Simply, unprocessed food and drinking plain water (not pure as in distilled but with sufficient electrolytes in it).

But the greatest impact would be lifestyle changes in general. You cannot just diet your way out of a heart disease.

Well, maybe this population [0] of subsistence farmers will give you a hint.

In the modern world it is an uphill battle. And there are some people with hypocholesterolemia [1] who will have arteries in near pristine condition despite living a modern (unhealthy) lifestyle.

There are two broad strategies here which can be combined:

(1) Adhering to (strict) rules which will consume your resource of willpower. A very effective one: Don't drink sugary drinks. An unconvenient one for most people: Don't eat out.

(2) Modifying your modern environment to such an extent that it resemble choices humans made before the modern lifestyle i.e. a lot of physical activity, offline times, no processed food, being outdoors (e.g. a garden). To reap the benefits from both a modern lifestyle and a lifestyle we are evolutionary adapted to, this of course will cost you money in a crowded city and (unpaid) time you would otherwise use for earning money.

[0]https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6...

[1]https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B97803...

Look up Dr Caldwell Esselstyn. He’s a doctor at the Cleveland Clinic who has consistently used diet to reverse his patients’ heart disease. It’s a low fat, low salt plant based diet. Dr McDougall is another. They both have a number of papers on the subject.

Edit: I’m not sure if McDougall’s papers are specifically on heart disease, actually, and can’t look it up conveniently at the moment. But he’s covered the topic in great depth.

The answer you are looking for is no. No one can translate this into what humans should eat to avoid heart disease, that will require a ton more research. We still haven't even figured out whether eggs are good or bad for you.

I think a good summary of the things that most people agree on to some extent is Michael Pollan's advice from The Omnivore's Dilemma (2006): "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

Obviously there are a lot of details to fill in, but the first part boils down to avoiding processed foods. The other two are pretty straightforward.

As mentioned by others, physical activity and stress management are just as important, and social connections tend to be positively correlated with health as well.

I think the problems come in when you realize how many people pushing specific diets have agendas beyond health, as well as the fact that there is no specific diet that is perfect for everyone.

Whole food vegan diet. My cholesterol went down 20 points in a bit more than a year. Bracing for the oncoming cholesterol apologists... My doctor says that vegan diets are unequivocally better for the heart according to the literature.

it's less about what foods to eat and more about eating much less: one modest-sized meal a day. that's all we "need". we eat too much of everything and our bodies are not evolved for such excess. this is literally the biggest bang for buck for chronic diseases like this, but also the hardest thing to do because of socio-cultural considerations. it also takes some time to train your digestive system down to that level.

once you have amounts under control, then you can taper off the processed foods, especially sugary things like soda/juice (fruit is ok because it comes with fiber), salty things like chips/frozen dinners, and bread/rice products (a little whole grain here and there is ok). minimize processed foods but don't worry too much about the mix of foods otherwise (protein/fat is fine, just don't overeat).

then taper up anaerobic exercise to 2-3 times a week. find a sport or activity you like (e.g., tennis) and pay for an organized league/class so that you stay committed. (aerobic) walking, for instance, is not typically strenuous enough for your body to process the excess nutrients and improve cardiovascular fitness, which is what's needed to help keep heart disease under control. you can start with walking if you're in bad shape, but you'll want to graduate to anaerobic exercise as soon as you can.

The best thing to do is go on walks. Walking and getting your heart rate up to 120-ish not only is shown to help slow or stop the progression of Aatherosclerosis, it also helps prevent clots from forming in your legs and causing serious issues elsewhere. The only other advice is to avoid excess in your diet.

Vegetables and fruits. Less meat, especially red meat. Less fat. Especially reduce saturated fat. No refined sugar. Reduce salt. And: Exercise. Cardio sport . Increase muscle mass. And reduce stress. But most important: go to the cardiologist, take your meds, adhere to their advice.

If this study applies to you, here's a life advice: avoid cats.

By decreasing your chances to die from heart attack fast and without much pain, you are increasing your chances of long and painful death from cancer..

My understanding is that exercise (of lack of) is significantly more important than diet.