The New York Times – Dr. David Jenkins, a professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto, likens healthy eating to smart financial investing.
When you build an investment portfolio, “you’re spreading out your risks and benefits and trying to maximize your financial returns,” he said.
That’s the philosophy behind the portfolio diet, which Dr. Jenkins developed in the early 2000s after realizing that eating many different foods with cholesterol-lowering properties could lead to big heart benefits.
These foods include legumes, nuts, extra virgin olive oil, fruits and vegetables.
The returns can be impressive: Some studies suggest that following the diet could lower levels of LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, by around 30 percent; and reduce the risks of coronary heart disease and stroke.
What is the portfolio diet?
Similar to the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet, the portfolio diet emphasizes fiber, healthy fats and plant sources of protein.
Nuts and seeds, legumes (especially products made from soy beans such as tofu, tempeh and soy milk) and rich sources of monounsaturated fats (like extra virgin olive oil, canola oil and avocados) are key elements of the diet.
The portfolio diet also prioritizes foods that are high in a type of fiber called viscous fiber, which is found in certain plant foods like oats, barley, okra, eggplant and chia seeds, and fiber supplements like psyllium.
Viscous fiber turns into a gel-like substance in your intestines, where it binds to cholesterol to reduce its absorption, said Andrea Glenn, an assistant professor of nutrition at New York University.
A group of naturally occurring plant compounds called phytosterols (or plant sterols) are also key components of the portfolio diet.
Because these compounds have a similar structure to cholesterol, they compete with it for absorption, helping your body absorb less cholesterol, said Penny Kris-Etherton …
