It's called the Portfolio diet. And you won't find it in any bookstore.

The goal of the eating plan's creators was simple: to see if a "portfolio" of foods, each with some minor cholesterol-lowering benefits, can have a larger effect when eaten together as part of a regular diet.

The concept was developed by David Jenkins, professor of nutrition and metabolism at the University of Toronto and a strong proponent of using food to help reduce blood cholesterol, high levels of which increase the risk of heart disease. Funding for research came from the Canadian government; Unilever, the maker of Take Control, a margarine-like spread that helps to lower blood cholesterol; Loblaw, Canada's largest food distributor; and the Almond Board of California.

But the Portfolio approach won't be for everyone. Strictly followed, it's a near-vegan regimen, meaning no meat, eggs, poultry, fish or dairy.

"It's a real challenge for people to stay on this kind of diet," notes Alice Lichtenstein, professor of nutrition at Tufts University and chair of the American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee.