Three diets - Mediterranean, low-fat and low-carbohydrate - are equally effective in helping reverse blocked arteries, say Israeli researchers.
The study of 140 people, reported in the journal Circulation, found diet could reduce the fatty build up in arteries.
The Ben-Gurion University team found that by the end of the two-year study, the arterial wall had been cut by 5%.
Experts said the study was interesting, but diet was not a "magic bullet".
Atherosclerosis is a progressive condition in which the arteries thicken with fatty deposits, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Ten to 15 years ago, it was thought that fatty build-up in the arteries was irreversible, but since then drugs trials have shown that it is possible for fatty deposits to be cut.
"This study shows you can do something to reduce plaque build-up, even without pills," Dr Knight said.
"It sends an effective message from a public health perspective."
However, he warned that the scale of reduction in the volume of artery walls was relatively small and that changing diet, although helpful, was "no magic bullet".
