ABSTRACT
General dietary guidelines for cardiovascular health have been issued in recent years by the American Heart Association, the Adult Treatment Panel III of the National Cholesterol Education Program, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Joint National Committee for the Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure, and the NHLBI Clinical Guidelines on the Identifi cation, Evaluation, and Treatment of Overweight and Obesity in Adults. Overall, these expert panels recommend diets that emphasize intake of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and legumes, fatty fi sh, poultry and lean meats, low-fat and fat-free dairy products, and liquid vegetable oils. Such foods tend to contain high concentrations of micronutrients and fi ber, moderate amounts of unsaturated fatty acids, particularly omega-3 fatty acids, and lower amounts of saturated and trans-fatty acids. They also tend to contain less sugar and starches with a high glycemic effect.
