Fruits That Prevent Heart Attack

Fruits that prevent or reduce heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases have already been known by scientists. 14 fruits and vegetables that prevent heart attack, including blueberries, pomegranate, oranges, and corn. you can use this exclusive information to ensure maximum protection against these life-threatening diseases.

Heart-Healthy Foods to Work into Your Diet

A healthy diet can be good for your heart as well as your waistline.

“You can definitely reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease by eating certain foods every day,” says preventive cardiology dietitian Julia Zumpano, RD, LD. “There is a great variety of fruits and vegetables that are good for your heart.”

“Try to eat foods that are in their natural form, as they come from the ground,” Zumpano says, recommending what she calls the “whole-foods diet.”

That diet includes, of course, heart-healthy foods such as nuts, fish, whole grains, olive oil, vegetables and fruits, but don’t be afraid to treat yourself occasionally with a glass of red wine or a piece of dark chocolate, Zumpano says. She suggests using this list as a guide to create meals and snacks with a healthy focus. Just a few simple swaps could make a big difference for your cardiovascular health.

12 foods that are good for your heart

1. Eat fish high in omega-3s, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring and trout.
2. A handful of healthy nuts such as almonds or walnuts will satisfy your hunger and help your heart.
3. Berries are chock full of heart-healthy phytonutrients and soluble fiber. Try blueberries, strawberries, blackberries or raspberries in cereal or yogurt.
4. Seeds – Flaxseeds contain omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and phytoestogens to boost heart health. Take them in ground or milled form to reap the greatest benefit. Chia seeds also provide omega 3, fiber and protein and can be eaten whole. 
5. Oats – are the comfort-food nutrient powerhouse. Try toasting oats to top yogurt, salads or to add into a trail mix if you are not a fan of them cooked.
6. Legumes – Dried beans and lentils ― such as garbanzo, pinto, kidney or black beans, are high in fiber, B-vitamins, minerals and other good stuff. Veggie chili, anyone?
7. A 4-ounce glass of red wine (up to two for men and one for women per day) can help improve good (HDL) cholesterol levels.
8. Soy – Add edamame beans or marinated tofu in a stir-fry with fresh veggies for a heart-healthy lunch or dinner.
9. Red, yellow and orange veggies such as carrots, sweet potatoes, red peppers, tomatoes and acorn squash are packed with carotenoids, fiber and vitamins to help your heart.
10. Green veggies – Popeye was right ― spinach packs a punch! So does kale, Swiss chard, collard/mustard greens and bok choy. Use these sandwiches and salads instead of lettuce. Broccoli and asparagus are filled with mighty nutrients such as vitamins C and E, potassium, folate, calcium and fiber.
11. Fruits – such as oranges, cantaloupes and papaya are rich in beta-carotene, potassium, magnesium and fiber.
12. Dark chocolate is good for your heart health – The higher the percentage of cocoa the better! (The fiber and protein increase with higher cocoa and the sugar decreases). If you are a fan of milk chocolate. start with at least 70% cocoa.

Foods That Take Care of Your Heart and Decrease the Risk of Heart Attacks

Whether you are a healthy 30-something or a huffing-puffing pushing 60, your heart is what keeps you going. That’s why you must keep taking care of it, always. Tens of thousands of people across all age groups die from heart attack across the world every year. That’s why the ticker that’s at the core of your life needs more attention than you are probably giving it right now.

The good news is that in almost 80 per cent of the cases, heart attacks can be prevented by following a healthy diet and making the right choice of lifestyle factors. Those who have a healthy heart are usually the ones who hit the gym regularly and have a firm control of their smoking and drinking tendencies. However, the most important part of healthy living is having the right diet plan. Experts recommend eating specific types of food that can take care of the heart and decrease the risk of heart attacks.

1. Nuts

Eating nuts every day can reduce the risk of heart-related diseases by a large percentage. Nuts are rich in unsaturated fats. They improve the overall cholesterol ration by lowering bad cholesterol and improving the good one that’s good for your heart and body. Nuts contain Omega-3 fatty acids and amino acid that helps ease blood flow. Walnuts are the best for healthy hearts.

2. Whole Grains

Food items made from whole grains such as bread, brown rice, and popcorn can be great for your heart as they contain fiber, known for decreasing risk of cardiovascular disease. Whole grains of oatmeal have the ability to decrease LDL cholesterol and blood pressure.

3. Lentil

Lentils also rank high in the list of food items recommended for keeping the heart healthy. They contain foliate, high fiber, and magnesium content. Lentil ranks as a super food as it has the ability to boost heart health and reduce the risk of heart disease.

4. Garlic

Garlic adds a nice flavor to any dish, but it also has important medicinal properties. Garlic has the ability to reduce cholesterol and blood pressure and also improves blood flow. Research shows that use of fresh, crushed garlic is more effective than the processed variety.

5. Dark Chocolate

If you are a fan of dark chocolates, then there’s real good news for you. Consuming a couple of pieces a day can reduce the risk of stroke. It also prevents white blood cells from sticking to the walls of blood vessels. Go for brands that have cocoa content of above 70 per cent for best results.

6. Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a food that’s extremely rich in fiber content. It has the ability to reduce the level of bad, unhealthy cholesterol and can boost digestion. Go for the coarse variety for a healthier heart.

7. Fatty Fish

Fatty fish such as salmon, sardines, and mackerel are regarded as the best foods for a healthy heart. The presence of a generous amount of Omega-3 fatty acids in such fishes helps in lowering the risk of arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat. It also helps reduce the build-up of plaque build-up in the arteries. The presence of harmful triglycerides in the body is also reduced in persons consuming fatty fish on a regular basis.

8. Berries

Blueberries, strawberries and other berries can lower risk of heart attack in persons who consume berries regularly. They may also help in decreasing blood pressure according to some studies.

Preventing Heart Disease

When heart experts talk about prevention, they usually refer to one of three types: secondary, primary and primordial prevention.  All three have similar elements, but different starting times and different effects.

1. Secondary prevention. These efforts are started after someone has a heart attack or stroke, undergoes angioplasty or bypass surgery, or develops some other form of heart disease. It involves taking medications like aspirin and/or a cholesterol-lowering statin, quitting smoking and losing weight if needed, exercising more, and following a healthy diet. Although secondary prevention may sound like “closing the barn door after the horse has gone,” it isn’t. These steps can prevent a second heart attack or stroke, halt the progression of heart disease, and prevent early death. It may be obvious, but the number one killer of individuals who survive a first heart attack is a second heart attack.
2. Primary prevention. Primary prevention aims to keep an individual at risk of heart disease from having a first heart attack or stroke, needing angioplasty or surgery, or developing some other form of heart disease. Primary prevention is usually aimed at people who already have developed cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. As with secondary prevention, primary prevention focuses on controlling these risk factors by making healthy lifestyle changes and, if needed, taking medications. That said, the appearance of worrisome cardiovascular risk factors means that inflammation, atherosclerosis, and/or endothelial dysfunction are already at work and, in most cases, aren’t reversible.
3. Primordial prevention. The word “primordial” means existing from the beginning. Primordial prevention involves working to prevent inflammation, atherosclerosis, and endothelial dysfunction from taking hold, and thus prevent risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, excess weight, and ultimately cardiovascular events. Once rarely discussed, primordial prevention is now the cornerstone of the American Heart Association’s definition of ideal heart health and efforts to help people achieve it.  As its name implies, the sooner you can start practicing primordial prevention—ideally from childhood on—the more likely you are to achieve it and protect yourself from heart disease.

Steps for the primordial prevention of heart disease

Five key lifestyle steps can dramatically reduce your chances of developing cardiovascular risk factors and ultimately heart disease:

1. Not smoking

One of the best things you can do for your health is to not use tobacco in any form. Tobacco use is a hard-to-break habit that can slow you down, make you sick, and shorten your life. One way it does this is by contributing to heart disease.

In fact, researchers examining the relationship between cigarette smoking and smoking cessation on mortality during a decades-long perspective study of over 100,000 women found that approximately 64% of deaths among current smokers and 28% of deaths among former smokers were attributable to cigarette smoking.

• This study also reported that much of the excess risk due to smoking may be drastically lowered after quitting. Additionally, the excess risk for all-cause mortality—that is, death from any cause—decreases to the level of a “never-smoker” 20 years after quitting.

The nicotine that tobacco products deliver is one of the most addictive substances around. That makes tobacco use one of the toughest unhealthy habits to break. But don’t get discouraged; many smokers do quit! In fact, in the United States today there are more ex-smokers than smokers.  Learn more about the hazards of smoking, the benefits of quitting, and tips for quitting from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

2. Maintaining a healthy weight

Excess weight and an extra-large waist size both contribute to heart disease, as well as a host of other health problems.

In a study of over one million women, body-mass index (BMI) was a strong risk factor for coronary heart disease. The incidence of coronary heart disease increases progressively with BMI.

In the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-Up Study, middle-aged women and men who gained 11 to 22 pounds after age 20 were up to three times more likely to develop heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and gallstones than those who gained five pounds or fewer.

• Those who gained more than 22 pounds had an even greater risk of developing these diseases.

Weight and height go hand-in-hand. The taller you are, the more you weigh. That’s why researchers have devised several measures that account for both weight and height. The one most commonly used is BMI.

• You can calculate your BMI by dividing your weight in kilograms by your height in meters squared (kg/m²). You can also use an online BMI calculator or BMI table.
• A healthy BMI is under 25 kg/m². Overweight is defined as a BMI of 25 to 29.9 kg/m², and obesity is defined as a BMI of 30 kg/m²
• Waist size matters, too. In people who are not overweight, waist size may be an even more telling warning sign of increased health risks than BMI. [] An expert panel convened by the National Institutes of Health identified these useful benchmarks: Men should aim for a waist size below 40 inches (102 cm) and women should aim for a waist size below 35 inches (88 cm). []

3. Exercising

Exercise and physical activity are excellent ways to prevent heart disease and many other diseases and conditions, [14-16] but many of us get less activity as we get older.

• Getting regular physical activity is one of the best things you can do for your health. It lowers the risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and certain cancers, and it can also help control stress, improve sleep, boost mood, keep weight in check, and reduce the risk of falling and improve cognitive function in older adults.
• It doesn’t take marathon training to see real health gains. A 30-minute brisk walk five days of the week will provide important benefits for most people. Getting any amount of exercise is better than none.
• Exercise and physical activity benefit the body, while a sedentary lifestyle does the opposite—increasing the chances of becoming overweight and developing a number of chronic diseases.
• Research shows that people who spend more time each day watching television, sitting, or riding in cars have a greater chance of dying early than people who are more active. [17-19] A 2013 study showed that, among women ages 50-79 with no cardiovascular disease at the start of study, prolonged sitting time was associated with increased heart disease risk regardless of the amount of time spent in leisure-time physical activity. []

4. Following a healthy diet

For years, research into connections between diet and heart disease focused on individual nutrients like cholesterol (and foods high in dietary cholesterol, like eggs), types of fats, and specific vitamins and minerals. This work has been revealing, but it has also generated some dead ends, along with myths and confusion about what constitutes a heart-healthy diet. That’s because people eat food, not nutrients.

• The best diet for preventing heart disease is one that is full of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, fish, poultry, and vegetable oils; includes alcohol in moderation, if at all; and goes easy on red and processed meats, refined carbohydrates, foods and beverages with added sugar, sodium, and foods with trans fat.
• People with diets consistent with this dietary pattern had a 31% lower risk of heart disease, a 33% lower risk of diabetes, and a 20% lower risk of stroke. []
• A randomized controlled trial found that a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or nuts, both rich sources of unsaturated fat, reduced the incidence of major cardiovascular events amongst patients with cardiovascular disease over a 4.8-year follow-up period.
  • This study highlighted that low-fat diets are not beneficial to heart health, and that incorporating healthy fats – such as those included in the Mediterranean diet –  can improve heart health and weight loss.
  • There isn’t one exact Mediterranean diet, as this eating style takes into account the different foods, eating patterns, and lifestyles in multiple countries that border the Mediterranean Sea. However, there are similarities that define a Mediterranean eating pattern, including: high intake of olive oil, nuts, vegetables, fruits, and cereals; moderate intake of fish and poultry; low intake of dairy products, red meat, processed meats, and sweets; and wine in moderation, consumed with meals. []
• A 2020 study focused on dietary scores for 4 healthy eating patterns: Healthy Eating Index–2015 ; Alternate Mediterranean Diet Score; Healthful Plant-Based Diet Index; and Alternate Healthy Eating Index. Despite different scoring methods, each of these patterns emphasizes higher intake of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, and nuts, and lower intakes of red and processed meats and sugar-sweetened beverages.
  • The study found that those who adhered most to healthy eating patterns had a 14% to 21% lower risk of cardiovascular disease when compared with those who adhered least. The findings also showed that these different healthy eating patterns were similarly effective at lowering risk across racial and ethnic groups and other subgroups studied, and that they were statistically significantly associated with lower risk of both coronary heart disease and stroke. []
• Sodium and potassium are two interrelated minerals that play major roles in regulating blood pressure and a healthy heart. Eating less salty foods and more potassium-rich foods may significantly lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. [] Potassium is found in many foods, especially fruits, vegetables, legumes, and low-fat dairy. But the reverse of eating a lot of sodium-rich foods especially from processed breads, packaged snacks, canned goods, and fast-food meals while skimping on potassium can increase cardiovascular disease risk.

5. Improving sleep health

Research has shown that sleep is an essential component of cardiovascular health.

• Sleeping for too short or too long a stretch is associated with heart disease and can negatively affect other heart-related risk factors like dietary intake, exercise, weight, blood pressure, and inflammation. []
• There are various reasons causing poor sleep, including clinical sleep disorders, working overnight shifts, or poor sleep hygiene. Talk with your doctor if you have frequent restless nights or do not feel adequately rested during the day. Improving sleep habits can make a difference. Examples include setting a sleep schedule and sticking to it, having a calming bedtime ritual like doing stretches or meditating, getting regular exercise, stopping use of electronic devices an hour before bedtime, and avoiding heavy meals, caffeine, and alcohol several hours before bed.