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This is the most important thing on the agenda. Here we see the best heart healthy food.
People who eat 200-400 gram of oily fish twice a week benefit. This is through the resolvins that help deal with arthritis and helps cardiovascular health. Presence of resolvins dramatically lessens inflammation. Examples of oily fish are sardines, anchovies, herring and larger fish such as mackerel, tuna, trout and salmon. You get Vitamin A and Vitamin C along with Omega 3 fatty acids. The Omega 3 fatty acid is especially good for the heart health.
When shopping for the fish, watch for the mercury and dioxin content. The recommended limit of fish per week is four portions (one portion is 140 grams). Women of child-bearing age can have two portions. This is applicable to oily fish such as shark, swordfish, marlin, and to a certain degree, tuna. You should avoid fish with high mercury levels such as swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish. Be aware of canned fish as this is often preserved in brine which is salt based.
Legumes consist of all the beans – kidney beans, broad beans, butter beans, soybeans – lentils, split peas, and chickpeas. The plant protein in legumes is low in fat, they produce good fiber content and a low glycemic index. They are a good source of iron and zinc, especially for vegetarians.
Fatty deposits stick to the walls of the blood vessels leading to heart disease. If the plaque blocks the blood vessels, it could lead to a stroke or a heart attack. If you eat ½ to 2 cups of legumes a day, you could lower the risk of heart disease. This happens due to the following reasons:
● Cutting of LDL cholesterol
● Lowering of blood pressure
● Increase in the amount of HDL cholesterol
● It helps lose weight and manage weight
● Keeps the glucose levels in the blood steady and manageable
One study showed that people who consumed legumes at least four times a week had 22% lower risk of heart diseases. If you have legumes once a week, you lower the risk by 11%. If you cook and eat dried beans, you will pass gas. To overcome this, soak the beans in water overnight and then cook them.
The citrus fruits include lemon, orange, pomelo and tangerines. In addition, you also have grapefruits and limes. The high Vitamin C content in citrus fruits helps protect against heart disease, dementia and cancer, among other things. It has a host of other nutrients such as potassium, Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, folate, flavonol, fiber, calcium and magnesium.
Folate helps with cell division and synthesis of the DNA. Vitamin C synthesizes the collagen. This collagen is useful for bone, ligament, tendons and blood vessels. Studies show a lower incidence of stroke and heart disease among women who regularly consumed citrus fruits and citrus juice. Previous studies showed similar results among both men and women. Eating citrus fruits helped protect against cardiovascular disease and stroke. This happens due to the high antioxidant activity. People who had a citrus supplement (270 mg) along with Vitamin E supplement showed 18-26% reduction in LDL cholesterol, 20-30% reduction in total cholesterol, and 23-33% reduction in triglyceride levels.
Citrus fruits improve bone health, metabolic syndrome, skin health and cognitive function. The limonoids in citrus fruits help fight cancer through their high antioxidant content. Grapefruit helps you lose weight up to three times as efficiently as other methods. Low body weight helps raise your metabolic activity.
Oatmeal is a whole grain cereal that has plenty of fiber. We call whole oats “oat groats.” When we roll, or crush them they become oatmeal. Their nutrition composition stays balanced.
You can eat oatmeal in crushed rolled form as porridge or baked goods. The favorites are granola, muesli and bread.
They have a good effect on lowering the blood sugar levels. In addition, they lower the cholesterol levels. They contain avenanthramides, a group of antioxidants that show a protective action against heart disease.
One serving of oats (30 grams) has 117 calories. Comparing the ratio by weight we see that carbohydrates make up 62%, proteins make up 19%, fats 7%, and the rest 12% is fiber. The important minerals and vitamins found in oatmeal are these:
● Manganese: You find these in high amounts. They are useful for development, metabolism and growth.
● Vitamin B1: This has the name thiamine and helps break down the carbohydrates and convert them into energy.
● Magnesium: Not found in most diets, magnesium helps you sleep better, have better brain function, and enhance overall health. It takes part in at least 300 biochemical reactions in the body including insulin sensitivity, testosterone production, protein synthesis, regulation of the sympathetic nervous system, and metabolism of Vitamin D.
● Phosphorus: Important for bone health, it helps in tissue maintenance.
● Iron: This is essential for the hemoglobin that transports oxygen to all parts of the body.
In addition, it has zinc, copper and selenium that is rare in many western diets.
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Extra virgin olive oil consists of monounsaturated fat that is good for heart health. Cholesterol levels in the blood become less and the shift in the Low-Density Lipids (bad for the health) to the High-Density Lipids (good for the health) to a higher value is a healthy trend.
It helps strengthen your immune system, improves your cognitive thinking, and helps in providing pain relief. The pain relief is achieved through a compound known as oleocanthal. It helps protect against skin damage and aging. It gives you extra virility and helps you to lose weight. Olive oil helps prevent diabetes and promotes longevity. In all, it keeps your body functioning without any hassles.
One can offset cardiovascular death by including tomatoes in the diet. They are rich in Vitamin E, flavonoids, Vitamin C, potassium, folate, beta-carotene and lycopene. You need to cook the tomato with oil to get the lycopene but this might lead to the loss of the other nutrients.
The nutrients in the tomato help improve cardiovascular health through reduction in platelet aggregation, homocysteine, blood pressure and LDL cholesterol. You could see a reduction in the Vitamin C when you cook your tomatoes. It helps lessen inflammation and prevents occurrence of stroke.
Have berries twice or thrice a week as these benefit heart health. They have good amounts of polyphenols such as anthocyanins. In addition, they have good fiber content and micronutrients.
● Blackberries: They have Vitamin A, calcium, iron, and plenty of Vitamin C. The fiber content in one cup is one-fourth of the daily recommended intake.
● Blueberries: You get better memory if you eat blueberries. They improve the blood flow by widening the arteries. They have Vitamin C and fiber.
● Strawberries: Strawberries have folate along with the Vitamin C. They prevent plaque buildup and improve the blood flow.
● Raspberries: You need to have raspberries since they are very heart-loving. You get Vitamin C, manganese and fiber. In addition, they have plenty of polyphenols.
● Acai berries: These berries have a high content of antioxidants. They have a bitter taste but have good fiber content.
● Cranberries: Other than being good for the heart, cranberries increase the HDL that is the good cholesterol. In addition, they prevent urinary tract infections.
● Goji berry: These give vitality and longevity. People use them for improving their sex life. They have 18 essential amino acids, 21 trace minerals, Vitamin B1, and Vitamin B2. In addition, it has germanium, selenium, linoleic acid, Vitamin E, and Vitamin B6.
Moderate wine consumption limited to 15 – 30 grams per day shows a protective action for vascular and non-vascular diseases. The mechanism for this protection involves various processes such as an anti-oxidant effect, decreased aggregation of platelets, and increase in the cholesterol-plasma levels. The flavonoids restore endothelial functions.
In a study, a group of people were given moderate amounts of red wine polyphenolic compounds for the study period. They observed that the people in the study group exhibited lower blood pressure and cardiac responsiveness. It decreases the oxidative stress and thus protects against the postischemic infarction. It exerts a significant protection action against injury of the endothelial cells.
Resveratrol is a polyphenol in red wine that shows good protective action. It protects the blood vessels from damage and prevents blood clots from forming. Further, it lessens the low-density lipoprotein.
The cocoa present in the chocolate has loads of antioxidants, the richest on the planet. Eating 100 grams of chocolate a day helps to lower the chances of heart disease, studies suggest. The flavonoids (antioxidants) that protect against free radical damage help the cells resist the change to the cell structure. You will find more plaque formation through the LDL cholesterol when the oxidation levels are high. The antioxidants help to prevent the oxidation process from taking place.
Nuts, in general, have a good effect on health. Eaten in moderation they help tide you over until lunch. Each nut has its own peculiar health-giving property though they all help augment the heart health. For instance, pistachios help you keep cool under stress. Your blood pressure levels do not go up if you eat 50 grams of pistachios a day. Though high in calories, they have plenty of unsaturated fatty acids and fiber. In addition, you have Omega 3 fatty acids that you find in fish. The L-arginine in the nuts will help build stronger artery walls. Vitamin E helps slow the plaque occurring in the blood vessel walls. The plant sterols will lower your cholesterol. Be sure to avoid the salt and eat in moderation to get the full benefits.
You must eat on an average 2½ cups of cooked vegetables a day. Besides the vitamins and minerals, the leafy green vegetables contain phytochemicals that combat diseases. The high fiber content helps your metabolic activity and keeps your hunger levels down. Collards and kale have a good amount of calcium needed for your teeth and bones.
The antioxidant such as lutein and zeaxanthin along with Vitamin C help prevent the harmful action of the free radicals. They also prevent macular degeneration and lower the risk of cataracts. Spinach, Swiss chard and spinach have beta-carotene that protects against cell damage.
