Improving cholesterol and blood pressure with diet | A Masterclass - The Proof with Simon Hill

Cardiovascular disease is the world's leading killer, and yet the prevention conversation has become noisier and more confused than ever. In this Masterclass I bring together the evidence-first material I think is most useful for understanding cholesterol, blood pressure, and long-term heart health.

You will hear from Dr Walter Willett at Harvard, cardiology dietitian Michelle Routhenstein, and nephrologist Dr Raymond Townsend, alongside my own deep dives on plaque regression, the Portfolio Diet, and six landmark trials.

What we cover:

Legumes as the most underrated longevity food
The Portfolio Diet and a 30% LDL reduction without statins
What six trials tell us about diet, plaque progression, and regression
Dr Walter Willett on saturated fat, seed oils, and dairy
Sodium, potassium, and the DASH diet for blood pressure
Why diet, exercise, and medications work best together

The earlier you start, the more leverage you have. This Masterclass is meant to give you a clearer map of what actually works.

If this episode was useful, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple or Spotify. It helps more than you might think.

Most Underrated Foods for Long-Term Health (00:00)
Can You Actually Reverse Artery Plaque? (03:07)
How to Lower ApoB Without Statins (07:19)
The Portfolio Diet: Cut LDL by 30% (09:11)
6 Trials That Changed Heart Disease Science (16:30)
Michelle Routhenstein: Why Doctors Skip ApoB Testing (20:07)
Best Food Swaps to Lower ApoB (27:04)
RFK Jr, Seed Oils, and the Saturated Fat Debate (35:48)
Full-Fat vs. Low-Fat Dairy and Your Heart (38:27)
Blood Pressure: Why the Sodium-Potassium Ratio Matters (43:08)
Walter Willett: The True Mediterranean Diet (45:19)
Are Seed Oils Inflammatory? The Science (50:50)
Should You Cook with Olive Oil or Not (57:44)
Full-Fat vs. Low-Fat Dairy: 2025 Research (01:03:00)
Dairy vs. Soy Milk: Health and Planet (01:09:32)
Plant Protein vs. Animal Protein: The Data (01:14:52)
Raymond Townsend: Top Levers for Lowering Blood Pressure (01:16:38)
Best Exercise Type for Blood Pressure (01:20:13)
How Sodium Raises Blood Pressure Over Time (01:24:48)
Potassium vs. Sodium: Why the Ratio Is Everything (01:30:40)
Should You Watch Salt with Normal Blood Pressure (01:43:51)
Why the DASH Diet Works as Well as a Drug (01:48:31)

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Simon Hill, MSc, BSc (Hons)

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