American College of Cardiology Backs Diets Centered on Minimally Processed Plant Foods

The American College of Cardiology has backed diets centered on minimally processed plant foods to cut heart disease risk, in a new scientific statement published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology on September 30.

The 2026 ACC Scientific Statement on nutrition and cardiovascular disease, chaired by Professor Frank Hu of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, reviews the evidence on nutrients, dietary patterns, ultra-processed foods and new nutrition programs.

It finds that Mediterranean, DASH, vegetarian and other plant-rich diets improve blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar control and body weight, and are consistently linked to lower rates of cardiovascular disease and death. It supports replacing saturated fats with unsaturated ones, eating more fiber and whole grains, and cutting salt and ultra-processed foods, especially sugary drinks and processed meats. The ACC says it also wants nutrition counseling and Food Is Medicine programs built into everyday care.

"Suboptimal diet is a key risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), and diet and lifestyle modification is widely considered essential for both primary and secondary prevention," said Professor Hu. "However, the concept of a 'heart-healthy' diet has evolved over time from nutrient-centric approaches to more holistic, food- and pattern-based strategies that better reflect advances in the understanding of the complex relationship between diet and cardiometabolic health."

Fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes and nuts are the foundation of that pattern.

The ACC was already recommending plant protein back in 2017, and last month a Harvard study linked a healthy plant-based diet to a 26% lower risk of death in heart attack survivors.

The heart doctors have spoken: eat more plants.