Eating a heart-healthy diet and leading a healthy lifestyle can keep you from getting heart disease and reduce your risk of dying from heart disease.
In addition to eating healthy foods for the heart, which is no less important is to avoid fast food and instant food. Fast food that is rich in bad cholesterol can increase the risk of blockage of blood vessels that can lead to a heart attack.
To avoid the risk of heart disease, you need to adopt a healthy lifestyle, such as eating healthy foods, exercising regularly, and not smoking. This can reduce the risk of heart disease by up to 82 percent. People aged 70-90 years who usually live a healthy life can also reduce their risk of dying from heart disease by 66 percent.
Healthy Food Group
One healthy lifestyle that you can live is to eat healthy foods for the heart. So, what are the foods in question?
To nourish the heart and help it work strong, the phytonutrient compounds found in vegetables and fruit can be beneficial. These compounds help protect plants from germs, fungi, and pests. As for humans, these compounds can help the body work properly.
Here are some foods that contain phytonutrients.
- PeanutEat lots of nuts, such as kidney beans, up to three cups a week. Besides being rich in phytonutrients that are good for the heart, nuts are also rich in fiber and water which makes you feel full quickly. This can prevent you from consuming more calories. In addition, nuts are also rich in antioxidants that play a role in preventing cell damage due to exposure to free radicals as a cause of cancer, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's.
- Seed-bapproval uthat's itConsuming whole grains such as wheat, brown rice, or corn as the main source of carbohydrates, can reduce the risk of various diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, certain types of cancer, and obesity. This is because these grains contain protein, fiber, antioxidants, B vitamins, and minerals. The mineral in question is iron, zinc, and magnesium.
- AppleConsuming 1-2 apples per day is believed to reduce the risk of heart disease. Apples effectively reduce bad cholesterol in the body and help regulate blood sugar. This is because in addition to containing phytonutrients, apples also contain other compounds that are good for the heart, namely epicatechin. This substance is a compound that is rich in antioxidants and can help reduce blood pressure.
- Onion WhiteGarlic is not known to affect blood pressure, so it can be consumed frequently. Garlic can also replace salt to add a savory taste to food. This is good for heart health, because the more salt consumption, the higher the risk of developing high blood pressure, which can trigger heart disease and stroke.
- WineThe benefits of grapes are thought to have the potential to prevent heart disease and hypertension or high blood pressure. This is because grapes contain fiber and flavonoids which are good for preventing heart damage.
- BerriesA variety of berries such as blueberries, strawberries, raspberries and blackberry can be used as a healthy snack. Berries are rich in fiber and antioxidants are thought to reduce the chance of a heart attack. In addition, the sweet taste in berries does not trigger diabetes. However, research on the effects of berries in protecting heart health still needs to be studied further.
- Green teaBased on the results of the study, those who drank more than five cups of green tea a day had about a 25 percent lower risk of dying from heart attacks and strokes. However, be careful about consuming green tea. Drinking more than five cups of green tea per day can increase the risk of developing kidney stones. Therefore, if you consume a lot of green tea, increase your consumption of water to avoid dehydration and keep your urinary system smooth.
In addition to eating healthy foods for the heart, you should limit your salt intake to no more than 5-6 grams per day or the equivalent of 2000-2400 mg of sodium (sodium) per day. Meanwhile, for people who have a risk of heart disease, the maximum sodium consumption is 1,500 mg. You also need to exercise regularly and avoid smoking so that the body is healthy and the heart is always strong pumping blood throughout the body properly.