The 25 Best Foods For Your Heart

Legumes

They are high in soluble fiber, B vitamins, niacin, folate, magnesium, calcium and, you guessed it, omega-3 fatty acids.

Fact!

According to a scientific paper published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, a diet of 130 grams of any legumes (beans, lentils, peas, chickpeas, and others) daily reduced bad cholesterol levels in the blood, which is known to reduce the risk of developing heart disease. – vascular diseases.

How can you get more value? Legumes are so versatile that they can be safely included in soup, stew, salad, or any other dish. For example, try making stuffed peppers with beans, corn, and onions. Alternatively, combine canned beans with chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, and bell peppers, sprinkle with fresh corn kernels and chopped onions, then drizzle with olive oil and apple cider vinegar dressing.

Red Wine

This drink contains flavonoids known as catechins and the antioxidant resveratrol. The former can help keep your blood vessels healthy and prevent blood clots. As for resveratrol, it has been shown to have cardioprotective properties.

Fact!

But you need to know when to stop. Excessive alcohol consumption carries a risk of alcoholism and can lead to high blood pressure, obesity, stroke, breast cancer, and other unpleasant consequences.

How can you get more value? Sip a glass of wine with dinner, or make a wine syringe – mix the wine with soda, add some ice, and then garnish with mint leaves – this will cut calories while still reaping many heart health benefits.

Walnuts

These fruits provide us with omega-3s, magnesium, fiber, vitamin E, and folic acid – all of which strengthen your heart. In addition, it is an excellent source of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, as well as phytosterols, which lower the level of bad cholesterol in the blood.

Fact!

While walnuts are invaluable for heart health, they should be consumed in moderation – remember, they are also very high in calories and high in fat. One serving of peeled fruits should fit neatly in the palm of your hand – this will provide you with about 200 calories.

How can you get more value? Walnuts lend a hearty crunch to vegetable and fruit salads. They can also be added to muffin, cookie, or pancake batter. They are good fresh – eat them with a bite of coffee, they will successfully replace any sweets.

Broccoli

Eating large amounts of this cruciferous vegetable is a surefire way to improve heart health. It is a source of beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, potassium, folate, calcium, and fiber.

How can you get more value? Broccoli tastes great and can be eaten baked, grilled, added to soups, stews, or salads. This variety of cabbage goes well with vegetarian sauces, brown rice, and many other foods.

Tofu

It is a great source of protein, especially for vegetarians. Plus, this bean curd is packed with heart-healthy nutrients, including niacin, folate, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

How can you get more value? Grill tofu, make a whole grain bread sandwich with tomatoes and bean curd, use it instead of meat in pasta, or add cheese cubes to a vegetable salad to replenish protein stores.

By the way!

Edamame – Boiled or steamed unripe soybeans are also good for your heart. They contain fiber and antioxidants, as well as soy isoflavones, which research has shown to lower cholesterol levels. Scientists believe that when combined with other dietary and lifestyle changes, this could have a big impact on the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Brown Rice

Not only is it delicious, but it is also part of a healthy diet. Brown rice contains B vitamins, magnesium, and fiber.

How can you get more value? You can add brown rice to almost any dish, and you can’t go wrong. Cook it with vegetables for an easy, quick lunch. Mix it with beans or tofu, add it to soups, or try making a cold salad with rice, tomatoes, and avocado.

Almond

Along with walnuts, almonds take care of the heart and blood vessels, lowering the level of bad cholesterol in the blood, and therefore will be an excellent choice for the daily menu. It contains omega-3, vitamin E, magnesium, calcium, fiber, and monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, valuable for the cardiovascular system.

How can you get more value? For a delicious crunch, add almond slices to a vegetable salad or yogurt, or sprinkle on baked salmon. If you crave even more good for your heart, include other types of nuts in your diet, such as cashews and pistachios.

By the way!

A research paper published in the Journal of the American Heart Association suggested using almonds as an alternative to high-carb snacking. The results show that it is also a good dietary strategy for those looking to lose belly fat. Scientists recommend consuming 40 grams of almonds per day.

Asparagus

These vegetable skewers contain beta-carotene and lutein, as well as B vitamins, folic acid, and fiber. All this makes asparagus your heart’s assistant.

How can you get more value? Asparagus can be a great side dish for fish – grill or bake it. It’s also a good companion for any vegetable in a salad or stew, and asparagus goes well with eggs – pair it with fried eggs or an omelet.

Berries

To protect your heart, include berries such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries in your diet. They are all rich in antioxidants and also contain other important nutrients that play a central role in cardiovascular health.

Fact!

Research shows that eating berries can reduce the tendency to develop heart and vascular diseases. For example, raspberries provide fiber and vitamin C, both of which are associated with a lower risk of stroke. It’s also packed with polyphenols, antioxidants that scavenge free radicals in your body.

How can you get more value? Berries are easy to eat as a healthy snack. You can also add them to porridge, garnish pancakes, mix with low-fat yogurt, or make smoothies with them.

Spinach

These green leaves contain heart-healthy vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, potassium, folate, calcium, and fiber.

How can you get more value? Spinach makes a great base for a vegetable or fruit snack, and makes a great alternative to lettuce when making sandwiches. You can also add spinach to pasta, pizza, or egg white omelet.

By the way!

It has been proven that freezing reduces the concentration of nutrients in greens, but when spinach is stored for a long time in the refrigerator or is fresh on store shelves, but at the same time “came from afar” – this also reduces its nutritional properties.

Tomatoes

It is a versatile soldier in the fight for heart health. Tomatoes are rich in lutein, vitamin C, potassium, folate, fiber, and lycopene. A study published in the journal «Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition» showed that a high concentration of lycopene in the blood is associated with a significant reduction in the risk of stroke (26%) and cardiovascular diseases (14%).

How can you get more value? Fresh tomatoes can be added to sandwiches or salads. Cooked they are also good, for example, they make excellent sauces for pasta.

Bell Pepper

This vegetable has a pleasant sweetness and delicious crunchy texture, and is packed with heart-healthy nutrients such as beta-carotene and lutein, B vitamins, folate, potassium, and fiber.

Fact!

When it comes to protecting the heart, color matters. For example, red bell peppers have significantly higher beta-carotene reserves than their green and yellow counterparts. If you want to get more benefits for your heart, look for these vegetables in red.

How can you get more value? Peppers are delicious fresh – they can be cut into slices and eaten just like that, or added to a salad. If you have a special desire, grill it, bake it in the oven with other vegetables, or stuff it with meat, cereals, mushrooms, or vegetables. Red pepper is also good as an ingredient in a sauce – it will give it delicious flavors and aromas.

Citrus

These sunny fruits are rich in flavor and juicy pulp packed with heart-healthy nutrients like beta-carotene and lutein, potassium, vitamin C, folate, and fiber. In addition, flavonoids and vitamin C in citrus fruits can reduce the risk of stroke, according to a study published in the Journal of American Heart Association.

How can you get more value? These fruits are best eaten fresh – the juice made from them is no longer able to offer you so many health benefits. You can also add fruit wedges to salad, yogurt, or even main dishes, such as baking them with chicken.

Green Tea

Due to its high content of polyphenols and catechins, this drink can provide significant health benefits, including protecting your heart. Scientists believe that green tea drinkers do not have problems with blood pressure, and they also do not know what elevated blood cholesterol is.

Fact!

A 2013 study found that people who drank at least 4 cups of green tea daily were 20% less likely to have heart disease and stroke. Antioxidants known as catechins may be responsible for the effect.

How can you get more value? Enjoy your tea hot or cold. Add a little lemon, but avoid sugar and cream – why do you need unnecessary calories and fat. Another way is to try matcha tea, a drink made from whole tea leaves that has a rich, delicate and sweet taste with a slight, barely noticeable bitterness. It turns out to be thick, rich, opaque, and has a characteristic grassy green color. Due to this shade, this tea is called “jade drink”.

Acorn Pumpkin

Also known as acorn gourd. It is an excellent source of healthy carbohydrates and dietary fiber, which we obtain from vegetables, and is also appreciated for its bright color and sweet taste. It is considered a heart-healthy food because it is rich in beta-carotene and lutein, vitamin C and B group, folate, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

How can you get more value? Baked acorn squash is a great food for the winter season. Cut the fruit in half, peel the seeds, fill with vegetables and brown rice, top with an omelet mixture or any other sauce, then cover the pumpkin boats with foil and bake until tender.

Grenades

These fruits contain many antioxidants, including polyphenols and anthocyanins, which can help improve heart function and prevent arterial atherosclerosis. A study by scientists from the Research Institute for Preventive Medicine in Sausalito, California, USA, showed that patients with heart disease who drank 240 ml of pomegranate juice daily for 3 months improved blood flow to the heart.

How can you get more value? It is advisable to use fresh pomegranate, however, we will not deny that its grains give the dishes originality, exquisite taste, and elegant look. For example, try cooking lamb with these vibrant grains, or adding them to couscous along with peeled pistachios and mint leaves.

It is interesting!

Anthocyanins are responsible for the red, purple, and blue color of the fruit. Other sources of these flavonoids are red-orange, cranberry, blueberry, blackberry, currant, cherry, eggplant, red cabbage, and some peppers.

Papaya

This exotic fruit adds vitamins A and C to your diet, as well as folic acid, calcium, and potassium. Papaya is also rich in carotenoids. All this allows her to take care of the health of your heart.

How can you get more value? Papaya goes well with heart-healthy salmon. You can add the fruit to the fish fresh, or you can grill both. In addition, papaya is added to fruit smoothies and salads, and is also used to make popsicles from it.

Avocado

These soft, tasty fruits have a strong reputation for providing the body, including the heart, with healthy fats, which research shows can lower blood cholesterol and minimize the risk of heart disease. Another reason this oily fruit cares for our heart is that it contains a lot of potassium – one fruit contains 975 mg, which is about 28% of the daily value.

Fact!

Daily intake of at least 4.7 g of potassium helps to normalize blood pressure, which in turn, according to scientific data, reduces the risk of stroke by 15%. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to take all the potassium we need from an avocado – the fruit is quite high-calorie – you shouldn’t eat more than 1-2 pieces a day.

How can you get more value? Mash the avocado pulp into a puree and use it instead of butter for sandwiches. Add wedges of this oily product to vegetable salads or smoothies.

Garlic

This burning fruit has been shown to reduce inflammation in the body, which in turn reduces the risk of arterial atherosclerosis. Sulfur compounds, which are rich in garlic, also improve blood circulation and reduce the risk of blood clots. In addition, it has many other beneficial properties, including for the heart and blood vessels due to the presence in it of a compound called allicin.

How can you get more value? Eat the garlic raw or crush it and let it sit for a few minutes before cooking. This increases the amount of allicin, allowing it to bring the greatest possible health benefits.

It is interesting!

A study published in 2017 in the “Journal of The Journal of Hypertension »,  showed that for those who participated in the long-term testing and ate a lot of garlic, the risk of cardiovascular disease was reduced by 64% in six years.

Tahini

Made with ground sesame seeds, this paste contains 5 grams of vegetable protein and 3 grams of healthy fiber per two tablespoons. It provides the body with key nutrients including calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. As for the phytosterols it contains, they not only improve arterial health, but also lower blood cholesterol levels.

How can you get more value? Tahini is a great alternative for people with nut allergies. On the basis of this paste, in combination with chickpeas, they prepare a classic hummus snack.

Beet

It contains important biologically active pigments known as betalains, which give this root vegetable its characteristic reddish-purple color. Betalains have high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that are known to protect various body systems, including the cardiovascular system. They also help dilate blood vessels, thereby lowering blood pressure, and in addition, reduce the overstimulation of the nervous system that occurs with heart disease.

How can you get more value? Add fresh beets to salads or smoothies. You can pickle this vegetable and then cut it into thin slices.

By the way!

If there are too many beets, bacteria may appear – betalains tend to stain urine and stools red or pinkish. It’s safe, but it’s important to be aware of the potential side effects of healthy foods so you don’t get scared.

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