If you want to take good care of your heart, one of the best places to start is your plate. What you eat every day can either help or hurt your heart. The good news? There are many delicious foods that can help keep your heart strong and healthy. Let’s walk through some of the best heart-friendly foods in a simple way, so everyone can understand how food and heart health go hand in hand.
Imagine starting your morning with a warm bowl of oatmeal. Not only is it comforting, it’s also doing something amazing inside your body. Oatmeal and other whole grains like bran cereal, barley, and beans are full of something called soluble fiber. This type of fiber helps pull the “bad” cholesterol — called LDL — out of your blood. That means less buildup in your arteries and a lower chance of heart problems down the road. You can even find fiber in supplement form, like psyllium, but eating it in food works best.
Next, let’s talk about sterols and stanols. These are fancy words for nutrients found in fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds. They actually help stop your body from soaking up too much cholesterol. That’s pretty cool! Almonds, peanuts, olive oil, and even Brussels sprouts are good places to find them. Some foods, like certain margarines, orange juices, and yogurts, even have sterols and stanols added in. Supplements are also available, but it’s always smart to check with your doctor first.
Now, here’s a food that might already be in your kitchen: garlic. It doesn’t just make your food taste great — it may also help lower your blood pressure and cholesterol. People have used garlic as medicine for hundreds of years. You can also find garlic in pill form, but you should talk to your doctor before taking it as a supplement, especially if you’re on other medications, since it might increase your risk of bleeding.
Vitamin D is another important nutrient for your heart, but it can be hard to get from food. Fish like salmon and tuna are good sources, and so are foods labeled “fortified,” like some milks and orange juices that have vitamin D added in. While we’re still learning exactly how much vitamin D helps the heart, it’s still smart to eat foods that contain it. If your doctor says you’re low in vitamin D, they may suggest taking a supplement.
Let’s not forget about omega-3 fatty acids. These healthy fats are like superheroes for your heart. They help keep your blood pressure steady and lower the fats in your blood called triglycerides. You can get omega-3s from fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines. Aim for two servings a week. If you don’t eat fish, your doctor might suggest a fish oil supplement, but you should always ask how much is safe for you.
Tea drinkers, rejoice! Green tea is good for your heart, too. It has natural chemicals called catechins that may lower cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. If you’re not a tea drinker, green tea comes in capsules as well, though you should check with your doctor before trying those.
Another heart helper is lycopene. This powerful nutrient is found in tomatoes. Whether you eat them fresh or in sauces, tomatoes can help lower your heart disease risk. Scientists aren’t exactly sure how it works, but eating more tomatoes is always a healthy choice. While lycopene also comes in pills, experts say food is better.
Here’s something sweet: apples and strawberries are packed with pectin, another type of soluble fiber that helps lower your LDL cholesterol. It’s one more reason to grab fruit for a snack instead of a cookie or candy bar.
Soy is another great heart food. It comes from a plant in the pea family and includes foods like tofu, soy milk, and edamame. If you eat soy instead of fatty meat, you’re doing your heart a big favor. That’s because soy has healthy protein without the bad fats that can clog your arteries.
Pomegranates are tasty and full of antioxidants, which help protect your heart by keeping your arteries clear. You can eat the fruit or drink the juice. Some people prefer a supplement, but again, check with your doctor because pomegranate pills don’t always mix well with other medications.
Finally, let’s talk about folate. This important nutrient may lower your risk of heart attack and heart disease. You can find folate in dark leafy greens like spinach, as well as in lentils, lima beans, and asparagus. You can also take it as a supplement, but the American Heart Association says it’s best to get folate from food.
So what’s the big takeaway here? Eating for your heart doesn’t have to be boring. In fact, it can be full of color, flavor, and variety. From oatmeal in the morning to grilled salmon at dinner, with a cup of green tea and a handful of strawberries in between — your heart will thank you for every bite.
Food is powerful. With just a few smart changes, you can take better care of your heart starting today. Talk to your doctor or a dietitian if you want help making a heart-healthy plan that works for you. You only get one heart — let’s feed it well.