Eating in a way called the Portfolio diet can lower bad cholesterol and a harmful blood protein in people with high cholesterol, which may help protect their heart.

What we've found so far is that the evidence we’ve reviewed leans toward the Portfolio diet being linked to lower non-HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B levels in adults with high cholesterol [1]. Our analysis of the available research shows that all 58.0 assertions we examined support this idea, with none refuting it [1]. The Portfolio diet includes foods like nuts, soy protein, soluble fiber, and plant sterols. According to what we’ve reviewed, eating this way may help reduce non-HDL cholesterol, which includes the types of cholesterol that can contribute to artery buildup. It may also lower apolipoprotein B, a protein found in harmful lipoproteins that carry cholesterol through the blood [1]. These changes are often seen as part of a pattern that could support heart health. We looked at 58.0 separate pieces of evidence, and all of them point in the same direction—toward a reduction in these blood markers [1]. Still, our current analysis can’t say how much the levels drop for everyone, or how long the effects last. We also don’t have data from the evidence provided on other factors like age, diet adherence, or medication use that might influence results. Because we only have assertions that support this link and none that challenge it, our view is limited. We can’t assess strength of effect or consistency across different groups of people based on this information alone. More data would help us better understand the full picture. Our analysis is based on what’s been reported so far, and as we review more studies, our understanding may change. Practical takeaway: If you have high cholesterol, eating more nuts, fiber, soy, and plant sterols—the core parts of the Portfolio diet—may help improve certain blood markers linked to heart health, based on what we’ve seen so far.