Foods to Protect Against Heart Disease

Foods to Protect Against Heart Disease

Heart disease is an affliction that ails the heart. Also known as cardiovascular disease, these conditions often lead to the narrowing or blockages (via blood vessels), which often prompt angina (chest pain), heart attack, or stroke. There are four main types of heart disease: coronary artery disease, which is characterized by damage to the heart’s major blood vessels; high blood pressure, which is when the force of blood in the arteries pushing against the artery walls is too strong; cardiac arrest, or heart attack; and arrhythmia, which is an irregular heartbeat.
Thankfully, diet plays a large role in the prevention of heart disease, namely consuming these foods:

1. Fresh fruits and vegetables
Fresh fruits and veggies help to prevent heart disease via the fiber in these foods, which helps to keep blood flowing smoothly and reduce the risk of any type of heart disease. Health experts recommend eating five servings per day of fresh fruits and vegetables.

2. Whole grains
Foods like oats and barley help to decrease cholesterol and to lower blood pressure. Decreasing cholesterol is one way to reduce your risk of heart attack. Whole grains can help to reduce your risk of heart disease by up to 30%.

3. Nuts
All types of nuts help to reduce the incidence of heart disease. Eating nuts several times per week can reduce the risk of heart attack by up to 30 to 50 percent. Their unsaturated fats help lower cholesterol. The omega-3 fatty acids also help to reduce the risk of heart attack by a significant amount. They also help to prevent blood clots.

4. Fish
This is an excellent source of dietary nutrition to lower the risk of heart disease. This is because it is one of the finest sources of omega-3 fatty acids known. It will help to reduce the risk of cardiac arrest. Additionally, those who eat fish have a 22 percent less chance of suffering from coronary artery disease.

5. Vegetable oils
Fatty oils derived from vegetables (i.e., olive, safflower, canola, etc.) help to reduce the risk of heart disease and cardiac issues. This is because they help to reduce serum cholesterol levels. It is better to use these types of oils than to use lard or butter when you are cooking your lunch and dinner meals. This will help to prevent risk of high blood pressure or heart disease. Oils rich in  omega-3 fatty acids generally help lower the overall risk of heart disease.

Overall, these types of foods are very important in maintaining proper heart health. This way you will not have to use an AED defibrillator in the future. It is imperative to keep your heart health in pristine condition by eating a healthy diet that is outlined above. This will help to maintain a healthy cholesterol level, healthy blood pressure level and lowered pressure within the arteries. Should you follow the advice outlined above pertaining to your health diet, you should see a long healthy life with good heart health.