February is National Heart Month in the United States. Of course, eating a nutrient-dense diet is a good idea all year, but this month, Fox News Digital is highlighting some foods that are particularly beneficial to your cardiovascular health. Continue reading and stock up on these nutrition superstars as soon as possible.
Dark Leafy Greens
It’s time to stock up on dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, collard greens, and other dark greens. This advice comes from Isa Kujawski, MPH, RDN, founder of Mea Nutrition LLC, who dedicated her profession to helping people use food as medicine after serving in the Navy for over ten years and losing her veteran brother to suicide.
According to a 2018 scientific review report published in Nutrients, “Dark leafy greens are a powerhouse of beneficial nutrients, including fiber, micronutrients and bioactive plant compounds known as phytochemicals.”
“These nutrients presumably protect against cardiovascular disease by various mechanisms, including altering gene expression, regulating blood pressure, and lowering inflammation in the body,” she explains. “Myriad studies have demonstrated the association between intake of dark leafy greens and lower risk of cardiovascular disease.”
Olive Oil
Erin Kenney, MS, RD, LDN, HCP, CPT, registered dietitian and CEO of Nutrition Rewired, believes that adding olive oil to your diet can help maintain your heart healthy.
“Olive oil consumption, specifically the extra-virgin, is associated with reduced risks of cardiovascular disease and mortality in individuals at high cardiovascular risk,” she explains.
“Olive oil is rich in healthful antioxidants, polyphenols and vitamins, and is a good source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats,” she writes, suggesting that instead of heating the oil, use it in a salad or in a homemade hummus to get the most benefits.
Avocados
This is just in case you needed another reason to consume more guacamole. According to Amy Adams, RDN, LDN, avocados are strong in monounsaturated fats.
“Monounsaturated fats increase our LDL (‘bad’ cholesterol) clearance rate, meaning our body gets rid of them faster. Higher LDL levels can be detrimental because LDL brings cholesterol to the heart,” she explains. “One study done by the Journal of the American Heart Association found that overweight/obese individuals who consumed more avocados had the ability to significantly lower their LDL cholesterol when compared to overweight/obese individuals who ate a low-fat or moderate-fat diet.”
According to health researchers at Penn State, adding one avocado to your daily diet may help lower bad cholesterol, hence lowering your risk of heart disease.
“Avocado contains healthy monounsaturated fats in addition to potassium and magnesium, both of which help to maintain a healthy blood pressure,” she says.
Berries
“Berries, such as blueberries, blackberries and raspberries are high in fiber, antioxidants and phytonutrients, all of which work to lower oxidative stress and inflammation in the body,” says Kujawski, pointing to a 2010 study in Nutrition Reviews. “These processes improve blood pressure, vascular function, and fight free radical formation. Consequently, clinical studies have shown that berries contribute to lower cardiovascular disease risk.”
To promote heart health, Kristi Ruth, RD, LDN, emphasises the necessity of eating more fresh fruits and vegetables in general.
“This will increase your intake of fiber and a variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and more,” she says.
“Still, blueberries have been singled out as being a standout food when it comes to improving heart health,” she continues, pointing out that they’re strong in antioxidants, including anthocyanin, a flavonoid, a category of phytonutrients or plant chemicals that’s great for heart health.
Beans
“Beans are a heart healthy food which consist of fiber and a variety of vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. They improve the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol, blood pressure, inflammation, and promoting digestive wellness,” says Kujawski, highlighting research published in the peer-reviewed journal Nutrients. “Beans are rich in soluble fiber, which acts as food to beneficial gut bacteria to promote a healthy gut flora, which is an important factor in overall heart health.”
Adams is also on Team Bean’s side. “Beans contain plant sterols/stanols. Plant sterols/stanols work as active compounds in our body that are very similar in structure to cholesterol,” she explains. “Consequently, plant sterols/stanols compete with cholesterol for absorption in the small intestine. Overall, this causes less cholesterol to build up in our bloodstream. One study showed that eating 2-4 grams of plant sterols/stanols per day can reduce cholesterol by 10%.”
Salmon
“Salmon contains omega-3 fats which have been shown to significantly reduce the risk for sudden death caused by cardiac arrhythmias and all-cause mortality in patients with known coronary heart disease,” says Kenney. “These essential fats help by reducing inflammation in the body. If you don’t like salmon, you may get the same benefits from a supplement based on a meta analysis that found fish oil omega‐3 supplements lowered risk for heart attack and death from coronary heart disease.”
Two to three servings of salmon or other high-fat fish (such as herring, anchovies, or mackerel) each week, according to Kenney.
Whole Grains
Barley, oats, brown rice, millet, whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, and other whole grain foods come to mind.
“While refined carbohydrates get a bad reputation for their negative impact on health and increased risk of heart disease, whole grains have the opposite impact,” says Kristin Gillespie, MS, RD, LD, adviser for Exercisewithstyle.com. “These grains, which are incredibly nutritious as they contain all parts of the grain, are heart protective. Many studies have demonstrated a relationship between whole grain consumption and heart health.”
Grapes
“Grape skins contain resveratrol, a powerful polyphenol. Polyphenols are compounds found in plants, which have been shown to benefit the human body. More specifically, resveratrol is part of the stilbenoid family. Stilbenoids are a natural compound produced by certain plants in response to injury. The purpose of stilbenoids is to protect the plant” According to Adams,
“Similarly, resveratrol has been shown to protect the cardiovascular system,” Adams adds. “Several studies have determined that heart disease can be linked to oxidative stress, inflammation, and endothelial damage. Resveratrol has been shown to reduce oxidative stress, stimulate endothelial production of nitric oxide, and inhibit vascular inflammation.”
Walnuts
These heart-healthy nuts are crisp and mildly sweet.
“Out of all nuts, walnuts are special because they have the highest percent of omega 6, omega 3, and polyunsaturated fats which are cardioprotective,” offers Adams. “One study done by The New England Journal of Medicine evaluated whether walnuts consumption affected lipid levels and blood pressure. During the study, 18 healthy men in two different diets, with one group having 20% of their calories coming from walnuts. Each diet was followed for a total of four weeks. In conclusion, participants consuming more walnuts reduced total levels of cholesterol by 12.4%, reduced LDL (or ‘bad’ cholesterol) by 16.3%.”
Walnuts are also a food that has been shown to help with memory and brain function in studies.
Walnuts are also a food that has been shown to help with memory and brain function in studies.
Flaxseed
According to Ruth, flaxseed is “one of the richest plant sources of omega-3 fat(ALA), which is excellent for heart health,” according to a study published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.
She also mentions that flaxseed contains a lot of fibre and lignans (a phytochemical), which are both thought to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Flaxseed also aids digestion due to its high fibre content.