Reviewed by nutritionist Jessica Bal, Ms, Rd
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Your heart pumps over 2000 gallons of blood a day, delivering oxygen and nutrients to each cell and organ in your body, lifting waste along the way and sending it to be filtered. Given how important this only organ is, it is no wonder that maintaining your heart is one of the best things you can do for your overall health and well-being. And while heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, there are many things you can do to reduce your risk by starting right in your kitchen. Studies have shown that heart patterns such as the Mediterranean diet and Dash Diet can help improve key markers for heart health. These diets emphasize whole foods that are rich in fiber, healthy fats, antioxidants and vegetable proteins.
But you don’t have to process your whole diet or break the bank to start supporting your heart. Keeping just a few simple heart ingredients in your closet can facilitate the addition of important nutrients to your daily meals and snacks. We have asked cardiologists for their mandatory closet clamps and you may already have several of them on your shelf. Here’s what they recommend to save stocks.
1. Olive oil
If you are wondering what oil to take for baking vegetables, stirring marinades and dressings, or finishing your pasta, olive oil can be a heart choice. “I recommend keeping delicious olive oil and use it as a basic cooking butter, but also to smear it on each of your meals throughout the day,” says Elizabeth Epstein, Doctor by Medicine
Olive oil has an extensive history of research supporting its role in improving cardiovascular health. A meta-analysis of 2022 on 13 studies with over 865,000 participants found a strong link between olive oil consumption and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. For each 5-gram (about 1 teaspoon) increase of olive oil per day, they detect a reduction in 4% of the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality for all causes.
“The best nutritional evidence we have supports the Mediterranean diet that has been tested in several randomized controlled studies and has shown to reduce heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular death by 30 percent,” says Epstein. Liberal use of olive oil can be a key part of the puzzle, with our high levels of anti -inflammatory polyphenols, antioxidants and oleic acid. While any olive oil will offer some benefit, olive olive oil with extra virgin is the highest in antioxidant and bioactive plant compounds that can offer additional benefits to your heart.
2.
You do not need to skip pasta, even on a heart diet. “A food that always holds in my closet is a legume based paste, such as pasta made by Edamame and Mung Bean, lentils, chickpeas or black beans,” says Daniel Bellardo, macaroni made from legumes, and they can usually be higher than proteins. As for the health of the heart, eating more beans and bean -based foods is a safe bet. Numerous studies have linked the consumption of legumes with improvements in lipid profiles and a reduced risk of heart disease, including one study, suggesting that adults who eat legumes four times a week have 22 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease than those who eat them only once a week. This is partly due to the large amount of soluble fibers found in legumes, which effectively lowers LDL cholesterol and maintains stable blood sugar.
If eating a whole bean several times a week feels like a big jump from where you are, pasta -based pasta can be a simple and affordable switch. “It is a thick nutrient, easy to prepare and align with the principles of eating of the heart based on evidence,” says Bellardo, who emphasizes the positive effects of paste based on legumes on the control of glycemic control, grayness and overall metabolic health.
3. Oats
Your morning bowl of oatmeal can do more for your heart than you realize. Oats are rich in soluble fiber, beta-glucan and anti-inflammatory compounds such as phytosterols, all of which help reduce cholesterol and maintain healthy weight management.
“Oats, Like All WHOLE, Plant-Based Foods, Contain Plant Sterns, A Group of Substance Made in Plants That Block Cholester Absorption in the Digestive Trac,” Says Elizabeth Klodas, MD Gut, Plant Sterns Reducing Absorption and Beta-Glucans positively Influencing the Gut Microbiome and Cholesterol Metabolism, Oats are triple threat against heart disease.
Just be sure to choose a whole, minimally processed oats. Studies show that they retain more of their phytochemicals with fiber, beta-glucan and healthy phytochemicals compared to ultra-processed or high-sided oats and oat-based foods. Fortunately, between oats overnight, hot oatmeal, granola, pancakes and smoothies, there are endless ways to enjoy them!
Our expert takes
Cardiovascular nutrition should not include a total transformation of the closet. Food cardiologists always have in their own closets include simple brackets such as olive oil, oats and pasta based on legumes. Regularly including these foods in a balanced, overall healthy diet can help reduce cholesterol, maintain a healthy weight and protect your heart well in the future.
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