What is a heart-healthy diet?

As a cardiologist, I often find myself talking to patients about making changes to their lifestyle to reduce their risk of future heart attack and stroke. Inevitably, these conversations include discussion about diet.

Education on diet is provided in the school curriculum, while today’s digital age means it has never been easier to access information online. So it’s easy for patients to source dietary guidance. But is it fair for clinicians to assume that patient know what a healthy diet really is, without the need for further help/advice? I personally think the answer to that is ‘no’. The reasons for this include the following:

-A lot of information on the internet is provided either without context or from sources with vested interests (i.e. with something to sell)

-Dietary advice on the internet may