Heart Health: New guidelines recommend shifting toward plant-based proteins.

The American Heart Association released updated guidelines on March 31 that emphasize more fruits and vegetables, less salt, sugar and ultra-processed foods, and a shift away from eating meat toward plant-based protein and plant fats; some recommendations differ from the recently updated federal dietary guidelines.

The American Heart Association issued new heart-healthy diet guidelines on March 31, updating its advice that is revisited every five years. The guidance continues to promote fruits and vegetables, limits on alcohol, reduced salt and sugar, and fewer ultra-processed foods. It also recommends shifting away from eating meat and replacing saturated fats from animal sources with fats from nuts, seeds and non-tropical plants. Some recommendations in the report differ from the recently updated federal dietary guidelines, which take a broader public-health approach. Key points: - The AHA released the guidelines on March 31 and updates its advice every five years to reflect new evidence. - The guidelines endorse more fruits and vegetables, limiting alcohol, consuming less salt and sugar, and reducing or eliminating ultra-processed foods. - The report recommends shifting toward plant-based sources of protein and replacing saturated animal fats with fats from nuts, seeds and non-tropical plant sources. - The AHA guidance contrasts with the federal dietary guidelines, which highlight benefits of red meat and prioritize increased protein intake including animal sources; both documents reference limits on saturated fats. - Experts quoted in the article say the different approaches reflect different audiences and aims: the AHA focuses on reducing heart disease risk while federal guidance addresses chronic disease risk for the general population. - The AHA committee notes the guidance is intended for lifelong use, including for young children, and the report cites concerns about childhood diets and obesity rates. Summary: The new AHA guidelines restate several longstanding dietary recommendations while taking a stronger position on shifting away from meat and toward plant-based fats and proteins. How these guidelines will be adopted or influence broader policy and public messaging is undetermined at this time.