Fit in some folic acid and some Bs. Folic acid as well as vitamins B12 and B6 can help reduce levels of an amino acid in the blood called homocysteine that has been found to damage arterial tissue.

“I think there is real promise here,” says Ronald M. Krauss, M.D., head of molecular medicine at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at the University of California in Berkeley and chairman of the Nutrition Committee of the American Heart Association. “Although we do not have direct evidence that reducing homocysteine can reduce the risk for heart disease, we strongly recommend that people ensure adequate intakes of folic acid and  vitamins,” says Dr. Krauss. Folate (the form of folic acid in foods) is found in fruits such as oranges; in vegetables such as asparagus, beans, and Brussels sprouts; and in fortified grains and cereal products. The Daily Value for folic acid is 400 micrograms, and the Daily Value of vitamins B6 and B12 is 2 milligrams and 6 micrograms, respectively, Dr. Krauss says. You may need to take a multivitamin to get that much in a day, however, he adds.

Fill up on fiber. Whether it helps soak up cholesterol or simply prevents you from overeating isn’t clear. But the American Heart Association says that getting 25 to 30 grams of fiber a day can cut your risk for heart disease.

“The reasons why are still elusive, but people who eat more fiber have less heart disease,” says Dr. Ascherio. One simple way to make sure that you get more fiber in your diet is choosing a breakfast cereal that’s high in fiber. Look for brands that provide at least 5 grams of fiber per serving. “Some cereals have surprisingly little fiber, and others are really high. Check the side of the box,” he says.

Check your flax. Research has shown that eating bread made with flaxseed may help reduce cholesterol levels. A natural blood thinner, flaxseed apparently helps combat thickening of the blood as we age, says Tom Watkins, Ph.D., laboratory director of the Kenneth Jordan Heart Research Center in Mont Clair, New Jersey.

“Flaxseed oil is rich in alpha-linoleic acid, and in our own studies that appears to be beneficial,” says Dr. Ascherio. If you don’t have a taste for flaxseed or never bought one of those trendy bread machines, consider munching on a handful of walnuts. “There’s increased evidence that walnuts reduce the risk of heart disease because they’re also high in alpha-linoleic acid,” he says. Found in soybean and corn oil, polyunsaturated fat is much better for your heart than saturated fat.

Trash trans fatty acids. Better living through chemistry? Not always. When food manufacturers wanted to make margarine stiffer and lengthen the shelf life of other products, they created what are called trans fatty acids-a nutritional Frankenstein harder on your heart than even the dreaded saturated fat. “There’s no question that trans fatty acids have the worst effect on blood cholesterol,” says Dr. Ascherio. “Not only do they increase the bad cholesterol, but also they reduce the good cholesterol, or HDL cholesterol.” To purge trans fatty acids from your diet, avoid foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, suggests Dr. Ascherio. But be vigilant. It’s found in prepared foods from bread to frozen French fries.

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