Top 13 Foods That Prevent Heart Disease

What are some of the foods that prevent heart disease? Which healthy foods can one eat to prevent heart disease? What are some foods that help to prevent heart disease? What kind of foods can you eat to prevent heart disease?

In this article, I give you 13 foods that can help you to prevent heart disease.

So, what are these foods?

1.    Broccoli

Broccoli is one food that you can eat to prevent heart disease. A study has revealed that eating 100 grams of young broccoli stems a day reduces the levels of bad cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), but increases the levels of good cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), in the body.

Reduction of LDL helps to reduce ones’ risk of developing heart disease since high levels of bad cholesterol in the body can cause the buildup of plaque in the arteries, which can cause high blood pressure and, consequently, heart disease.

Additionally, research has also discovered that broccoli improves the function of the heart’s muscle and it also protects the heart from damage which is caused by free radicals.

2.    Beans

 A study published in the Journal of Nutrition suggests that consuming ½ a cup of pinto beans every blessed day can help to lower cholesterol levels in the body.

Additionally, beans contain flavonoids which prevent blood platelets from coagulating, thereby preventing blood clots, consequently preventing heart attacks.

So, use beans to cook your meals often. Eat your potatoes or pasta with beans stew. Or, you may choose to eat waakye—cook one cup of white rice together with one cup of beans and eat the mixture with noodles, macaroni, spaghetti, fish, or meat.

3.    Sea Meat

Studies done among the Inuit people of Greenland suggests that eating sea meat, such as whale meat, can reduce one’s risk of developing heart disease. Sea meat contains large amounts of an acid called eicosapentaenoic  acid (EPA) and another acid known as docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which help to prevent heart disease.

4.    Fish Containing Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Studies have shown that consuming two servings of fish containing omega-3 fatty acids a week can reduce one’s risk of developing heart disease by 30 %. Such fish lower levels of triglycerides in the blood –triglycerides can cause blood clotting—thereby preventing heart attacks.

Additionally,  omega-3 fatty acids can also reduce blood pressure, as well as prevent irregular beating of the heart.

Furthermore, studies have shown that the Japanese, who consume about one gram of fish containing omega-3 fatty acids a day, fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines, have a 90% lower risk of developing heart disease than people who do not consume a lot of fish containing omega-3 fatty acids, such as the people of North America.  

Salmon, sardines, tuna, and mackerel contain large amounts of EPA and DHA. Consuming between 250 grams and 500 grams of EPA and DHA—about 100 grams or half a portion of salmon—can help to reduce one’s risk of developing heart disease by 40 %.

5.    Green Tea

Research has revealed that drinking 500 ml and more green tea every blessed day—about two cups a day—can reduce your risk of developing heart disease by 16 %.

So, choose to drink green tea for breakfast instead of drinking coffee or chamomile tea. Moreover, you may choose to drink two cups in the morning and one cup in the evening before you go to bed.

6.      A Mix Of Berries

A study carried out in Finland and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that eating about a cup of mixed berries can increase levels of good cholesterol, as well as lower blood pressure, two effects that help to maintain the health of the heart.

The mix of berries—strawberries, red raspberries, lingon berries, choke berries, bilberries, and black currants  provide the body with a wide variety of anthocyanins and ellagic acid, which increase the levels of nitric oxide, which is known to protect the heart by relaxing blood vessels so that blood does not flow through the heart under pressure.

  

7.    Blueberries

These delicious fruits contain antioxidants which reduce the levels of bad cholesterol in the body thereby preventing the build-up of plaque in the arteries of the heart, thereby subsequently preventing high blood pressure. They also contain fiber and vitamin C which protect the heart.

8.    Pomegranates

Studies have shown that pomegranates help to reduce the build-up of plaque in arteries, thereby helping to reduce blood pressure. Pomegranates also contain anthocyanins, tannins, and antioxidants, which help to keep the heart-healthy.

9.    Bananas

Just one of these delicious fruits contains 422 milligrams of potassium, which helps to balance sodium and water in the body, thereby helping to maintain the normal functioning of the heart.

Additionally, the potassium in bananas helps the kidneys to excrete excess sodium from the body, thereby helping the body to maintain a healthy blood pressure which is essential for the normal functioning of the heart.

10.                      Peanuts

A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests that eating peanuts often can reduce one’s risk of developing heart disease.

So, sprinkle a handful of peanuts on your ice cream when you are eating it. And you may choose to eat your oatmeal with peanuts instead of adding sugar. Or, eat three portions of bananas with a handful of peanuts as a snack in the afternoon.

11.                      Fiber-Rich Foods

Foods which are rich in fiber, such as millet, sorghum, wheat, bran, oatmeal, barley, carrots, spinach, Asian pears, artichokes, coconut, oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, tiger nuts, Brazilnuts, peas, lentils,  okra and so on can help to lower blood pressure and the levels of bad cholesterol in the body so that the heart can function optimally.

Additionally, such foods contain phytoestrogens and phytosterols that protect the heart against diseases.

12.                      Garlic

Studies have shown that garlic reduces the total levels of blood cholesterol. Additionally, garlic reduces blood pressure, thereby allowing the heart to work efficiently and under less stress.

However, you can get the best results if you consume the garlic raw. So, consume one clove of raw garlic with a glass of warm water containing fresh lemon juice every evening before you go to bed.

13.                      Non-Alcoholic Red Wine

Moderate consumption of non-alcoholic red wine, about 5 ounces, can help you to prevent heart disease—it contains a substance called resveratrol which prevents the formation of blood clots that can block blood vessels in the heart and cause heart disease.

Moreover, wine raises levels of good (HDL) cholesterol in the body and it also helps to thin the blood. Consequently, blood clots cannot develop to cause heart attacks.

Conclusion       

Some foods that can prevent one from getting heart disease are broccoli, beans, fatty fish such as sardines and mackerel, berries, pomegranates, bananas, peanuts, fiber-rich foods such as peas and okra, garlic and non-alcoholic red wine, in addition to these foods too.

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