Are You Eating What’s Good for Your Heart?

You cannot afford to takes risks with your heart health; you need your heart to pump blood throughout your body and make all of your organs function. You can ensure that your heart stays healthy and strong by making sure that you are eating heart healthy foods. Read on to learn some of the best heart healthy foods to include in your diet.

Leafy Green Veggies

Dark, leafy, green veggies, like kale, spinach, collard greens, etc. are pretty well regarded for their health benefits that are granted due to the wealth of minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants contained in vegetables. Vegetables are also a good source of vitamin K, an important vitamin that protects your arteries and helps to promote proper blood clotting.

Green veggies also contain a high number of dietary nitrates, which are a compound that has been known to reduce blood pressure, decrease arterial stiffness, and improve the functionality of cells that line the blood vessels.

Whole Grains

Whole grains are substantially healthier for your body and your heart than processed grains. Whole grains contain all three nutrient-rich parts of the grain: the endosperm, germ, and bran.

The most common types of whole grains include whole wheat, oats, brown rice, barley, quinoa, rye, etc. Whole grains are high in fiber, reduce “bad” LDL cholesterol, and overall decrease your risk of obtaining heart disease.

Berries

Berries are some of the best foods that you can eat for your overall health. They are extremely nutrient dense, and contain lots of antioxidants, like anthocyanin, which ply a major role in protecting your body against oxidative stress and inflammation, two conditions that lead to heart disease.

Avocados

The avocado is a wonderful fruit for your health, especially your heart health. Eating avocados provides your body with heart healthy monounsaturated fats, that have been shown to reduce low ranking cholesterol levels and lower your risk of developing heart disease.