Heart Healthy Diet: Foods That Can Save Your Heart
Highlights:
- You can eat to support your heart health and all of them are simple variations on a common dietary theme
- The key is to base your diet around foods that are as close to how they are found in nature as possible
- By following a heart-healthy way of eating, you will be ensuring that you get all the nutrients you need to support your health
One of the most important ways to keep your heart healthy is by following a nutritious diet low in foods and beverages linked to poor heart health and increased cardiovascular disease risk. Research suggests that diet may be the most preventative factor in heart disease-related death, which accounts for one-third of global mortality.
Fortunately, following a heart-healthy diet can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease-related death and may even reverse heart disease risk factors, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high blood fat levels (1✔).
‘A heart-healthy diet is an eating pattern that focuses on including a variety and types of food to eat for optimal heart health.’
This article explains how diet impacts heart health and shares evidence-based ways to reduce heart disease risk and promote optimal cardiovascular health using simple, realistic dietary changes.
Foods that cause inflammation must be completely avoided to reduce the risk of heart attacks. Sodium is another factor that needs to be considered while choosing the right foods. Unhealthy foods containing sugar, refined carbs, and seed oils are extremely dangerous for heart health and need to be limited.
Heart health can be monitored through various clinical and biochemical tests, as well as by measuring blood pressure and heart rate using electronic devices. A healthy heart diet aims to manage these parameters.
Foods To Include in a Healthy Heart Diet
Freshly sourced plant-based and animal foods contain naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Look to include the following foods:Vegetables
: tomatoes, broccoli, cucumbers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, kale, spinach, onions, cauliflower, carrots, Brussels sprouts, and turnips. These are low-sodium vegetables that contain antioxidants good for the heart.
Fruits
: apples, bananas, oranges, grapes, dates, figs, melons, pears, strawberries, and peaches. Berries and fruits contain naturally occurring antioxidant compounds that prevent heart disease.
Nuts and Seeds
: almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, walnuts, peanuts, macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and watermelon seeds are fiber-rich foods that improve overall health.
Nut Butter
: almond butter, cashew butter, and peanut butter can replace unhealthy sugary spreads.
Legumes
: pulses, peanuts, chickpeas, beans, peas, and lentils contain several minerals.
Whole grains
: oats, brown rice, whole wheat bread, rye, barley, corn, buckwheat, and whole wheat pasta is better than refined and polished grains.
Fish and Seafood
: tuna, mackerel, shrimp, salmon, sardines, trout, oysters, clams, crab, and mussels.
Poultry
: freshly sourced chicken, duck, and turkey meat are good for health.
Eggs
: chicken, quail, and duck eggs contain healthy fats and good cholesterol.
Dairy
: cheese, yogurt, and milk contain fat-soluble vitamins and good fats.
Herbs and spices
: garlic, sage, nutmeg, cinnamon, basil, mint, rosemary, and pepper can boost your metabolism.
Healthy fats
: extra virgin olive oil, olives, avocados, and avocado oil protect the heart from inflammation.
Foods to Avoid in Heart Healthy Diet
The following inflammatory foods increase the risk of heart attacks. Either completely avoid the foods or limit their intake (2✔):Added Sugar
: Any food item that contains added sugar, including sodas and other beverages, and foods containing high-fructose corn syrup must be avoided.
Refined Grains
: white bread, pasta, crackers, and baked goods.
Seed Oils
: soybean oil, canola oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil, and rice bran oil.
Processed Meat
: processed sausages, hot dogs, and salami must be avoided.
Highly processed foods
: fast food, packaged meals, and deep-fried snacks are detrimental to heart health. These foods contain high amounts of sodium and inflammatory molecules and must be avoided on a healthy heart diet. However, you can include cheat meals once a week to satisfy your cravings.
How to Plan the Best Healthy Heart Diet?
In the breakfast, try to include Greek yogurt, and unsweetened berries, including strawberries and blueberries, walnuts, and almonds. Lentils and vegetables, shrimp, salmon, chickpeas, and chicken soup with mushrooms should be included in the lunch meal.Fruits and berries, chia seeds and almonds pudding, and scrambled eggs in olive oil should be considered as snack options. Dinner meals may include Tuna salad with zucchini, chickpea hummus, bell peppers, and salad with fresh vegetables, cheese, and mushrooms. There's no need to calculate your calorie intake, as a healthy heart diet emphasizes healthy eating instead of counting calories.
This diet provides polyphenols and other naturally occurring antioxidant compounds. These antioxidants protect the heart against free radicals, which are responsible for heart disease and other chronic inflammatory conditions. Such a diet can reduce the risk of heart attacks and also protect the liver (3✔).
It's not just heart health, dietary fiber can also improve insulin sensitivity, reduce blood glucose levels, and improve levels of HbA1C (glycated hemoglobin), a biomarker of type 2 diabetes.
A healthy heart diet can also include dietary supplements like omega-3 fish oil, multivitamins, and curcumin. These supplements can improve overall health and well-being. If you have any medical conditions, though, consult a clinical nutritionist before embarking on a new diet.
References:
- Choose Heart-Healthy Foods - (https:www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/heart-healthy-living/healthy-foods)
- Prevent Heart Disease - (https:www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/prevention.htm)
- Healthy diets - (https:www.heartuk.org.uk/healthy-diets/healthy-diets)
Source: Medindia
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Dr. Jayashree Gopinath. (2023, February 15). Heart Healthy Diet: Foods That Can Save Your Heart. Medindia. Retrieved on May 16, 2024 from https://www.medindia.net/news/lifestyleandwellness/heart-healthy-diet-foods-that-can-save-your-heart-210500-1.htm.
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Dr. Jayashree Gopinath. "Heart Healthy Diet: Foods That Can Save Your Heart". Medindia. May 16, 2024. <https://www.medindia.net/news/lifestyleandwellness/heart-healthy-diet-foods-that-can-save-your-heart-210500-1.htm>.
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Dr. Jayashree Gopinath. "Heart Healthy Diet: Foods That Can Save Your Heart". Medindia. https://www.medindia.net/news/lifestyleandwellness/heart-healthy-diet-foods-that-can-save-your-heart-210500-1.htm. (accessed May 16, 2024).
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Dr. Jayashree Gopinath. 2023. Heart Healthy Diet: Foods That Can Save Your Heart. Medindia, viewed May 16, 2024, https://www.medindia.net/news/lifestyleandwellness/heart-healthy-diet-foods-that-can-save-your-heart-210500-1.htm.