A healthy heart leads to a healthy body. While a lot of factors come to play in the process of keeping your heart in check, the diet has a vital role. The food we consume has a direct impact on the way the heart functions which in turn has a direct impact on the body. Other components that also come into the picture are weight, blood pressure and cholesterol, that too act as forces in degrading your heart health. We have made a list of food products that can help keep your heart disease-free and healthy. Read on to know how they can make a difference.
- Leafy Greens
Popeye just didn’t just grow strong from the outside after eating that spinach . The most important muscle of the body was also affected; his heart.
- Leafy greens contain Vitamin K which help in decalcifying blood vessels, guarding the arteries and enhance proper blood clotting
- They are also known for being rich in antitoxins and minerals
- Being abundant in dietary nitrates, they also reduce blood pressure and improve the blood vessels
- Through leafy greens, there is a 16% decrease of heart diseases in an individual
- You can have a combination of raw and cooked leafy greens for maximum nutrition
2. Berries
Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries are enriched with nutrients that affect heart health.
- Berries are rich in vitamin A and C, calcium, iron, fibre and folate that makes them low in fat
- They lower the risk of cholesterol and balance your BMI
- Berries have anthocyanins and antioxidants that keep away oxidative stress and inflammation that lead up to heart failure
- They improve the way the cells function on a daily basis and control blood pressure
- It is also low in calories, giving an additional advantage of keeping your physique in shape
3. Beans
Looking for an inexpensive way to improve your heart health? Beans are here to the rescue. They come from the family of legumes and have been marked as healthiest plant-based power food by the World Health Organization. Check out their benefits.
- Being a soluble fibre, which decreases the impact of cholesterol and eliminates the precursors in the systems before they can reach the heart
- Consumption of beans every day reduces the risk of heart diseases by 38%
- They contain chemicals like polyphenols, anthocyanins and terpenoids that take care of the inflammation and stress, which directly affect the heart.
4. Dark chocolate
How do you feel about the fact that chocolate can actually cure your heart? Pretty sweet right? Dark chocolate is a treat to your heart and your palate.
- Filled with antioxidants like flavonoids, dark chocolate is the go-to sweet dish to keep your heart healthy
- Eating dark chocolate at least twice every week lowers the risk of calcified plaque in the arteries by 32%
- It keeps a tab on the rhythmic pace of the heart by 20% making sure it does not get irregular
- Eating 40g of dark chocolate in a week improves the blood flow and circulation.
5. Olive Oil
While too much oil can be harmful to the heart, olive oil is just the hero in disguise when it comes to maintaining your heart’s health. Read below on to know how it keeps your heart fit.
- Olive oil is loaded with non-saturated fatty acids that improve the way the heart functions
- Intake of olive oil will decrease the peril of systolic and di-systolic pressure
- Olive oil can be used as an alternative to other oils if you already are a heart patient.
Looking for recipes that will boost your health? Check out Easy To Cook Healthy Meals for some amazing and simple ideas!
