The Portfolio Diet

A diet for a cholesterol free lifestyle

The Portfolio Diet reduces the cholesterol levels and risks of heart diseases by including nuts, plant sterols, soluble fibers and soy protein in the diet

The Portfolio Diet, as proven by evidence is a method of eating by which one can lower their cholesterol levels and thereby also reduce the risk of heart diseases. Instead of paying attention to what you are forbidden from eating, this diet focuses on what you can add to your daily meals.

This diet chooses from a few dietary patterns that have been proven to lower cholesterol levels and combines them into a mixture fitting to your personal choices. You could choose any one pattern, or some of them, or all of them.

The Portfolio Diet was developed Dr David Jenkins in the year 2003 in Toronto, Canada. This diet is modified to be mainly vegetarian and magnifies on the consumption of foods that lower the ‘bad’ cholesterol
LDL such as, nuts, plant sterols, soluble fibers and soy protein. Studies have proven a reduction in LDL by 20%-30% in people following Portfolio Diet notwithstanding the fact that they were on statin. One study included 351 participants who followed a low-fat or a portfolio of cholesterol-lowering diet. This involves either two clinic visits which were considered to be routine or seven clinic visits which were considered as an intensive routine during a six-month time frame, so that the effects of the Portfolio Diet could be assessed. The researchers concluded that the percentage of ‘bad’ cholesterol was less in the participants following the dietary portfolio by a much larger margin than those following a controlled diet. Another study that examined the effects of an altered Portfolio Diet had 30 participants with type-2 diabetes, using statin medication six weeks after a coronary bypass surgery. This version of the diet was low-fat and consisted of 8 g of viscous fiber, 17 g of soy protein and 22 g almonds. Following this portfolio resulted in a  reduction in LDL cholesterol by 19% without witnessing a change in HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol). The levels of a common amino acid in the blood, homocyteine also dropped by a significant amount over the period of the study.

One of the components of the Portfolio Diet is nuts that are rich in unsaturated fats. Replacement of saturated fats with polyunsaturated fat improves the level of good cholesterol and also reduces the risk of heart diseases. On one hand, pine nuts are known to have high levels of polyunsaturated fats while on the other hand, nuts like almonds, cashews, hazelnuts and pecans have high levels of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.

Portfolio Diet also highlights consumption of plant sterols, which can be found in plant-based foods. These occur naturally, and contain a much lower concentration, thus for the required 2 g a day, consumption of fortified foods is suggested. Plant sterols help in the absorption of dietary cholesterol. The sources of plant sterols could be sunflower seeds, corn oil, avocado, rice- bran oil, peanuts and sesame.
Another component that this diet requires you to consume is soluble fibers found in fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains. These absorb the water that’s in the body and then expand in order to slow down the passage of food through the intestines. Soluble fibers have shown the ability to reduce cholesterol levels in the body by excreting the cholesterol.

Soy protein is also an essential of the Portfolio Diet. It helps in lowering cholesterol levels alongside reducing the chances of heart diseases. Animal proteins are replaced by soy proteins for additional health benefits. They can be obtained by replacing cow’s milk with soy milk, tempeh, edamame, soy cheese and soy yogurt.

Portfolio Diet plans 50 g plant protein such as soy foods and tofu, 45 g nuts, 20 g soluble fibers which can be drawn from foods like oats, barley, eggplant, okra and 2 g plant sterols.
The diet effectively reduces the level of ‘bad’ cholesterol in the body and in turn reduces the risk of heart disease. It is also one of the easiest diets to adapt to since it simply adds healthier options to your diet without actually eliminating ingredients as such!