A heart-healthy eating plan is a great way to lower your risk of developing heart disease. Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States.
What foods are good for your heart?
Heart-healthy eating patterns are more important than individual foods and nutrients. They can improve your cardiovascular health. You can affect many aspects of your heart health by changing what you eat, such as blood pressure, inflammation levels, cholesterol, and triglycerides.
Heart-healthy foods include minimally processed fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans. The American Heart Association recommends these dietary guidelines to maintain heart health.
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Harvard Health Publishing’s 6-Week Healthy Eating Plan
The Harvard Medical School 6-Week Healthy Eating Plan will guide you through a week-by-week program that will transform your eating habits and help you make healthy food choices for life. Harvard experts guide you through a healthy eating plan that will improve your heart health, vitality, and longevity.
- Maintain a healthy weight by balancing calories consumed with calories expended through exercise.
- Eat a variety of fruits, vegetables and grains.
- Select whole grains over refined grains.
- Avoid tropical oils like palm oil and use liquid plant oils instead.
- Proteins from vegetables, seafood or lean meats are good sources.
- Reduce the amount of Sugar and salt added.
- Limit alcohol.
- Select minimally processed food.
List of heart-healthy foods
A heart-healthy diet is based on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy proteins, nonfat and low-fat milk products and oils, and dairy products.
Fruits & Vegetables
According to studies, a diet rich in fruits and veggies is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. Fruits and vegetables are important for heart health as they contain antioxidants which can prevent damage to the arteries. Eat a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and legumes, whether they are fresh, canned or frozen.
- You should include as many vegetables as possible in your diet, such as carrots, tomatoes, peppers, and edamame.
- Leafy greens like kale and spinach are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that can lower blood pressure and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Leafy greens contain a lot of nitrates, which relax blood vessels and help them widen. People who consume the most nitrate-rich vegetables (especially leafy greens) have a lower risk of heart disease. This is between 12% and 26%.
- Choose canned vegetables with low sodium.
- Buy frozen vegetables that are free of butter and sauces.
- Fresh fruits such as berries, apples and oranges are good for your heart. Also, papaya, mangoes, guavas, papayas, and bananas. Berry fruits like blueberries and strawberries are excellent for your heart because they contain antioxidants that protect you from oxidative stress, inflammation, and other factors that may contribute to heart disease. Blueberries are associated with a reduced risk of heart disease when consumed regularly and moderately.
- Select canned, frozen or dried fruits without sugars.
Whole grains
Whole grains contain a lot of fibre. Fibre maintains healthy cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. According to studies, replacing refined grains with whole grains can reduce your risk of heart disease.
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Include these whole grains in your diet.
- Whole-grain breads, bagels and English muffins
- Whole-grain cereals, hot or cold
- Brown or wild rice or quinoa or oats
- Whole-wheat pasta, couscous and other whole-grain products.
Healthy proteins
These foods are heart-healthy choices. These foods have been linked to lower risks of cardiovascular disease.
- Legumes contain a lot of fibre, protein and antioxidants. Common legumes include lentils, chickpeas and split peas. Legumes improve heart health by improving blood pressure and lowering cholesterol. According to studies, a higher intake of beans reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.
- Nuts contain fibre, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and proteins. Studies have shown that higher nut consumption can reduce the risk of stroke, coronary artery disease, and cardiovascular disease.
- Omega-3 fatty acid-rich fish, such as mackerel and salmon, are known to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Omega-3 fatty acids can reduce harmful inflammation in the body. Two to three portions of fish per week are associated with lower rates of cardiovascular disease, myocardial disease, stroke and heart failure.
- Avoid processed meats when buying other types of meat. Lean meats are 95% lean beef, pork tenderloin or skinless turkey or chicken.
Low-fat and nonfat dairy
It is heart-healthy to replace full-fat milk products with low-fat or nonfat products. This will increase the intake of unsaturated fats while decreasing saturated fats. Unsaturated fatty acids are linked to better cardiovascular health. Low-fat dairy products:
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- Low-fat or fat-free milk
- Plain yogurt that is fat-free or has a low-fat content
- Cottage cheese, cheese that is low in fat or fat-free
- Fortified soy beverages such as soymilk or soy yoghurt.
Unsaturated fats
Replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fatty acids can be found in avocados, oils, nuts, seeds and seafood.
- Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated Fats are the best fats for your heart.
- Plant oils like soybean, corn and sunflower oils are good sources of polyunsaturated fatty acids.
- Canola, olive and safflower oils with high oleic acids are the main sources of monounsaturated fatty acids. Monounsaturated fats are abundant in olive oil. Extra virgin olive oils are also high in antioxidants that can prevent damage to the body, such as to the arteries.
- Avocados are a healthy food for the heart. They contain healthy fats and fibre as well as several micronutrients associated with cardiovascular health. According to one study, eating two avocados per week reduced the risk of a heart attack by 21%.
Avoid these foods for good heart health.
To protect your heart, you should avoid foods that are high in sodium (salt), added sugars and alcohol. A poor diet is linked to an increased risk of heart disease.
AHA recommends that you avoid these foods to maintain optimal heart health.
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Manage Your Cholesterol
The latest information is provided in Managing Your Cholesterol to help you, or someone close to you, keep your cholesterol under control. The report explains what healthy and unhealthy cholesterol is and gives specific tips on how to maintain a healthy cholesterol level. The report covers cholesterol testing and genetics. This report also provides information on statins, other medications and other substances that are advertised as lowering cholesterol. It is based on scientific evidence. You can work with your doctor on an individual treatment plan by using Managing Your Cholesterol.
- High-fat dairy products
- Fatty meats
- Processed meats
- Tropical oils and partially hydrogenated fats
- Processed foods
- Foods and beverages with added Sugar
- Foods high in sodium
- alcohol.
The best diets to prevent heart disease
Heart-healthy food can have various health benefits. It is important to include these foods in a healthy diet and stick with it, as well as practice other heart-healthy practices such as regular exercise and stress management.
It can be not easy to decide which diet or eating plan to follow. The AHA evaluated 10 popular diets and eating patterns in order to determine how they align with AHA’s guidelines for heart-healthy nutrition. They found that some diets are better for heart health than others. The DASH diet and Mediterranean diet are two of the best diets to promote heart health.
DASH diet
Dietary approaches to stop hypertension are another name for the DASH diet. The DASH diet has been linked to better heart health, including a reduced risk of heart failure and lowered blood pressure.
The DASH diet focuses on eating a lot of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, low-fat dairy products, beans, nuts, and vegetable oils. It also limits sweets and foods with saturated fats.
Mediterranean diet
A Mediterranean diet is a plant-based diet that has been influenced by the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. This diet is popular for its many health benefits.
Mediterranean diets emphasize vegetables, fruits and whole grains. They also include fish, poultry and certain vegetable oils. Dietary restrictions include sugary drinks, processed foods, refined carbs, processed meats and processed sugary foods.
