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In the last few years there has been a number of doctor-recommended rules to achieve a healthier heart. These include juices, diets and antioxidant pills among others. To set things straight about often conflicting, unsubstantiated and claims about cardiovascular health, American surgeons provided a new set of guidelines.

Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. One out of every 4 deaths every year is due to cardiovascular diseases and complications. That's around 600,000 lives per year.

These guidelines are meant to help keep people's heart healthier and at the same time enlighten them about the harmful effects of the certain diets and products they might be using right now that doesn't serve their needs well.

Most of the products and diets, as well as medical and wellness literature, currently existing on cardiovascular health have been influenced by big pharmaceutical companies and the food industry.

According to the Daily Mail, Dr. Andrew Freeman from National Jewish Health in Denver, Colorado and author of the guidelines, together with other cardiologists looked at 50 other topics from various nutrition literature to come up with the best dietary patterns for a healthier heart.

The review which was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology had these findings:

• Patients at risk and those with cardiovascular disease should limit their consumption of dietary cholesterol from eggs or other high cholesterol foods. Intake should be kept as little as possible.

• The doctors advised against using coconut and palm oil and agreed that olive oil is best for heart health. Emphasis on moderation since it has a higher calorie count. Nutritionist Dr. Catherine Shanahan also suggested that consistent vegetable oil consumption raises the risk of developing dementia.

• The researchers strongly recommend whole fruits and vegetables over juicing saying juice concentrates have higher calorie and sugar content.

• Based on the research of the University of Chicago Medicine, only 1 percent of the healthy, average American population is sensitive to gluten. Dr. Freeman said there's a lot of misinformed claims about the health benefits of gluten free diets.
• In general, a Mediterranean or plant-based diet is ideal to maintain a healthy heart. This includes nuts, consumed in moderation because they are high in fats and calories. They also suggest higher intakes of berries as a source of antioxidants.