Diet can influence many aspects of heart health, including blood pressure, inflammation, cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
So including heart-healthy foods in a nutrient-rich, balanced diet can help keep your heart in good shape and minimize your risk of cardiovascular disease, reports Longevity MAGAZINE.
A heart-healthy diet emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends the following dietary guidelines for maintaining heart health:
- Consume a wide variety of fruits and vegetables;
- Maintain a healthy body weight with the help of an optimal balance between calories ingested from food and calories burned through physical exercise;
- Choose whole grains instead of refined ones;
- Use liquid vegetable oils like olive oil instead of tropical oils like palm oil;
- Consume protein from healthy sources, such as plant-based, seafood or lean meat;
- Reduce sugar and salt consumption;
- Limit alcohol consumption;
- Choose foods that are as little processed as possible.
List of heart healthy foods
1. Green leafy vegetables
Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale, and collard greens are recognized for their high vitamin, mineral, and antioxidant content. These vegetables are an excellent source of vitamin K, essential for healthy arteries and proper blood clotting.
They also contain significant amounts of dietary nitrates, which lower blood pressure, improve the elasticity of arteries, and enhance the function of cells that line blood vessels.
American Heart Association (AHA) points out that an increase in the consumption of green leafy vegetables is associated with significant benefits for cardiovascular health and a lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared to other fruits and vegetables.
2. Whole grains
Eating refined carbohydrates can increase your risk of coronary heart disease. But whole grains, such as whole wheat, brown rice, oats, rye, barley, buckwheat and quinoa have a protective effect. Various studies have shown that including whole grains in the diet can be beneficial for heart health.
American Heart Association (AHA) recommends replacing refined grains with whole grains every day, which can reduce the risk of:
- cardiovascular diseases,
- accident vascular cerebral,
- sindrom metabolic.
3. Forest fruits
Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries are a rich source of essential nutrients that play an important role in maintaining heart health. These fruits are also full of antioxidants, such as anthocyanins, which offer protection against oxidative stress and inflammation, factors that can contribute to heart disease. However, excessive consumption of anthocyanins may increase the risk of coronary artery disease, including heart attack and high blood pressure.
Including blueberries in your daily diet can improve the function of vascular endothelial cells (vascular function), helping to regulate blood pressure and the blood clotting process.
According to a extensive studyregular consumption of berries can be considered an effective intervention in the treatment of metabolic syndrome, helping to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation while improving vascular function.
4. Avocado
Avocados are an excellent source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, which have been associated with lower cholesterol and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Eating at least two servings of avocado per week can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 16% and coronary heart disease by 21%.
O revision A comprehensive review of several studies has shown that avocados can contribute to:
- lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol levels,
- lowering of triglyceride levels,
- improving vascular function.
Avocados are also high in potassium, an essential nutrient for heart health, and can help lower blood pressure. One serving of avocado (150 grams) provides 725 milligrams of potassium, which is about 21% of the daily potassium requirement for adults.
5. Fatty fish and fish oil
Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and tuna are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which have been extensively studied for their heart benefits.
Omega-3 fatty acids in oily fish may have a protective role against heart disease and may slightly reduce the risk of cardiovascular events and arrhythmias.
Long-term fish consumption can help:
- lowering total cholesterol,
- decrease in triglycerides,
- low blood sugar,
- decrease in systolic blood pressure.
Fish consumption is associate with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, depression and mortality. If you don’t eat enough fish, you can get your daily dose of Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil.
Fish oil supplements may reduce the rates of all-cause mortality, cardiac death, sudden death, and stroke, according to studied. Other Omega-3 supplements such as krill oil or algae oil are excellent alternatives.
6. Legumes
Legumes contain starch that resists the digestion process and is fermented by beneficial bacteria in the intestinal tract. Resistant starch can have a positive effect on gut health and certain components of the microbiota.
Various studies have indicated that including legumes in the diet can reduce some of the risk factors associated with heart disease. For example, in a study of 73 adults with elevated LDL cholesterol levels, eating canned legumes led to a significant reduction in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels.
In addition, o analyze A systematic review has shown that legumes can help lower LDL cholesterol levels, improve glycemic control and blood pressure, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, especially in people with diabetes.
7. Olive oil
Olive oil is full of antioxidants, which can reduce inflammation and lower the risk of chronic disease.
It is also rich in monounsaturated fatty acids that have been shown to be beneficial for heart health. a study from 2014 involving 7,216 adults at high risk of cardiovascular disease showed that those who consumed the highest amounts of olive oil had a 35% lower risk of developing heart disease.
In addition, a higher intake of olive oil was associated with a 48% lower risk of dying from the heart. Olive oil is rich in oleic acid and antioxidants and can help prevent and treat high blood pressure.
8. Oilseeds
Oilseeds are a valuable source of fiber and micronutrients such as magnesium, copper and manganese. Research shows that including a few servings of walnuts in the diet can have a protective effect against heart disease.
Research suggest that certain types of oilseeds, particularly walnuts, provide significant benefits in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Regular consumption of them can reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and total cholesterol levels.
9. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are full of lycopene, a natural pigment with powerful antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help neutralize harmful free radicals, thus preventing oxidative damage and inflammation, factors involved in heart disease. Low blood lycopene is associated with an increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
Increasing consumption of tomatoes and tomato juice or supplementing with lycopene has a positive impact on blood fat levels, blood pressure and endothelial function.
O analyze Several studies have found that a serving of raw tomatoes, tomato sauce, or tomato sauce with olive oil can lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels and increase HDL (considered good) cholesterol. Lycopene is better absorbed from cooked tomatoes and tomato products than from fresh tomatoes.
10. Chia seeds, flax seeds and hemp seeds
Chia seeds, flax seeds and hemp seeds are all excellent sources of essential heart nutrients, including fiber and Omega-3 fatty acids.
many studied have shown that including these seeds in the diet can improve many of the risk factors for heart disease, including inflammation, blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides.
Hemp seeds are rich in arginine, an amino acid associated with lower levels of specific inflammatory markers in the blood.
Supplementing your diet with ground flaxseed can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer and help improve other conditions such as gastrointestinal conditions and diabetes.
Chia seeds contain dietary fiber, antioxidants and Omega-3 fatty acids. Eating them can help lower blood pressure, prevent blood clots and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol.
11. Dark chocolate
Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants like flavonoids, which can help improve heart health. Moderate chocolate consumption (less than six servings per week) may lower the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and diabetes, according to Surveys.
However, chocolate can be full of sugar and high in calories, thus neutralizing many of the benefits it can bring. To get the most out of the positive cardiovascular effects, choose good quality dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa content and don’t exceed six servings per week.
12. Garlic
The powerful medicinal properties of garlic can help improve heart health. These are due to the presence of a compound called allicin, which is believed to have numerous beneficial therapeutic effects.
O meta-analysiswhich included 12 different studies, found that garlic supplements reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure and were as effective as prescription drugs for treating high blood pressure.
Garlic can also inhibit the accumulation of atheroma plaques on the walls of blood vessels, reducing the risk of blood clots and stroke.
Garlic should be eaten raw or a few minutes after it has been crushed. This allows allicin to form, thus maximizing the benefits.
2024-04-13 08:40:01
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