Nourishing Your Cardiovascular Health with a Heart-Healthy Diet

Over 64 million Americans could be suffering from or showing symptoms of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). In addition, about 50 million Americans may have hypertension and are used to a diet lacking in rich nutrients.

According to a 2023 study, the western diet—comprising pre-packaged foods, red meat, processed meat, refined grains, high-sugar drinks, high-fat dairy, fried foods, and more—severely impacts human health and puts them at risk of obesity-related chronic illnesses. These unhealthy diets could also be a reason why they take so long to heal or recover and are often compelled to prolong their hospital stays.

In this article, we’ll understand what a heart-healthy diet looks like and how you can easily make heart-healthy meal plans for yourself.

CVDs have grown to be the leading cause of death and account for 38.5% of the total deaths that happen in the US.

Eating a diet high in fats can lead to hardening of the arteries (or make it worse if one already has atherosclerosis). It can also increase the risk of heart attacks. Before we proceed, let’s take a brief look at the three main types of fat.

The type of fat you should stay away from—at any cost! They don’t have any health benefits, and consuming them, even in small amounts, can cause you harm. Let’s see how.

• Foods containing trans fats increase the harmful LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream and reduce the beneficial HDL cholesterol.
• They can exacerbate or contribute to insulin resistance, which occurs when the cells in your body (mainly muscles, liver, and fat) don’t coordinate with insulin, and as a result, the process of taking up glucose from the blood gets affected. This can create complicated conditions, for example, type 2 diabetes.
• Trans fats are listed as ‘partially hydrogenated vegetable oils’ in the Ingredient . Section of the packaging. They give rise to inflammation that is linked to chronic conditions such as heart disease, stroke, etc.

How do you ensure you are steering clear of trans fats in your heart-healthy diet? Keep a check on fast foods, processed snacks, frozen breakfast products, donuts, crackers, cookies, and stick margarine. Remember, for every 2% consumption of calories (from trans fats specifically), you inch 23% closer to the possibility of heart risks.

Red meat, whole milk, whole milk dairy products, cheese, coconut oil, and other baked confectionaries are common sources of saturated fats.

Can they form a part of your heart-healthy meals? The nutrition experts say, “Yes, they can to some extent. But try replacing them with unsaturated fats as much as you can.” It is often recommended to limit saturated fats to only 10 calories per day.

A diet full of saturated fats can raise the total cholesterol count in the body. They largely contribute to the accumulation of LDL cholesterol and induce the formation of blockages in the arteries, which are present in the heart and other body parts.

A meta-analysis report (observing 21 studies) concluded that there is no definite evidence to conclude that saturated fats drive up the risk of heart disease. But sticking to a heart-healthy diet and using polyunsaturated fats instead can positively keep any such risks at bay.

Plus, two other major studies corroborated that going for vegetable oils and high-fiber carbohydrates is the best way to defeat the risks of CVDs. So, don’t let saturated or highly processed fats invade much of your kitchen cabinets and refrigerator shelves.

Call them “beneficial fats” or “healthy fats.". They are liquid at room temperature and can be divided into two broad categories, which are:

Where’d I find these? Think olive oil, high-oleic sunflower and safflower oils, peanut oil, canola oil, different nuts (most of them), and avocados.

During the 1960s, the ‘Seven Countries’ study was conducted, and it led to the discovery that monounsaturated fats could be healthy for the human body. According to it, a low occurrence of heart diseases was found in people living in Greece and other Mediterranean regions, despite having a diet rich in fats.

How come? This was because saturated animal fats were not the predominant source of fats in their diet, which, on the contrary, had always been very common in most Western countries. The study raised an interest in the use of olive oil (as a potent provider of MUFAs) and the “Mediterranean Diet.”

These are the essential fats that your body can’t make on its own, so you have to get them from food. PUFAs build cell membranes and nerve coverings. They are also necessary for your body to function smoothly, as they help in blood clotting, muscle movement, inflammation, etc.

Polyunsaturated fats, again, are of two types. Firstly, you have omega-3 fatty acids that are found in fatty fish—including salmon, herring, mackerel, and sardines. You can also find them in flaxseeds, canola oil, walnuts, and hydrogenated soybean oil.

Secondly, there are omega-6 fatty acids, for example, linoleic acid. To get your fair share of omega-6 fatty acids, you need to look for corn, safflower, sunflower, and soybean oils. And yes, walnuts can help too!

Switch to eating polyunsaturated fats in place of saturated and trans fats; this reduces the LDL cholesterol levels in your body. Moreover, this lowers triglycerides (i.e., a type of fat in your blood). Note that high triglyceride levels can intensify your risk of heart disease, stroke, liver, and pancreatic problems.

We’ve been talking about fats and using the term ‘cholesterol’ a lot above. But what is it, actually? Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in your blood and body cells. It is important for your body, for it helps in the formation of cell walls, tissues, bile acid, vitamins, and hormones.

You obtain your cholesterol from two sources. The first is the food you eat. Second, your liver produces all the cholesterol your body needs.

Now, there are two types of cholesterol—LDL & HDL. Let’s study them in a bit of detail.

Mostly made up of fats and consisting of only a small amount of protein, LDL cholesterol may block your arteries with fatty deposits (called plaques). This increases the threat of heart attacks and strokes. That’s why it is often called ‘bad cholesterol.’

Mostly made up of proteins and having only a small amount of fat, HDL cholesterol lessens fat deposits in your arteries. So we call it ‘good cholesterol.’

Studies point out that smoking is a major concern and has the potential to aggravate risks for atherosclerosis and spike blood pressure. Therefore, a heart-healthy diet is incomplete without doing away with your bad habits.

If you’ve made up your mind to say goodbye to smoking but don't know where to start or don't wish to be referred to a ‘Stop Smoking Service’ line, you can simply consult a board-certified general practitioner (GP). You’ll get all the help you need related to managing your withdrawal symptoms with prescribed treatments.

Going overboard with alcohol on a regular basis will level up your blood pressure and cholesterol profile, putting you in danger of a heart attack or stroke.

Avoid ‘binge drinking,’ which means drinking a lot of alcohol in a short space of time or just drinking for the sake of getting drunk. This can lead to a sudden increase in blood pressure and can be potentially hazardous to your health.

You can contact a general practitioner (GP) in the following cases:

• If you are unable to manage/control your alcohol intake,[Counseling services and proper medication can be a great aid in your sobriety journey.]
• If you’ve recently undergone heart surgery or have a chronic heart condition such as arrhythmia,
• If you take specific heart medicine, for example, warfarin,.

Constant high blood pressure (hypertension) can increase your risk of heart attack, as this puts a lot of strain on your heart and blood vessels.

How’d you reduce high blood pressure? Alongside eating a heart-healthy diet, you must curb your alcohol consumption to safe limits, control your body weight, and exercise daily.

Cutting down on salt is also equally important. The more salt you eat, the greater the risk of high blood pressure. Try not to eat more than 6g of salt in a day—that’s around 1 teaspoonful (with 2.4g sodium).

Eating a low-fat diet with lots of fiber, which includes whole-grain bread, rice, and pasta, is the only healthy diet plan to eliminate the risk of heart disease. Don’t forget to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, as they provide crucial vitamins and minerals for your body. These are the true heart-healthy foods that nature gives you in abundance.

Lastly, you can try low-impact activities such as cycling, walking, and swimming to keep yourself fit. More energy-consuming activities may not suit you, such as playing outdoor games or trekking, etc.

We always recommend checking in with your general practitioner or personal trainer if you need some guidance on how to lose weight or what sets of exercises are safe for your body type.