Can changing my diet help prevent heart disease?

Treatment programs that include diet therapy are aimed at lowering the amount of unhealthy fat and cholesterol you consume.

Serum cholesterol levels in a person's blood have served as a marker for coronary heart disease (CHD) risk in hundreds of studies, and serum cholesterol levels appear to increase with a higher dietary intake of saturated fats. Thus, lowering the amount of unhealthy saturated and trans fats you consume is one way of regulating your cholesterol levels and reducing your risk of developing CHD. Also, increasing your intake of unsaturated fats may help increase your HDL cholesterol levels.

Your healthcare provider or a qualified nutrition professional can help you design a diet that is nutritious and healthful and helps you reach your cholesterol goals. However, individual responses to diet therapy vary greatly. Thus, diet therapy should be carefully monitored in each individual.

Take the RealAge Test!