Heart disease is often linked to unhealthy lifestyle factors, including lack of exercise and a diet that’s lacking in proper nutrition. By adding the right nutrients to your diet, you can make sure you’re eating more foods for heart health on a daily basis, and reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Top Foods and Snacks for a Happier Heart
Add these foods to your diet, to support the health of your heart:
Leafy greens: Green leafy veggies like kale and spinach are packed full of vitamins and minerals, especially vitamin-K, which plays a role in protecting the arteries and promoting proper blood clotting. Leafy greens are also a source of dietary nitrates, which can help to reduce blood pressure and promote artery health.
Whole grains: Whole grains give you more nutritional value than processed grains, as they include all three nutrient-rich parts of the grain (the germ, endosperm, and bran). They’re rich in fibre, which can help to reduce LDL cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease. Brown rice, oats, barley, buckwheat and whole wheat are common examples of whole grains.
Oily fish: Fatty and oily fish like sardines, pilchards, tuna, mackerel and salmon are high in healthy fats known as omega-3 fatty acids. Omegas are known for their heart health benefits, helping to decrease diastolic blood pressure and keep cholesterol in check. They’re also known as great brain-boosting nutrients!
Avocados: Avos are much more than just a trendy breakfast food. They’re also an excellent source of monounsaturated fats, heart-healthy fats which have been linked to lower LDL cholesterol and lower heart disease risk. Plus they’re packed with potassium, which is essential for a healthy heart.
Nuts: Crunchy nuts make for a satisfying heart-healthy snack. For example, walnuts are high in fibre, magnesium, copper and manganese. Almonds are high in fibre and monounsaturated fats. Including more nuts in your diet can help to keep those cholesterol levels in check, and support the health of your heart.
Seeds: From flax to chia to sunflower seeds, there are so many heart-healthy options out there. Seeds are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and fibre. They have good anti-inflammatory properties, and can assist with keeping blood pressure and cholesterol levels healthy.
Berries: Not only are berries sweet, juicy and delicious, they’re also very good for your heart. They are high in antioxidants, which protect your system against oxidative stress and help to reduce inflammation. They’re also high in fibre, vitamin-C and vitamin-A. Add strawberries, blueberries and blackberries to your diet for some great heart health benefits.
There is a great variety of foods for heart health available, and by making a few smart choices you can easily give your heart the support it needs.
Sources:
15 Incredibly Heart-Healthy Foods. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/heart-healthy-foods