Position statements

The Heart Foundation has a range of evidence-based position statements for health professionals including dietitians, nutritionists, general practice, allied health and health professionals working in the area of nutrition and cardiovascular health.

The Heart Foundation’s recommendations on healthy eating do not rely on one type of food or one type of nutrient to promote heart health. Heart healthy eating patterns are based on a combination of foods, chosen regularly, over time. This optimal combination is based on research into dietary patterns including the Mediterranean and DASH diet, and can be categorised into five healthy eating principles.

1. Fruits, vegetables and wholegrains
2. A variety of healthy protein sources including fish and seafood, lean meat and poultry, legumes, nuts and seeds
3. Reduced fat dairy such as unflavoured milk and yoghurt, and cheese
4. Healthy fat choices with nuts, seeds, avocados, olives and their oils for cooking
5. Herbs and spices to flavour foods, instead of adding salt

Read more about our Heart Healthy Eating Principles. 

This style of eating is naturally low in saturated and trans fats, salt and added sugar and rich in wholegrains, fibre, antioxidants and unsaturated fats (omega-3 and omega-6). Eating this way will improve the heart health of all Australians by reducing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors such as high blood pressure and blood lipids and decreasing the risk of CVD events and mortality.

Our position statement and Heart Healthy Eating Principles outline our approach to healthy eating, underpinned by a strong base of evidence reports. 

Position statements

• Position statement: Eating for heart health (PDF)
• Position statement: Dietary Fats (PDF)
• Position statement: Salt (PDF)
• Position statement: Fish & Seafood (PDF)
• Position statement: Phytosterol/stanol enriched foods (PDF)

Evidence reports

• Evidence review: Collins C, Burrows T, Rollo M. (2017) Dietary patterns and cardiovascular disease outcomes: an evidence check rapid review brokered by the Sax Institute for the National Heart Foundation of Australia. 2017. (PDF)
• Evidence review: Clifton P and Keogh J. Dietary fats and cardiovascular disease: an evidence check rapid review brokered by the Sax Institute for the National Heart Foundation of Australia. 2017. (PDF)
• Evidence review: Wu J, et al (2017) Levels of trans fats in the food supply and consumption in Australia: an Expert Commentary brokered by the Sax Institute for the National Heart Foundation of Australia, 2015. (PDF)
• Evidence summary: Indications for omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease.w of evidence on fish, fish oils, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and cardiovascular health (2015) Published in Heart, Lung and Circulation 
• Summary of evidence: Phytosterol/stanol enriched foods, updated 2017. (PDF)
• Review of evidence: Fish, fish oils, n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and cardiovascular health 2008. (PDF)
• Summary of evidence. Dietary electrolytes and cardiovascular disease, 2006 (PDF)

Webinars

• Health Professionals Webinar – Dietary Patterns
• Health Professionals Webinar – Dietary Fats

Resources for practice

• Heart Healthy Eating Principles
• Heart Disease in Australia A2 Poster
• Have a Heart Healthy Day Brochure
• Tips for including marine omega-3 in your diet, 2015 (PDF)
• Sources of omega-3 (marine and plant based), 2015 (PDF) 
• Q&A on omega-3 and cardiovascular disease for health professionals, 2015 (PDF)
• Q&A on omega-3 and cardiovascular disease for general population, 2015 (PDF)
• Q&As on plant sterol enriched foods for health professionals, 2017 (PDF)
• Q&As on plant sterol enriched foods for the general population, 2017 (PDF)

For more information on healthy eating for your patients, visit our healthy eating pages or order consumer resources from the Heart Foundation Helpline or visit our recipes pages for inspiration. 

Related food & nutrition blogs

• Dietary Patterns, what does it mean to eat healthily
• Dietary fats, how do they ‘fit’ in a healthy dietary pattern?
• Trans fat, what’s the scoop?
• Sorting fat from fiction

Other resources

• In 2017, the National Health and Medical Research Council released the Nutrient Reference Values for sodium. We support the recommendation that all Australians should consume less than 5grams (<2,000mg sodium) per day.
• In 2013, the National Health and Medical Research Council released the Australian Dietary Guidelines. We support their food-based recommendations for maintaining health and preventing cardiovascular disease.
• We support the recommendations on sodium, potassium, free sugars and dietary fat from the World Health Organization.