risk of developing coronary heart disease or stroke than people who ate less similarly to the diet. Though it cannot be concretely stated that the portfolio diet was the cause because it was an observational study, the findings are still impactful. Want to level up your AI skills? Sign up for Smarter by CNBC Make It's new online course, How To Use AI To Communicate Better At Work. Get specific prompts to optimize emails, memos and presentations for tone, context and audience. Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It's newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life, and request to join our exclusive community on LinkedIn to connect with experts and peers.
