Our hearts, an important organs of our body, and undoubtedly, this organ needs a lot of beneficial heart-healthy nutrients to function properly.
The heart, an important organ that controls the most important fluid in our body, blood. In our modern world, the constant change of diets and daily routine can be damaging towards our hearts. Today, ILLUME eMAG will show you some foods that can drastically improve your heart health and protect it from heart diseases.
Leafy Green Vegetables
Leafy green vegetables host a massive amount of vitamin K, a type of mineral that can keep your arteries safe and promote proper blood clotting. Additionally, your blood pressure can be reduced thanks to the high amount of dietary nitrates inside these vegetables. Arterial stiffness and blood vessels cells lining function can be improved by consuming leafy green vegetables. These vegetables can also help you lower the risk of heart disease if you consume them regularly. A study in women showed that high consumption of leafy green vegetables can drastically reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.
Avocados
Monounsaturated fats are crucial for your heart health and avocados are an excellent provider of those fats. The levels of cholesterol and risk of heart disease can be lowered thanks to monounsaturated fats. A study conducted on 45 overweight and obese people showed that people who consume avocados have their LDL cholesterol reduced. One study has also shown that metabolic syndrome can be avoided if people eat avocados daily. Aside from being an excellent source of monounsaturated fats, avocados also provide potassium which is essential for your heart.
Berries
Berry and its relatives have been known for being an important source of crucial nutrients for your heart to maintain its health. Through protecting your heart against oxidative stress and inflammation, the risk of developing heart-related diseases will be greatly decreased. This amazing ability is possible thanks to the huge amount of antioxidants inside berries. People with metabolic syndrome have their “bad” LDL cholesterol level decreased by 11% by drinking a freeze-dried strawberries beverage for 2 months. Furthermore, eating blueberries on a daily basis can help improve the cells that support blood vessels that help regulate blood pressure and clotting.
Fatty fish and fish oil
Our hearts need omega-3 fatty acids in order to be healthy at all times and fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, sardines, etc are full of these beneficial fatty acids. Diastolic blood pressure can be drastically decreased in people who eat these fatty fish three times per week for 2 months. A 100-gram decrease in weekly fish consumption can lead to a higher risk of heart diseases such as diabetes or obesity. Preparing a meal using these fatty fish can be time-consuming so fish oil is a suitable alternative source of omega-3 fatty acids. Fish oil has been proven to reduce blood triglycerides, arterial function improvement, and blood pressure decrease.
Walnuts
Most people considered walnuts as a simple snack to eat when they are hungry. But little did they know, walnuts are an excellent source of fibers, magnesium, copper, and manganese. Your heart will be protected against diseases when adding walnuts to your daily meals. “Bad” LDL cholesterol level can be reduced by 16% if you consume walnuts. Furthermore, diastolic blood pressure, oxidative stress, and inflammation can be reduced by eating walnuts.