Top Things to Know: 2026 Dietary Guidance to Improve Cardiovascular Health
Updated: March 31, 2026
Prepared by Dana M. DeSilva, PhD, RD, Associate Science and Medicine Advisor, American Heart Association
- Poor diet quality is strongly associated with elevated cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality risk.
- This statement updates the Association’s dietary guidance last published in 2021 and reflects the most recent scientific evidence and expert consensus.
- As the key features of this statement remain largely aligned with previous guidance, this update highlights the strong continuity in scientific evidence over time, while also offering more nuanced interpretations on specific topics like dairy, ultraprocessed foods, and alcohol.
- As part of the development of this paper, a literature review was conducted examining the latest scientific evidence on the association between replacing food sources of saturated fat with food sources of unsaturated fat and cardiovascular disease. Using similar methodology, this review identified new literature published since the Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review (NESR) Systematic Review on ‘Food Sources of Saturated Fat and Cardiovascular disease’ but also considered food sources of unsaturated fatty acids within the search.
- This statement 1) reinforces the importance of focusing on heart-healthy dietary patterns, rather than on single foods or nutrients; 2) highlights the necessity to adopt heart-healthy eating habits early in life and maintain them across the life course; 3) organizes the guidance into nine features to facilitate adoption of a dietary pattern that support cardiovascular health; and 4) recognizes the additional benefits that come with adoption of a heart-healthy dietary pattern beyond CVD.
- The key dietary principles are 1) focus on dietary patterns, 2) consume heart-healthy dietary patterns across the life course, and 3) choose foods consistent with this guidance regardless of where food is procured, prepared or consumed.
- The features of a heart-healthy dietary pattern include (1) adjusting energy intake and expenditure to achieve and maintain a healthy body weight, (2) eating plenty of vegetables and fruits, while choosing a wide variety, (3) choosing foods made mostly with whole grains rather than refined grains, (4) choosing healthy sources of protein, (5) choosing sources of unsaturated fats in place of sources of saturated fat, (6) choosing minimally processed foods instead of ultraprocessed foods, (7) minimizing intake of added sugars in beverages and foods, (8) reducing sodium intake by choosing foods low in sodium and preparing foods with low or no salt, and (9) if alcohol is not consumed, do not start; if alcohol is consumed, limit intake.
- Heart-healthy dietary patterns fulfill essential nutrient requirements for most individuals, are rich in fiber, and unlikely to exceed 10% of energy from saturated fat. For most people, dietary cholesterol is no longer a primary target for CVD risk reduction.
- Heart-healthy diets are generally consistent with risk reduction dietary patterns recommended for other conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, kidney disease and cognitive health.
- This statement is intended to support clinicians, policymakers, and consumers in understanding, implementing, and adhering to heart-healthy dietary patterns.
Citation
Lichtenstein AH, Khera A, Anderson CAM, Appel LJ, DeSilva DM, Gardner C, Hu FB, Jones DW, Petersen KS; on behalf of the American Heart Association. 2026 Dietary guidance to improve cardiovascular health: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. Published online March 31, 2026. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000001435