The statement reviews current evidence on nutrition and cardiovascular health, covering macronutrients (carbohydrates, fats, protein), micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), dietary patterns, ultra-processed foods and emerging nutrition-based interventions. It also offers consensus recommendations on how clinicians can bring food and health into conversations with patients about preventing and managing heart disease.

Key recommendations

Overall quality beats macro math. Cardiovascular risk is driven less by the percentages of carbohydrates, fats or protein a person eats, and more by overall nutrition quality, food sources and the degree of processing.

Swap fats wisely. Current evidence supports replacing saturated fats—found in butter, fatty meats and other animal products—with unsaturated fats, particularly from liquid plant oils, nuts, seeds and fish. Prioritizing whole grains and other high-fiber foods also helps. Foods high in saturated fat, refined starches and added sugars should be limited.

Rethink beverages. Water and other unsweetened drinks come first. Sugar-sweetened beverages should be limited. Moderate coffee or tea consumption can fit within a healthy dietary pattern. Alcohol should generally be limited or avoided.

Address connected conditions together. Diet plays a central role in preventing and managing cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome, a cluster of interconnected conditions including CVD, diabetes, obesity and chronic kidney disease. The recommendations emphasize plant-forward eating, lower sodium intake and limiting highly processed foods.

Consider access to food. Access to healthy foods, affordability and other social drivers of health significantly affect diet quality. The statement says food security should be considered across four domains: availability, affordability, accessibility and utilization of nutritious foods.

Diet still matters on new weight-loss drugs. GLP-1 receptor agonists, a class of medications that can produce significant weight loss and cardiovascular benefits, do not replace good nutrition. A nutrient-rich, high-quality diet remains important during treatment, with adequate intakes of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals essential for maintaining overall health and preventing nutritional deficiencies.

Food as medicine. "Food Is Medicine" programs, which provide nutritious food as a clinical intervention, can improve diet quality, with growing evidence of benefits for clinical outcomes. Successful implementation, the statement notes, will require integrating these programs into health care systems and developing sustainable approaches across diverse settings.

The bottom line

The statement, published in 2026, is a consensus document—meaning it summarizes existing evidence rather than presenting new trial results. Its recommendations rest on the accumulated body of nutrition research reviewed by the writing group.

"Ultimately, heart-healthy eating is not about focusing on a single nutrient or food or following the latest dietary trend," Hu said. "What matters most is the overall quality of the diet—a consistent pattern of healthy food choices that supports cardiometabolic health and is sustainable over time."

In practical terms, that means building meals around minimally processed plants, choosing unsaturated fats over saturated ones, drinking mostly water, and cutting back on ultra-processed products—not obsessing over any single ingredient.