Portfolio Diet Linked to Lower Risk of Heart Disease and Death in Two New DNS–Led Studies
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Two newly published studies by Meaghan Kavanagh, Victoria Chen, Dr. John Sievenpiper, and Professor David Jenkins from Unity Health Toronto and the University of Toronto provide compelling evidence that the plant-based Portfolio Diet significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death — with benefits observed across age groups and populations.
Study 1: Portfolio Diet Linked to Lower Mortality and Heart Disease Risk
Published in BMC Medicine, the first study examined health and nutrition data from nearly 15,000 U.S. adults and found that higher adherence to the Portfolio Diet was associated with significantly lower risks of:
Cardiovascular disease (16%)
Coronary heart disease (18%)
All-cause mortality (14%)
This is the first study to link the Portfolio Diet — developed in 2003 by Professor David Jenkins of U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine — with lower mortality from cardiovascular disease and other causes.
Participants earned points for consuming Portfolio Diet staples:
Nuts
Plant-based proteins (e.g., tofu, beans)
Viscous fibre (e.g., oats, apples)
Phytosterol- and monounsaturated fat-rich foods (e.g., enriched margarine, olive oil)
Points were subtracted for foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol.
“Even small additions like an ounce of nuts or half a cup of beans can help,” says Meaghan Kavanagh, the study’s lead author and a postdoctoral researcher at U of T. “Strict adherence isn’t necessary to see a positive impact.”
The research was led by Dr. John Sievenpiper, a clinician-scientist at St. Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, and professor in U of T’s Department of Nutritional Sciences and Department of Medicine. The study leveraged data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).
Kavanagh, who worked at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control during the project, highlights the value of capturing detailed eating patterns. “Not all fats are equal,” she says. “In some regions, people cook with lard instead of olive oil. That matters when assessing cardiovascular risk.”
Study 2: Heart Health Benefits Extend to Young Adults
The second study, published in BMC Public Health, explored the Portfolio Diet’s impact on a younger population — about 1,500 ethnoculturally diverse adults in their 20s — using data from the Toronto Nutrigenomics and Health Study.
Led by Victoria Chen, a recent graduate of U of T’s master’s program in nutritional sciences, the study found that even among generally healthy young adults, those who more closely followed the Portfolio Diet had lower levels of:
LDL (bad) cholesterol
Total cholesterol
Blood pressure
Chen and her colleagues estimate that following even 50% of the Portfolio Diet beginning in early adulthood could delay cardiovascular risk by six years, while full adherence could delay it by up to 13 years.
“When we think of therapeutic diets, people in their 20s aren’t usually the focus,” says Chen. “But adopting these habits early can lay the foundation for better long-term health.”
Many of the diet’s components — such as nuts, fruits, and berries — are already popular among young adults, making the Portfolio Diet both accessible and sustainable.
Together, these studies reinforce the value of the Portfolio Diet as a flexible, evidence-based approach to improving heart health and reducing mortality risk — whether you're managing existing risk factors or aiming to prevent them from developing later in life.
