Heart problems can surface at any stage of life, and it is not something that you can ignore, it can affect old-age people and even young people. The number of people suffering from various heart complications and disease has drastically increased over the last decade. That is primarily due to unhealthy practices like smoking and drinking, pollution, etc. However, the rate of heart issues has increased in men from age sixty-six. That is the reason why doctors recommend daily screening of blood pressure, blood sugar, and weight, as these are factors strongly associated with heart health.
15 Best Food for Your Heart
Some of the foods you need to start eating if you want to maintain the health of your heart includes nuts such as walnuts and almonds, green tea, red wine, apples, broccoli, turmeric, asparagus, spirulina, coffee, chocolates, olive oil, salmon, potatoes, tomatoes and cranberries.
1. Nuts
Nuts are the excellent source of essential nutrients, but besides their high nutrition profile, they also provide us proper heart care. Many nuts such as Walnuts, Almonds, and another type of nuts are found to be adequate for your heart health as they are rich in mineral content and Magnesium. Moreover, the balanced mono-saturated fat in nuts poses a beneficial effect on your heart. But you may see a variety of nuts with garnished salts in the market that can be dangerous for you if you are someone who suffers from hypertension. So, it’s better to stay from salty nuts.
2. Green Tea
Green tea is made from Camellia sinensis leaves that contain flavonoids and catechins. Consuming green tea on a regular basis keeps your heart fit and healthy because of its substantial antioxidant property. It prevents your heart from all undesirable conditions and decreases the risk of cholesterol absorption in the body.
3. Red Wine
Red wine contains a polyphenolic compound that works as a blood thinning agent which helps reduce the risk of clot formation. The presence of tannins in red wine helps lower the inflammation of arteries as well as oxidative stress in the cardiovascular system. It also increases the productions of estrogens which are common in post-menopausal women. But the amount of consumption should be limited as its excessive intake can harm your heart.
4. Apples
When it comes to antioxidant property, we always think that Apple is beneficial for our skin, but this property induces other health benefits as well including heart health. You can avail the long-lasting and healthy effects of the nutrients in an apple for your heart by eating one a day – which will indeed keep the doctor away. Moreover, eating apples every day can eliminate accumulated fat from the arteries.
5. Broccoli
Broccoli has Vitamin K and fiber content in their nutritional profile which is found to be effective in lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. If you are bored to have meat and other regular vegetables, then try broccoli as it not only gives you essential nutrients but also prevents you from becoming susceptible to various heart complications.
6. Turmeric
Turmeric powder is an essential spice and is available in every kitchen, and some people use this seasoning as an additive to give flavor and taste to food, but beside its deliciousness, it also holds some incredible benefits. Turmeric is considered as an anti-inflammatory agent as it contains curcumin which found to be effective against arteriosclerosis and it also reduces the fatty deposits in your arteries. You can add it in various culinary items to prevent yourself from heart illness.
7. Asparagus
Asparagus contains Vitamin C and folate which means it holds an anti-inflammatory property. The little amount of calories in asparagus also makes this vegetable good for your heart. It will leave a delicious flavor on your mouth with a positive impact on your heart when you add it in other food products.
8. Spirulina
Spirulina is biomass of cyanobacteria that is edible. You can even go for spirulina supplements as it contains some exceptional characteristics. You can consume these blue-green algae to normalize your blood pressure and LDL level.
9. Coffee
Research shows that people who consume more than two cups of coffee daily become resistant to various heart issues. But its dose must be considered when adding in daily routine due to the rich content of caffeine. Its stimulant nature can still pose an adverse effect on your heart; effects can range from high blood pressure to an irregular heartbeat.
10. Chocolates
Chocolates are not just a delicious and sweet item but also contain some impressive qualities that can enhance your heart health. A recent report states that 6-ounces of dark chocolate per day are enough for reducing the bad cholesterol in your arteries. The amount of phenol in cocoa has an anti-inflammatory and antiseptic property which is proven to keep the fat-like substance at bay and to prevent the clogging of arteries.
11. Olive oil
Olive oil is a plentiful source of monounsaturated fat that’s why it is considered as the healthiest cooking oil as it does not have any adverse arterial effect. It has some heart-resolving properties besides its culinary uses due to the rich content of polyphenol that also found to be effective against the inflammation of cardiovascular system.
12. Salmon
Salmon keeps your heart healthy by its rich content of omega-3 fatty acids. It eliminates unwanted cholesterol levels with its selenium content. It poses antioxidant effect on the overall body and keeps steer you clear of the impact of cancerous free radicals.
13. Potatoes
Potato is the most common item of culinary dishes. But besides this, it has some extra qualities which made it among those veggies that are used as a natural diuretic. If you want to keep yourself protected from heart diseases, then keep it in your daily diet. You can also use it with another culinary item to enhance the flavor of food.
14. Tomatoes
Tomato is the highest consumable vegetable worldwide. It is also used as a natural ingredient to treat heart issues as it contains an excellent amount of antioxidants and potassium. The presence of lycopene in tomato made this vegetable efficient for heart health as it helps in removing the accumulated bad cholesterol from your blood vessels. It also keeps your blood vessels from clogging, which can, in turn, lead to the risk associated with a stroke or cardiac arrest.
15. Cranberries
Research has shown that antioxidant-rich cranberries can keep heart diseases at bay. The fruit contains flavonoids that can disrupt the formation of excess fat, Calcium, and LDL cholesterol in your arteries. It also keeps the arterial walls free from plaque build-up and efficiently reduces the risk of high blood pressure and other associated diseases. Regular consumption of cranberries and cranberries juice can cut down the risk of heart illness up to 40 percent.
Bottom line
It is important to maintain cardiovascular health as it contributes to your overall well being. You can keep your heart health by incorporating healthy foods into your diet and by doing physical activities.