Foods to eat to fight every heart disease
Heart disease has taken centre stage in India in the recent years. In fact, close to a quarter of the deaths in India are due to heart disease - a very scary number. But the fact is that if we simply pay attention to what we eat, prevention is not that difficult. And the good news is that food rules that can keep our heart in the pink are rather simple, no-sweat rules.
Have an apple or a pear - everyday. Having plenty of fruits is the number one way to ensure some great therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLC) for your heart. All fruits have something going for them, but ap-ples and pears, it seems, are front-runners here. Research attributes their heart-healthy benefits to compounds known as flavonoids, which help reduce bad low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol.
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Strawberries help too, as they are loaded with anthocyanins (flavonoids), which lower blood pressure and make the blood vessels more elastic. In fact, research clearly shows that five portions of fruit and vegetables every day result in a lower risk of death, particularly from cardiovascular disease. So getting your five-a-day is a must.
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The Mediterranean diet is associated with longer telomeres (the protective structures at the end of chromosomes), which indicate lower risk of chronic diseases and longer life expectancy.
And it is now increasingly getting clear that the benefit is not due a particular component alone (like the much-propagated olive oil), but due to the "fusion" of the healthy fats in olive oil and the nitrites and nitrates (found in greens like spinach, celery, and carrots). This fats-greens pairing - the mainstay of Med diet - is what does the trick. Beetroot is packed with nitrate too, which lowers blood pressure and helps fight heart disease. Beets are loaded with many other heart-healthy compounds like vitamins C and K, and fibre.
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Target getting 15 mg (Recommended Daily Allowance) of vitamin E, every day. 15 gm of sunflower seeds (5 mg) + 15 gm almonds - about 8 (2.5 mg) + 1 1/2 cup spinach (6 mg) + 15 gm peanuts (1.2 mg) + 1 egg (0.5 mg) every day should see you through. Also, try poached egg over spinach, made in olive oil to score three excellent sources of vitamin E in one go. E is an antioxidant that is absolutely essential to prevent hardening of our heart arteries.
Almonds are great for our heart, and most of us have them anyway, but I suggest chomp on a few walnuts every day too. That's because Vitamin E in these nuts is in a form (gamma-tocopherol) that is very heart protective. Plus, walnuts are a rare vegetarian source (besides flaxseeds) which are loaded with omega-3, which is wonder nutrient for the heart (helps lower bad cholesterol LDL levels, and up the good cholesterol HDL). A double bonus there!
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Go whole. Research now shows that for every one ounce serving of whole grains consumed daily, there is an associated five percent re-duction in dying of any cause and a whopping nine percent reduction of dying from heart issues. Go on, cook some whole grains today. Ragi or bajra anyone?
Make tomato your best friend already! Research has linked lycopene (that tomato is loaded with) to reduction of heart disease. Apparently, lycopene is ten times more powerful than vitamin E and, when con-sumed in purees, ketchup and with olive oil, its benefit is enhanced.
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Finally, have a garlic pod every day. The Allicin in it helps reduce atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and fat deposition, and decreases blood pressure.