Food for a Healthy Heart
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To prevent heart attacks, avoid unhealthy food, and eat foods rich in nutrients, fiber, and healthy fats.
Eating for a healthy heart means filling your plate with heart-healthy foods like fruits and vegetables, paying attention to fiber, eating fish a couple times a week, eating healthy fats and limiting unhealthy fats like trans fats, as well as salt. And although no single food is a cure-all, certain foods have been shown to improve your heart health. Find out how these foods may help lower your risk of heart disease.
TOMATOES: Lycopene, an ingredient that gives tomatoes their color, reduces the risk of heart diseases by half. The body absorbes Lycopene from cooked tomatoes more easily than fresh ones. Also about 25 mg of lycopene a day can lower the Bad Cholesterol by 10%. Also good source of Potassium & Vitamin-C.
BEETROOT: Nitrates in beetroot, relaxes the blood vessels & lower the blood pressure. Also rich in the pigments Betalains & Betaine which lower the levels of Homocysteine, a substance that increases the risk of heart attack.
RASPBERRIES: Potassium in it lowers the blood pressure & thus reduces the risk of heart attack.
RED BEANS: Rich in Potassium, helps to lower blood pressure & reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
RED GRAPES: Rich in antioxidants; Flavonoid & Reservertrol which keep the blood vessels, lowers the blood pressure & cholesterol levels. Red grapes are shown to lower blood pressure, reduce inflammation & reduce heart muscle damage related to a high-salt diet. Also reduces bloods triglyceride levels, LDL levels & improvce blood vessel function.
RED APPLES: It reduces LDL ( bad Cholesterol ) by as much as 40%.
CHERRIES: Cherries bright red color comes from Anthocyanins, a powerful antioxidant, which is anti-inflammatory & heart health benefits.
STRAWBERRIES: Consuming 8 strawberries gives you the same amount of vitamin-C as you'd get from one orange. Research has shown that strawberries may reduce inflammation & protect LDL from oxidation.
RED BELL PEPPERS: Full of Lycopene, which is not found in green peppers. Also rich in cholesterol-lowering soluble fiber & powerful anti-oxidant Vitamin-A & C, both are good for heart. Rich in Potassium too (162 mg in 1 cup) Also low in calories (24 calories in a cup).
POMEGRANATE: Packed with anti-oxidants thgat guard the body's endothelial cells against free radical assault. It reduces oxidative stress. supports the synthesis & activity of Nitric Oxide & inhibits the Oxidation of potentially harmful LDL.
