Heart-healthy foods

Heart diseases account for multiple problems in the long run and millions get affected worldwide due to it. 

When the thought of food makes your mouth water, there’s no holding you back and you forget your commitments to follow healthy eating habits.

Though multiple factors like stress, alcohol consumption, and an unhealthy lifestyle and food consumption are contributing factors for the rise in heart illnesses, in this blog we magnify the factor that usually goes unnoticed – Food!

Below is the list of foods you should be eating to keep your heart healthy and happy!

● Green leafy vegetables

We are going a step ahead of popeye! So, it’s not just about spinach

Leafy greens like spinach and kale are rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals. 

Aligning their nutritive value with heart health, these leafy greens are abundant in Vitamin K which avoids blood clotting and protects your arteries from clogging.

Another reason for leafy green vegetables to be a way to boost heart health is the dietary nitrates. They help reduce the blood pressure, prevent stiffness in the arteries and enhance the functions of the cells that line the blood vessels.

● Avocados

Avocados are rich in potassium, monounsaturated fats which reduce cholesterol levels, the risk of metabolic syndrome, lower levels of LDL, and a lower risk of chronic cardiovascular diseases. 

In addition, these avocados also contain dietary fibers, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals to keep the heart healthy and happier.

Fun fact – Avocados contain 975 milligrams of potassium or 28% of the amount you need daily.

● Berries

Strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries are dense with antioxidants like anthocyanins which prevent oxidative stress, and inflammation that leads to heart diseases eventually putting an individual at the risk of metabolic syndrome.

Further berries also reduce bad LDL cholesterol, the makers of inflammation, body mass index, and the level of systolic blood pressure.

Rich in soluble fiber, a study found that the consumption of blueberries leads to improvement in the cells that line the blood vessels, which prevent blood pressure, protects the blood vessels, and clotting.

Blueberries also include beta carotene and lutein (carotenoids) anthocyanin (flavonoid) ellagic acid, (polyphenol) vitamin C, calcium, folate, magnesium, potassium, and fiber.

● Beans

Beans contain resistant starch, soluble fibers, B complex vitamins, niacin, folate, magnesium, calcium, and Omega 3 fatty acids.

Beans help decrease the blood levels of triglycerides, curbs inflammation, and reduces blood pressure, and cholesterol. 

Beans are varied and each serves an array of purposes. Similarly, black beans contain magnesium, folate, and antioxidants.

● Fatty fishes and fish oil

Fishes like salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring, lake trout, albacore, and sardine, which with their omega 3 fatty acids help maintain a healthy heart.

Fatty fishes also decrease the risk of abnormal heartbeats called arrhythmias and lowers the growth of plaque in the arteries. Fishes like salmon include EPA and DHA that improve the function of endothelial cells.

If seafood hardly makes it to your kitchen, fish oil can be yet another option to include your diet.

Such supplements have shown to reduce the levels of blood triglycerides, improve arterial function, control inflammation, and lower blood pressure.

● Tomatoes

Tomatoes are the only fruit (Yes, it is a fruit) that contains lycopene which is an antioxidant and a natural plant pigment.

It helps neutralize harmful free radicals, prevents oxidative damage, increases good HDL cholesterol, and inflammation. Higher levels of good HDL cholesterol help remove excess cholesterol and plaque from arteries to keep a healthy heart.

While high levels of lycopene can prevent health hazards, low blood levels of lycopene are linked with the risk of a heart attack or a stroke. 

Additionally, tomatoes also contain beta and alpha-carotene, lycopene, choline, lutein (carotenoids) Vitamin C, potassium, folate, and fiber.

● Dark chocolates

Who doesn’t like chocolates?

Not only in taste, smell, and texture, dark chocolates are rich in antioxidants like flavonoids, which are associated with lowering the risk of heart diseases, lower the risk of developing calcified plaque in the arteries, and coronary heart diseases. 

Dark chocolates contain cocoa phenols (flavonoids) and heart-healthy resveratrol. But since chocolate is high in sugar and calories, consume your portions with care

While eating chocolates could be tempting, consume an average of 70% dark chocolate because it’s high in calories, fat and sugar as well! 

● Walnuts

Walnuts contain fiber and micronutrients like copper, plant sterols, fiber, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats, manganese, and magnesium.

To expand these values, walnuts also serve more purposes with values like Vitamin E, folate, Omega 3 fatty acids, and phytosterols

These nutritive values help reduce cholesterol, protect against inflammation in the arteries, and blood pressure.

(source – www.rewire.org)

● Almonds

Almonds do more than boosting your memory, as the famous thought goes!

Almonds are rich in monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, and fiber that keeps heart ailments at bay lowers cholesterol levels, reduces bad LDL cholesterols, and cuts out belly fat.

What more?

Almonds also contain plant sterols, Omega 3 fatty acids, Vitamin E, magnesium, calcium, and heart-healthy fats

Measure your portions before you eat them, they are high in fats and calories too! Some of those fats can be saturated too!

● Seeds

Chia seeds, flax seeds, and hemp seeds include fiber, omega 3 fatty acids that support a healthy heart.

These benefits help keep heart diseases at bay, reduce inflammation, lowers blood pressure, and reduces the levels of triglycerides.

Hemp seeds are packed with arginine that is an amino acid that also aids in lowering the blood levels of inflammation markers.

Flaxseed on the other side is also a powerhouse that helps lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. 

Its nutritional value expands from fibers to phytochemicals called lignans, phytoestrogens, and omega 3 fatty acids.

Additionally, flaxseeds also contain soluble and insoluble fibers and are one of the highest sources of lignans, which contains both plant estrogen and antioxidants

● Garlic

Garlic has been the chief component of many ancient health remedies for ages.

In today’s day and age though these medicinal qualities are thereby proven to prevent heart diseases.

Research shows that it contains Allicin that helps with its therapeutic effects

Its medicinal qualities are indeed proven by science to prevent heart diseases.

These medicinal qualities in garlic help to reduce blood pressure prevents blood clot formation, prevents platelet formation and cholesterol 

● Olive oil

A staple in the Mediterranean and middle eastern cuisines as a whole and as dressings in salads

Olive oil is rich in antioxidants and monounsaturated fatty acids that help reduce inflammation protects the blood vessels and prevents chronic heart diseases

● Green tea

Along with its amazing color, green tea is linked with a spectrum of other health benefits.

Green tea is rich in polyphenols and catechins. These antioxidants prevent cell damage, reduce inflammation and protect heart health.

Further, the consumption of green tea helps burn fat, shows a lowered systolic and diastolic blood pressure, lowers the levels of LDL cholesterol and lowers levels of triglycerides.

Conclusion

We consume multiple foods daily without giving it a second thought about how healthy they could be, let alone the effects they could have on the vital organs of the body.

Healthy eating is not a goal, it’s a way of living and we are only making that way easier for you!

With Pulpbrew you can rest assured about your daily nutrition needs. With meticulously crafted recipes for your health and taste buds alike, your health is in the right hands!