Want To Lower Your Heart Disease Risk? The 'Portfolio Diet' May Be The Answer.

Bonus: You don't need to follow it exactly in order to reap the health benefits.

If you’re a living, breathing human on this planet, chances are that someone, at some point, has urged you to eat your fruits and vegetables. There are good reasons for that: Eating a diet low in fruit and veggies, and high in saturated fats, puts you at risk of developing heart disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It only makes sense, then, that produce-forward meal plans protect your cardiovascular health. These diets are known to help control risk factors for heart disease like high blood pressure and high cholesterol. (However, medication is necessary sometimes, too.)

The Mediterranean diet is a common heart-healthy approach, but there’s another option that may also be key to lowering your cholesterol and your risk of coronary artery disease: the portfolio diet.

Below, experts share the rundown on this plant-forward meal plan and why it’s worth trying.

What is the portfolio diet?