What is the portfolio diet? What diet for high cholesterol? |

In this article you will learn, among others:

• What is the portfolio diet?

• What does the portoflio diet menu look like?

• What are the effects of the portfolio diet?

What is the portfolio diet?

The portfolio diet was not composed with weight loss in mind, but with the improvement of the lipid profile. slimming can at most be a nice side effect. According to the Ieish Nutrition Dietetic Institute, this type of nutrition does the potential to lower cholesterol levels by 5 – 24 percent. Most people start with dietary restrictions when they find out that they have too high cholesterol in their blood, and a doctor usually confirms it too. So it begins to exclude fatty dairy products, meat, butter. However, it is not known very much what to eat. The portfolio diet focuses on food additives that lower cholesterol. Their inclusion is to become a priority for the patient, not the limitations themselves.

What does the portoflio diet menu look like?

1. Inclusion in the diet soy productsespecially instead of milk and meat (soy milk, tofu, etc.), soybeans are a good source of plant-based protein, low in saturated fat, and high in dietary fiber.

2. Consuming foods rich in dietary fiber, especially water-soluble, e.g. oats, barley, legumes, fruit. Taking advantage of psyllium is also recommended. It is a soluble fiber from the Plantago ovata shrub that grows all over the world but is most common in India. It has been proven that it lowers the level of bad cholesterol, helps with constipation and diarrhea, and reduces the risk of colon cancer, heart disease and diabetes. It also relieves the pain associated with hemorrhoids.

3. Replace good quality butter with soft, rich in plant sterols and plant sterols.  They block the absorption of cholesterol in the gut. If taken in the right amounts, they can lower LDL cholesterol by up to 15%. Their dietary intake may not be sufficient, so look for fortified foods, such as good-quality margarines or dairy products.

4. Regular consumption nuts. All nuts are a good source of vegetable protein, dietary fiber, unsaturated fatty acids, and vitamin E. Although most of the original portfolio dietary studies use almonds mainly, the use of other nuts has recently been analyzed with similar results. In addition to almonds, you can choose Brazil nuts, pistachios, walnuts, pecans, cashews and peanuts.

Portfolio diet creator David JA Jenkins promises to be recommended by his diet lowers cholesterol as used customary medications.

A typical portfolio diet should contain around 50 grams of nuts, 2 grams of plant sterols, 10-25 grams of soluble fiber, and 50 grams of soy protein per day. Theoretically, it is a vegetarian diet, but many people use its principles by not giving up, but limiting meat, which can also bring tangible results. 

What are the effects of the portfolio diet?

Already one of the first randomized trials conducted in 2002 confirmed the beneficial effects of the portfolio diet on health. The study participants (25 men and 21 women) with adult hyperlipidemia were divided into 3 groups: Using a portfolio diet that reduces the level of saturated fat in the diet, taking statins. The group following the principles of the porfolio diet was absolutely to take care of the right amount of its basic ingredients, namely: plant sterols (1,0 g / 1000 kcal), soy protein (21,4 g / 1000 kcal), soluble dietary fiber (9,8, 1000 g / 14 kcal) and almonds (1000 g / 0 kcal). Importantly, all diets were vegetarian diets. The levels of lipids and C-reactive protein obtained from fasting blood samples were assessed, as well as blood pressure and body weight measured at weeks: 2, 4 and XNUMX. The levels of bad LDL cholesterol and CRP were significantly reduced after one month of the study in both the statin group and the group following the principles of the portfolio diet. These differences were significant compared to the control diet. Of course, one can find various problems in these studies, e.g. a small group and a short study time, but later studies confirmed the same correlation.

Using this knowledge to lower cholesterol can be a lifesaver for many patients, especially if they cannot / do not want to take statins. However, it should be remembered that you should never give up on medications on your own. Such a decision can be made only after consultation with the attending physician. Of course, before using such a diet, in the case of accompanying ailments, such as kidney disease, diabetes, such consultation will also be required. 

Have you ever heard of the portfolio diet? Do you know other diets with high cholesterol?

Photo is from: jhecking / Foter / CC BY