The relative proportions of dietary macronutrients (fat, carbohydrate, protein) are less predictive of coronary heart disease risk than the nutritional quality of food sources consumed.

Study: Quality of plant-based diets in relation to 10-year cardiovascular disease risk: the ATTICA cohort study

This study found that eating healthy plant foods like vegetables and whole grains lowers heart disease risk, but eating unhealthy plant foods like sugary snacks doesn’t help—even if they’re plant-based. So what you eat matters more than just how much fat, carbs, or protein you consume.

Study: Effect of Low-Carbohydrate and Low-Fat Diets on Metabolomic Indices and Coronary Heart Disease in U.S. Individuals.

Whether you eat low-carb or low-fat, what matters most is whether your food is healthy (like veggies and whole grains) or unhealthy (like processed meats and sugary snacks)—healthy foods lower heart disease risk no matter the diet type.

Study: Dietary Fatty Acids, Macronutrient Substitutions, Food Sources and Incidence of Coronary Heart Disease: Findings From the EPIC‐CVD Case‐Cohort Study Across Nine European Countries

The study found that it doesn’t matter as much how much fat, carbs, or protein you eat — what matters more is where that fat comes from. Eating saturated fat from yogurt or fish is linked to lower heart disease risk, but from butter or red meat is linked to higher risk.

Study: Effect of Low-Carbohydrate and Low-Fat Diets on Metabolomic Indices and Coronary Heart Disease in U.S. Individuals.

Whether you eat low-carb or low-fat, what matters most is whether your food is healthy (like veggies and whole grains) or unhealthy (like processed meats and sugary snacks)—healthy food lowers heart disease risk no matter the diet type.