Cardiovascular disease is a primary cause of death worldwide. The body suffers daily from attacks that exhaust the cardiovascular system. Here are the best foods that help protect the heart.
1. Break up with soft drinks and barter them for sparkling water
Up to 180 000 people die each year from illness related to the consumption of soft drinks worldwide. Of this impressive number, about 45,000 are heart attacks. People who consume soft drinks are more likely to develop heart disease because of a large amount of sugar found in these beverages. They, therefore, tend to gain weight, suffer from diabetes, and, therefore, of blocked arteries. Soft drinks are also increasing sugar levels in the blood and help to make proteins and incredibly dangerous to arteries.
Harvard researchers studied more than 40,000 doctors and 88,000 nurses over two decades. They found that women who consume more than two servings very sugary beverages like soft drinks per day were more than a 40% chance of developing heart disease than women who eat less. For men, those who consume soft drinks were 20% more likely to be suffering from a heart attack than others.
Doctor’s advice: Forget about soft drinks. If you drink several a day, be realistic. Start by replacing one with tea. Or dilute it with sparkling water. Decrease gradually, not to consume any day.
2. Put some color on your plate
Almost everything you find in the section of fresh food in the supermarket can potentially prevent blocked arteries. Vegetables, among others, are rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients, all good elements for the health of your heart. Asparagus, peppers, and bok choy are rich in B vitamins, particularly vitamin B6, which helps lower levels of homocysteine (an amino linked to heart disease acid) and C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation ). Carrots and tomatoes (and fruits oranges and bananas) are rich in carotenoids and lycopene, an important antioxidant. A study from Harvard University found that people who eat eight servings of vegetables or more per day were 30% less likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease than people who consumed one or less.
Doctor’s advice: Eat a serving of more fruit or vegetable that you ate yesterday and continue this diet for a week. Next week, add a new portion. Continue this routine until you pass five servings per day. Ideally, try to reach 8 to 12 servings a day.
3. Fatty fish to refuel good fatty acids to health
Some types of fish, fatty fish that are called, are particularly rich in omega-3 fatty acids and are known to reduce inflammation, to regulate blood circulation, level triglycerides, and normalize blood pressure. Diets rich in oily fish can prevent plaque from building up in your arteries. Sardines, mackerel, anchovies, salmon, and herring are good choices.
Doctor’s advice: Eat fish at least twice a week, avoiding the very large fish like swordfish, which have a very high concentration of mercury.
4. Opt for green leafy vegetables
Arugula, lettuce, beets, spinach, kale, and other green leafy vegetables are excellent sources of nitrates; they absorb from the soil by roots. During digestion, nitrates are converted to nitric oxide, which enhances the resistance of the arteries to the contractions and blockages. The chances of heart attacks and strokes are drastically reduced. Researchers from the Queen Mary University of London recently found that people who consume a nitrate-rich meal, as a salad, saw their blood pressure drop significantly in just a few hours to a whole day. The proportion of the decline was also very competitive with any normally prescribed medication to lower pressure.
Doctor’s advice: Add greens throughout (in the soup, sandwiches, smoothies, and everything that goes through your head) or try to drink a glass of beet juice daily.
5. Spices and herbs
One of the best ways to protect your heart is also one of the tastiest. Several herbs and spices can be used as a natural medicine for the body. Since they are herbal concentrates, they contain the same chemical properties which are used to ward off diseases. By consuming these nutrients, then it protects our cells against diseases, too. It has been shown that consume garlic improves cholesterol levels, lowers blood pressure, and decreases the risk of developing heart disease. Turmeric is rich in curcumin, which has proved its beneficial effects on cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar. Ginger is itself a natural anti-inflammatory that blood thinner. Cinnamon, finally, regulates blood circulation and blood sugar.
Doctor’s advice: Sprinkle a mixture of apple pie spice (which contains cinnamon, cloves, mixing allspice, and nutmeg) on fruit, oatmeal, and even in your coffee morning. Also, add Italian seasoning on salads, in soups, on potatoes, and other side dishes.
6. The most natural meat
Dr. Kahn gave up meat several years ago. “I advise all my patients to do the same. “For many, the idea to leave out all animal products, however, can seem too big a change. A first step would then be to ensure that the meat you eat is as natural as possible. The cardiologist understood to mean that the meat we eat should contain fewer antibiotics, hormones, salt, artificial elements, and possible additives. At the supermarket, read the labels to know the content and origin of meats. The best meat comes from animals fed on grains and other natural foods. These contain more omega-3 fatty acids.
Doctor’s advice: Always add to your meat, fruit, or vegetable. The benefits of these will counteract the worst effects of the meat. Make sure that fruits and vegetables are in a higher portion than meat.
7. Include tea in your daily feed
Tea contains many flavonoids that neutralize oxidation in the body. Green tea contains, among other catechins, which protect the body cells as do the additives that are added to fuel to keep the engine of a car. Green teas, black, and oolong tea are all excellent for preventing heart disease. Among others, the tea prevents blocked arteries by preventing the absorption of cholesterol in the blood, regulating blood sugar levels, and reducing inflammation.
Doctor’s advice: Drink one cup per day (or if you do not drink, start with one cup a day). If you are particularly fond, aim to drink a cup of tea with every meal, that is to say, three times a day. Let it steep three to five minutes to maximize the number of catechins.
8. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are filled with vitamins and lycopene, which has been shown capable of reducing the risk of heart diseases. Add thick slices of tomatoes in your sandwiches and salads or the feast of tomato sauce on complete wheat pasta. And keep in mind that cooked tomato sauce and tomato sauce in a tin can you buy at the supermarket contain more lycopene than raw tomatoes.
9. Blueberries
Blueberries are one of the most powerful foods that fight against diseases of all kinds. They contain anthocyanins, an antioxidant that gives them a dark blue color. It’s packed with fiber, vitamin C, and are available all year. Increase your heart health by regularly adding blueberries to your diet. Here’s how:
- Put fresh or frozen blueberries over your whole grains to add a delicious flavor, a dose of healthy fiber, and antioxidants for the heart.
- Add flavor to your cake with fresh blueberries, frozen or dried, for a nutritious dessert.
- Eat berries as is or mix with other fruit to make a fruit salad or low-calorie snack, rich in fiber.
- Another bay (same family as blueberries) has recently become popular is the acai berry.
10. Cocoa and dark chocolate beans
Eating healthy foods for the heart is also a treat. Recent studies have shown that components of cocoa beans and dark chocolate (the darker and with the highest concentration possible in cocoa) can positively impact the cardiovascular system, kidney function, brain health, the immune system, diabetes, and blood pressure. Dark chocolate contains resveratrol and flavonoids, which can help limit the formation of fatty plaques in the arteries by decreasing LDL cholesterol while increasing HDL (“good”) cholesterol and lowering blood pressure.
