CitySlim offers promising news to those with high cholesterol! New studies prove that adding just four specific food components to your diet may reduce cholesterol to a magnitude achieved with the starting dose of first-line drugs, such as statins, without the side effects. Whether you want to reduce your cholesterol by about 30%, lower your LDL:HDL cholesterol-ratio, or maintain a healthy heart, you should definitely consider the Portfolio Diet.[i] 

The Portfolio Diet is a combination of four cholesterol-lowering food groups in the diet to achieve maximum reduction in cholesterol concentration by diet alone. The diet is only proven effective when the following four food groups are eaten together in a 2,000 calorie diet low in saturated fat. You ready? Get your pen and paper or print out the following list.

To follow the Portfolio Diet you must eat from each of the following 4 food groups.[ii] 

Plant sterols: 2 grams (.064 ounces) from foods such as sterol-enriched margarines like Benecol® or Take Control® (1 Tbsp). Other foods with plant sterols: avocado (1 small, 6 oz), corn oil (1 Tbsp), chick peas (1/2 cup), soybeans (1 cup), or vegetable shortening (1 Tbsp).

Viscous fiber: 20 grams (less than one ounce) from foods such as oats, barley and certain fruits and vegetables. Eat ½ cup of any of the following cooked foods: kidney beans, lima beans, pinto beans, navy beans, broccoli, or barley. Or: 1/3 cup dry oats, 1 ¼ cups strawberries, 3 medium dried prunes, 2 Metamucil wafers, ½ cup mashed sweet potatoes, ½ cup cooked barley or ½ medium grapefruit.

Soy protein: 50 grams (1.6 ounces) from foods such as tofu, soy meat alternatives and soy milk. Try ½ cup firm tofu, 5 ounces cooked soybeans, 1 patty Boca Chik’n Patty or 4 oz (1/2 package) of Lightlife Organic Wild Rice Tempeh.

Almonds: 30 grams (about one ounce). Eat about 23 almonds, or a handful, or 2 Tbsp almond butter.The proposed reason why the Portfolio diet works is based on the different cholesterol-lowering modes of action of these four food groups. Plant sterols increase fecal cholesterol loss, viscous fibers increase bile acid loss of cholesterol, and soy proteins reduce cholesterol synthesis in the liver and increase low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor-mediated cholesterol uptake.[iii] Almonds provide a healthful dose of vitamin E, which may be one factor that decreases c-reactive protein levels (inflammatory proteins implicated in cardiovascular disease) more than statins. Almonds also contribute fiber and vegetable protein, and have less saturated fat than any other tree nut, which helps keep saturated fat intake low.[iv] 

One of the more recent studies, published in the March 2006 edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that this dietary approach, called the PortfolioEatingPlan®, achieves results without having to conform to vegan or vegetarian guidelines. Fifty-five people were followed for one year as they bought and prepared their own meals. “Those groups who followed the approach most closely (about 33 percent) achieved the best results, with a 20 percent or higher decrease in LDL, but every group lowered their cholesterol at least 10 percent.”[v] Foods were rated palatable and the satiety effect of the diet may be a further advantage of this combination eating plan.[vi]Extra bonuses of being on the Portfolio Diet may include reduced risk of heart attack and lowering of blood pressure. More research is being conducted to examine these multiple potential effects.