Diet and cardiovascular disease: dietary patterns, foods and nutrients

Contemporary understanding of the association between

diet and cardiovascular disease (CVD) stems from the last

century, with significant observations on dietary patterns

and disease prevalence. The evidence-based review of the

current Australian Dietary Guidelines included a number of

specific questions on this topic1 and the evidence-based

statements included in the guidelines are informative for

practice.2 The scientific literature continues to add to this

evidence base and it behoves practitioners to keep up to date

and learn from new insights. Broad frameworks for incorporating

new knowledge into practice can be helpful. In this

Editorial, we focus on two dietary patterns for which recent

major publications have provided further evidence of protection

from CVD: the Mediterranean diet and vegetarian

diets. In discussing these dietary patterns, we look at

research on related foods and nutrients to piece together the

evidence and show where gaps might create further thinking

spaces for researchers and practitioners alike.