Your heart is a complex organ that works continuously to give your body a constant oxygenation blood supply (adjusted source).This is part of the cardiovascular system, which also includes arteries, veins, and capillaries (adjusted source 2).One of the most important ways to keep your cardiovascular system healthy is to follow nutritious foods that are low in food and drinks related to poor heart health and increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
In fact, research shows that diet may be the most preventive factor in death related to heart disease, which contributes one third of global death (adjusted source, adjusted source).Fortunately, following a heart health diet can significantly reduce the risk of death related to heart disease and can even reverse risk factors for heart disease, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high blood fat content (adjusted source, adjusted source, 6-Triited , 6Trespusted Source, 7 sources).In this article, I will explain how to diet impact on heart health and share evidence -based ways to reduce the risk of heart disease and promote optimal cardiovascular health using simple and realistic diet changes.
How your diet can affect your heart health
After all, food provides the nutrients your body needs to function optimally, including protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals (adjusted sources).The food and drinks that you consume every day can affect heart health, both positively and negatively, which is why diet is considered a risk factor that can be modified for heart disease.Risk factors for heart disease are categorized as modified or not modified.Diet is included in the category that can be modified because it is something you can change. Other risk factors that can be modified include:
- leading a sedentary lifestyle
- smoking
- high blood fat levels
- high blood pressure
- high blood sugar
- abdominal obesity
- psychosocial factors
- drinking alcohol
People can modify their food to improve and protect their heart health. Your food choices can increase or reduce the risk of several risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, and high blood fat levels.On the other hand, family health history and age enter into the category of risk factors that cannot be modified because it cannot be changed (adjusted source).
Blood pressure
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, occurs when there is an increase in persistent pressure measured in large arteries (adjusted sources).Hypertension is currently defined as systolic blood pressure (top number) 130mmHg or higher and/or diastolic blood pressure (the number of lower) more than 80 mmHg (Source 10 adjusted).
Maintaining your blood pressure in a healthy range is very important for heart health.High blood pressure can damage blood vessels and narrow the arteries, which increase the workload in your heart. This can cause an enlarged heart and increase the risk of heart failure (adjusted source).Diet is an important part of maintaining your blood pressure at a healthy level, because some nutrients – including sodium, potassium, and magnesium – affect blood pressure regulations (adjusted sources, adjusted sources, adjusted sources).
While high -calorie, sugar, and salt diet can cause high blood pressure, a diet that is rich in nutritious foods such as vegetables, nuts, olive oil, and fish can help increase healthy blood pressure regulations and can even help reduce high blood pressure ( Sources that are adjusted to 15 people who are adjusted).One review 28 Research found that avoiding foods associated with high blood pressure, such as drinks that are manners with sugar and processed meat, associated with 44% lower risk of hypertension (adjusted sources).
Blood sugar and insulin levels
Increased blood lipid levels (fat), including low density lipoprotein levels (LDL, or “bad”) cholesterol, can negatively affect heart health and increase the risk of heart disease (adjusted sources).Managing blood lipid levels is very important to keep your heart healthy. Increased levels of cholesterol and triglycerides can contribute to atherosclerosis – accumulation of plaque along the arterial wall.When the LDL level becomes too high, it can cause plaque buildup in the arteries, which contribute to inflammation and increase the risk of heart disease (adjusted source, adjusted source).
Having an increase in triglyceride levels can also contribute to atherosclerosis and increase the risk of heart disease (sources compiled 20, adjusted sources).Maintaining a healthy diet is one of the most important ways to manage blood fat levels.Patterns of high food vegetable foods that are rich in fiber and low additional sugar and very processed foods have been consistently associated with healthy blood fat content and lower risk of heart disease (adjusted sources, adjusted sources, adjusted sources). Blood sugar and insulin levels
Having an increase in blood sugar and insulin resistance can bear a serious heart.
High blood sugar can cause the accumulation of compounds called the final product of advanced gups (AGES) and create oxidative stress, which damage the cardiovascular system and cause blood vessel dysfunction (adjusted sources, adjusted sources).Insulin resistance – When cells do not respond properly to insulin and therefore cannot take sugar from the bloodstream – also causes cellular dysfunction, inflammation, and oxidative stress, which endangers the heart (adjusted source).That is why diabetes is considered an independent risk factor for heart disease. In fact, diabetics are in two to four times the risk of developing coronary artery disease (CAD) and heart attacks (adjusted sources).
The diet plays an important role in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes. High food patterns in ultra-abrahan food and additional sugar are significantly related to the increased risk of type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance (29- remembering that the term “processed food” includes various products, Many of them are more comfortable and cheaper than other foods. Not all foods that undergo processing are considered unhealthy or dangerous. Learn further here.
Body weight
Obesity is considered a major risk factor for heart disease (source caused by 31).Having too much body fat can contribute, both directly and indirectly, for heart disease.The accumulation of body fat places tension in the muscles of the heart, known as myocardium, and can trigger the development of fibrosis, or scarring of heart tissue. This can cause heart dysfunction and increase the risk of heart failure (Source 32 is debated, adjusted source).
In addition, obesity can increase the risk of high blood pressure, high blood lipid levels, and diabetes, which is considered a major risk factor for heart disease (adjusted source).What is important, even in people who are not considered obesity, have a stomach adiposity (or too much fat in the stomach) can increase the risk of heart disease. Abdominal adiposity is usually measured by waist circumference (WC) (adjusted source).
The higher toilet shows the visceral adiposity, or the high level of body fat that surrounds the abdominal organs, which can increase systemic inflammation and contribute to atherosclerosis – accumulation of fat deposits along the arterial walls (Source 31 adjusted).Excessive calorie consumption causes you to get body fat, which can cause obesity from time to time.A standard western diet, which is rich in calorie -dense foods such as fried foods, sweet foods and drinks, and snack foods that are highly processed significantly related to obesity and risk of heart disease (adjusted sources).