15 heart healthy foods to put the heart diseases at bay

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Heart diseases are very common nowadays for every people irrespective of age. Now a 30 years old man or woman can get a heart attack too. So, it is impractical to think that you are safe enough as you are young.

Start to take care of your heart from your late 20’s. In Canada, a regular heart checkup is scheduled from early 20’s, but, in our country, there is no such protocol to regular checkup from your early age.

It remains neglected for many persons that leads to a sudden cardiac arrest, in many cases, there is no time to treat the person. So, maintain some heart healthy habits from the early age to avoid different heart diseases.

In my previous article, I depicted some ways to maintain a healthier heart. Now, in this article, I will let you know about some scientifically proven heart healthy diets.

This article brings you 15 heart healthy foods to put the heart diseases at bay.

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1. Green leafy vegetables

Green leafy vegetables are first on the list of heart healthy foods. Green leafy vegetables are saturated with lots of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

You can easily thrive for spinach, kale, broccoli, they are very important sources of vitamin K, which in turn protects your arteries and vessels.

There is a proven link between increase intake of leafy green vegetables and lower risk of heart diseases. Study suggests that if you increase the intake of leafy green veggies in your diet, then it will help you to lower the heart diseases by 16%.

These green vegetables are rich in dietary nitrates which helps to reduce blood pressure and take care of your heart by advancing the function of cells of blood vessels [1].  

So, make sure your intake of leafy green vegetables are in between 2.5 cups to 3 cups per day.

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2. Whole grains

Intake of whole grains in place of refined grains can save you a lot from the heart diseases along with other so many ailments. All the nutrient rich part of the grains like germ, endosperm and bran are included in the whole grains.

You can go for whole wheat, whole wheat bread/flour, brown rice, quinoa, oats, rye and barley. These are rich in high fiber which in turn decrease the risk of heart attack by reducing the bad cholesterol from your blood [2].

Study shows that including of whole grains in diet at least three or more than three servings per day reduces the risk of heart diseases by 22%.

So, increase the intake of whole grains in your diet from now carefully.

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3. Fatty fish

Fatty fish is third on the list of heart healthy foods as it is high in omega-3 fatty acids which have numerous benefits towards heart health.

Some fatty fish you can try are salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel etc. In case of high blood pressure, it is proved that, eating salmon for three times in a week for 2 months can actually lower the diastolic blood pressure [3].

Similarly, if anyone decrease the intake of fatty fish by 100 gram per week, they can develop the risk of heart diseases (high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes) by 19% [4].

[Read more: 10 ways to maintain a healthier heart]

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4. Olive oil

Olive oil is in number four on the list of heart healthy foods. It is mainly used in Mediterranean diet which is very much healthy for everyone.

Olive oil is rich is antioxidants, monounsaturated fatty acids which helps to improve the heart health.

Study showed that olive oil consumption can decrease the heart diseases by 35% as documented on 7,216 adults. Besides, more intake of olive oil can lower the risk of dying by heart diseases by 48% [5]. It is associated with lowering the systolic and diastolic pressure too [6].  

So, start eating olive oil from now for a healthy heart. You can cook with it or just drizzle over cooked dishes or salads for a better taste.

There are some varieties of olive oil, just check it once before buy. All the varieties have different uses.

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5. Berries

Different berries are in number five on the list of heart healthy foods. Berries including strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and raspberries are rich in various nutrients, antioxidants which help to build a healthy heart.

Increasing intake of berries in regular diet can lower the risks of heart diseases. It improves the function of cells that line the blood vessels, and helps to control the blood pressure [7].

Studies suggest that berries can actually reduce the proportion of bad cholesterol in your blood and maintain the systolic pressure [8].

So, try to incorporate at least one type of berries in your diet regularly to avoid any type of cardiac ailments in future.

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6. Oranges

Juicy and bright oranges are rich source of antioxidants, it contains carotenoids (beta- and alpha-carotene, lutein), beta-cryptoxanthin, flavonoids etc.

Some micronutrients like potassium and folate, and vitamin c is present in orange in a large quantity. These all are very heart healthy nutrients [9].

I think everyone like oranges, so, add it to your daily diet whenever available for a better heart health.

[Read more: Freeze your age by a dozen food]

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7. Walnuts

Walnut is very important food item to maintain a healthy heart. Few servings of walnut can protect you from heart diseases.

Walnut contains several micronutrients like magnesium, manganese and copper. It is a rich source of fiber also which is very healthy for heart.

Like berries, it can also reduce the bad cholesterol from the blood, and unlike berries, it can lower the diastolic blood pressure [10]. Along with, it can manage the oxidative stress and inflammation, which in turn helps to protect the heart [11].

So, incorporate it in your daily diet for a healthy heart.

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8. Avocados

Avocado is a very healthy food with a high level of monounsaturated fats, which helps to protect your heart by lowering the level of blood cholesterol.

One regular sized avocado can supply about 975 mg of potassium (28% of the amount a healthy person needed per day) [12], so, it is a very rich source of potassium, which helps a lot to lower the risk of different heart diseases [13].

Regular eating of avocado can ease the metabolic syndrome [14], i.e. it can lower the risk of metabolic syndrome also.

Therefore, those who are ignoring this fruit till now, please grab it and make a healthy heart onwards.

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9. Almonds

Almonds contains many heart friendly nutrients, vitamins and minerals. It also rich in fiber and monounsaturated fats, which is very helpful to protect our heart.

Research showed that daily intake of 43 grams of almond for six weeks can reduce belly fats and lower the bad cholesterol level from the blood [15].

Along with, it can maintain the HDL cholesterol which in turn, help to reduce the plaque formation under the artery and lower the risk of stroke [16].  

So, snack a handful of almonds every day, and remember not to throw away the skin.

[Read more: Immunity boosting foods]

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10. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are in number 10 on the list of heart healthy foods. It has tremendous antioxidant property that helps to reduce the oxidative stress.

The main pigment lycopene is a rich source of antioxidant, high level of lycopene in blood can reduce the risk of stroke [17].

Eating raw tomatoes can help to build the good or HDL cholesterol in the body [18]. Like almonds, it also can help and protect the blood vessels by preventing the plaque formations under the vessels.  

So, start eating it raw from now for the sake of your heart in near future.

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11. Garlic

From the ancient period, garlic is known to give relief from several ailments. Nowadays, it is confirmed that garlic can improve the heart diseases or heart health.

The main compound allicin, present in the garlic, is very important regarding heart health. It is very much helpful to reduce the high blood pressure, if anyone consume about 600-1500 mg/day for about six months [19].

It is also helpful to reduce the bad cholesterol from the blood, which in turn reduces the risk of stroke [20].  

Due to numerous efficiencies of garlic, start eating it raw as much as possible.

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12. Dark chocolates

Dark chocolate is very heart healthy food as it has flavonoids which is an antioxidant that helps to reduce the oxidative stress.

Research showed that increasing intake of dark chocolate can lower the risk of different heart ailments. For example, eating the dark chocolate for five times per week can lower the risk of heart diseases and stroke by 57% [21].  

It can actively lower the plaque formation in the artery by 32% if anyone can consume the dark chocolate at least twice per week [22].

Dark chocolate with 70% cocoa is the best one regarding heart health, so, incorporate in your daily diet a bit of bitterness of dark chocolate.

[Read more: Balanced diet]

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13. Green tea

Green tea plays so many roles from the lifting of immunity to help us losing weight, it can help to maintain a healthy heart too.  

Green tea contains a lot of polyphenols and catechins, which have strong antioxidant property that is very necessary for the heart health [23].

Increasing intake of green tea can actually lower the triglycerides, bad cholesterol along with total cholesterol level. Drinking of green tea can maintain both the systolic and diastolic blood pressure [24].

So, don’t avoid it, you can add honey to it for a better taste.

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14. Red wine

In case of heart health, you should grab a glass of red wine, but only in recommended dose. Red wine is a rich source of antioxidants as it contains flavonoids, the name of the antioxidant is resveratrol [25].

These flavonoids protect your blood vessels and help to prevent the formation of the blood clot in it [26].

But, if you can’t control your dose, you may become alcoholic very soon, and it will harm you then. So, drink the red wine only in moderation.

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15.  Low-fat dairy products

Dairy products got mixed reviews in case of heart issues. Avoid the full fat dairy product if you want a healthy heart.

Just go for low-fat dairy products like, unflavored milk, cheese and low-fat yogurt etc.

If the consumed dairy product contains saturated or trans fats, then it will harm your body by increasing the bad or LDL cholesterol in your blood [27].

This increasing level of bad cholesterol can be a greater risk for numerous heart diseases including, cardiac arrest, stroke and even death [28].

So, be aware of what you eat per day and indulge yourself in low-fat dairy products as much as possible for your future heart health.

[Read more: Know how junk food is damaging your body]

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Make your own heart healthy plate

• Always make half of the grains whole grain, you need 6 to 8 ounces of grains in plate per day [29].
• Switch to 2 to 3 cups of fat free or low-fat milk per day.
• Eat at least 5 to 6 ounces of protein foods of your choice per day.
• Consume 2 to 3 cups of vegetables per day.
• Try to intake 1 to 2 cups of fruits per day. Make sure to fill your half plate with vegetables and fruits.

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[Read more: Memory boosting food]

ConScience

Those above-mentioned food items are very helpful to maintain a healthy heart.

There are also many more items like flaxseeds, kidney beans, soy milk, sweet potatoes, red bell pepper, papaya, squash and asparagus etc.

Try to consume these foods regularly for an improved heart health. Stay happy, stay healthy. Have a happy life....