Thursday, February 9, 2017

Food for Heart Health


Celebrating American Heart Month with Food for Heart Health
(posted by: Holly Marban)


Happy February! In celebration of American Heart Month, let’s honor our hearts.

Arguably the single most important organ in the body, the heart works around the clock to pump oxygen-rich blood through delicate blood vessels throughout the body, working together as the cardiovascular system. Despite our complete reliance on a functional heart for survival, the heart’s health can easily be taken for granted, as it beats without us having to tell it to!

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, claiming over 610,000 American lives each year, which is about 1 out of every 4 deaths.1 Many components can play into one’s development of the disease, but food and lifestyle are some of the strongest contributing factors. Luckily, we each have control over own lifestyle and food choices, so there is hope for us yet! Physical activity, smoking cessation, decreased alcohol consumption, and stress reduction can have profoundly beneficial effects on overall heart health, emphasizing the importance of approaching heart health from several angles.

Another immensely powerful lifestyle factor that impacts heart health is the food we eat. While certain foods like processed meats, fried foods, processed oils, caffeine, and refined sugars and starches can be harmful to the heart, many other delicious foods can be incredibly supportive of heart health. Let’s explore some of the heart’s biggest cheerleaders:

1.     Healthy Fats: Healthy fats, such as extra virgin olive oil, can be very beneficial to the cardiovascular system. 2 In particular, they support the integrity of blood vessels, allowing veins, arteries, and capillaries to be flexible, rather than rigid. This increases the ease in which blood can flow through them, which asks less of the heart, while simultaneously decreasing the risk of rupturing a blood vessel. Monounsaturated fats, such as avocados, can help to lower total cholesterol levels and unhealthy LDL cholesterol while increasing healthy LDL cholesterol to support heart health. 3

In addition to olive oil and avocados, there are many other healthy fats that are supportive to the cardiovascular system. These essential fatty acids are found in foods like walnuts, salmon, mackerel, herring, halibut, flax oil, flax seeds, and chia seeds, all of which are great additions to one’s diet.

2.     Fiber: Whole grains, such as brown rice, steel cut oats, buckwheat, and whole grain varieties of wheat, contain a significant amount of fiber, which helps to regulate cholesterol in the body. Fiber supports healthy HDL cholesterol while decreasing and eliminating LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol from the body. 3 Decreasing LDL cholesterol can, in turn, prevent plaque formation and clogged blood vessels.3

Other foods rich in fiber include vegetables, fruit, nuts, and seeds. Try adding ground flax seeds to a muffin recipe, or stir some chia seeds and raspberries into yogurt or a smoothie. Snack on dates, figs, or banana slices with a few almonds, and leave the skin on carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, and other root vegetables. Enjoy a chopped kale, cabbage, or broccoli salad.

3.     Antioxidants: Naturally colorful fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants that can protect the cardiovascular system. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals in the body, helping to decrease the body’s inflammatory response, often in overdrive in many people these days.

A particular type of antioxidant called polyphenols act to promote healthy blood pressure. 4 These antioxidants reduce the generation of LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol, as we mentioned), protect blood vessels from damage, and can prevent blog clots. 2 Lastly, polyphenols can be supportive to weight loss, which helps to decrease one’s risk for heart disease. Antioxidants are pretty powerful little guys, wouldn’t you say?!

Heart-healthy antioxidants can be found in a wide array of produce, including black plums, blueberries, artichokes, blackberries, raspberries, apples, pecans, cranberries, pomegranates, red grapes, and cherries. Green tea, red wine, and raw cacao are also rich in this micronutrient. Consuming a variety of produce is the best way to ensure a balanced intake of antioxidants.

A note on supplements: While it is often best to obtain nutrients directly from whole foods, nutritional supplements can sometimes be appropriate and helpful for heart health, such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, fiber, essential fatty acids (omega-3 fats, like fish oil), aloe, and/or CoQ10.

This month, get into the habit of giving your heart a little extra love by nourishing it with healthy foods rich in healthy fats, fiber, and antioxidants. Your heart will thank you!


References:
1.     "Heart Disease Fact Sheet|Data & Statistics|DHDSP|CDC". Cdc.gov. N.p., 2017. Web. 8 Feb. 2017.
2.     "Essential Fatty Acids". Linus Pauling Institute. N.p., 2017. Web. 8 Feb. 2017.
3.     Murray, Michael T, Joseph E Pizzorno, and Lara Pizzorno. The Encyclopedia Of Healing Foods. 1st ed. New York: Atria Books, 2005. Print.
4.     Ginter, E. and V. Simko. "Plant Polyphenols In Prevention Of Heart Disease". Bratislava Medical Journal 113.08 (2012): 476-480. Web.