Heart disease is the leading cause of death globally. You can take a variety of steps to help keep your heart healthy and disease-free. Eat healthily, exercise daily, quit smoking, plan an annual checkup, maintain a healthy weight or take steps to reduce the level of stress in your life. You are also less likely to suffer from heart diseases if you follow these things in your routine. Here I am going to share the 10 best heart healthy foods that will have a positive effect on heart health.
Heart Healthy Foods- Oatmeal
Whole-grain oats contain a soluble fibre, beta-glucan that helps to keep the heart healthy and decrease LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides. Consuming oatmeal, especially coarse or steel-cut oats instead of instant varieties in your daily diet may lower the risk of heart diseases. Just add plenty of strawberries and walnuts for breakfast in your oatmeal to reap the benefits of vitamins, minerals, and fibre.
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Salmon
This cold-water fish is a great source of protein and super-rich in omega-3 fatty acids. It can effectively reduce blood pressure and keep clotting at bay. This nutritious fatty fish is loaded with nutrients and may reduce risk factors for several heart diseases.
Mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines are some other oily fishes that will give your heart the same boost. Make sure to eat at least twice weekly.
Nuts
Nuts are full of heart-healthy nutrients and are known to be one of the best heart healthy foods. The good fats found in nuts (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats) help in lowering bad cholesterol levels. One group of unsaturated fat found in walnuts, omega-3 fatty acids, reduce the risk of developing blood clots that can cause a fatal heart attack. Include walnuts in your breakfast, chop and sprinkle them on top of a bowl of warm oatmeal along with a little honey or blueberries.
Nuts, being rich in fibre, make a great snack food, they are inexpensive, easy to store and easy to pack when you’re on the go. But they are high in calories, so eat in moderation.
Extra-virgin olive oil
Fats can increase LDL (bad cholesterol) level in your bloodstream. But unsaturated fats, which olive oil has, improves cardiovascular risk, most likely by lowering LDL cholesterol and raising HDL (good cholesterol) levels. Olive oil is known to slow down the ageing of the heart.
Extra-virgin olive oil contains more antioxidants than more refined olive oil and offers better protection against heart disease.
Legumes
Legumes are highly nutritious, rich in minerals and fibre. Eating legumes such as beans, lentils, and peas are an excellent source of protein without a lot of unhealthy fat. Make it a part of a heart healthy diet. This will reduce blood sugar levels which in turn prevents diabetes complications, one of which is heart disease. Legumes also lower blood cholesterol, a leading cause of heart disease.
Dark Chocolate
Dark chocolate, when not loaded with sugar and saturated fat- is indeed a heart-healthy chocolate treat. People who eat dark chocolate instead of milk chocolates have healthier cardiovascular systems. These chocolates have the highest amount of cocoa flavanols which help in lowering blood pressure and improving blood flow to the brain and heart. Keep in mind that the percentage of cocoa is important. So make sure to buy the one with at least 70 percent cocoa in it to obtain the most flavanols.
But don’t forget, moderation is key!
Green Tea
Drinking green tea helps lower one’s risk of heart disease. A molecule found in green tea might help to protect against atherosclerosis, which is a common cause of heart attacks and strokes. Green tea is loaded with polyphenol antioxidants, including a catechin called EGCG which may protect the heart. It significantly reduces total cholesterol, including LDL or “bad” cholesterol, in the blood.
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Seeds
Adding seeds in your diet can help bumping up your intake of protein, fibre and heart-healthy fats. Seeds are a rich plant-based source of omega-3 fatty acids, such as alpha-linolenic acid which helps in lowering levels of triglycerides, LDL, and total cholesterol. They also reduce blood pressure and minimize the buildup of fatty plaques in the arteries.
Chia seeds, pumpkin seeds and flaxseeds are all excellent sources of protein, heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
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Berries
Berries are bright, flavorful, and sweet superfruits which are full of antioxidant polyphenols and help to reduce heart disease risk. Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries- all are a great source of fibre, folate, iron, calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin C, and they are low in fat too. All these nutrients in berries help in lowering blood pressure and cholesterol while reducing oxidative stress.
Broccoli
Green vegetables like broccoli are known to give an extra boost to your heart. Broccoli is a nutritional powerhouse, full of vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants. Higher intake of fibre-rich foods like broccoli is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. It reduces cholesterol and can aid in heart health by helping to keep blood vessels strong.