Diet plays a huge role in atherosclerosis through impacting many of its associated risk factors, such as obesity, high cholesterol, high blood-pressure, and diabetes. Recent guidelines cite strong evidence that weight loss in people with overweight or obesity can reduce atherosclerotic disease risk. There’s also strong evidence that a diet high in fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts, whole grains, and fish can reduce the risk for diseases caused by atherosclerosis. Weaker evidence suggests that swapping out saturated fat with mono- or polyunsaturated fats and minimizing processed meats and refined carbohydrates can also help.[1]
References
- ^Donna K Arnett, Roger S Blumenthal, Michelle A Albert, Andrew B Buroker, Zachary D Goldberger, Ellen J Hahn, Cheryl Dennison Himmelfarb, Amit Khera, Donald Lloyd-Jones, J William McEvoy, Erin D Michos, Michael D Miedema, Daniel Muñoz, Sidney C Smith Jr, Salim S Virani, Kim A Williams Sr, Joseph Yeboah, Boback Ziaeian2019 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice GuidelinesCirculation.(2019 Sep 10)