Nutrient intake was determined in over 8000 men of Japanese ancestry residing on the island of Oahu. Nutrient determination took place at the initial examination during the years 1965-1968. This report relates nutrient intake to the risk of developing coronary heart disease in the 10 years subsequent to the initial examination. Men who developed coronary heart disease had a lower average intake of calories, carbohydrates, starch, and vegetable protein than men who remained free of coronary heart disease. Men who developed coronary heart disease also had a higher mean intake of percentage of calories from protein, fat, saturated fatty acids, and polyunsaturated fatty acids than men who remained free of coronary heart disease. These men also had a significantly lower mean percentage of calories from carbohydrates and a higher mean ingestion of cholesterol per 1000 calories than men who remained free of coronary heart disease. In multivariate analyses including age, systolic blood pressure, serum cholesterol, cigarettes smoked per day, and physical activity index, carbohydrates, vegetable protein, percentage of calories from saturated fatty acids, and percentage of calories from polyunsaturated fatty acids are no longer significantly related to incidence.