Nutrition plays a fundamental role in the health of our organism. Here are the foods that can prevent diseases that can affect the heart.
Nutrition plays a fundamental role in the health of our organism. Following a healthy diet is very important for our well-being. Each food has properties that can bring benefits (but also damage) to the body: for this reason it is good to inquire about the characteristics of the different foods.
As for cardiovascular diseases, there are several foods that can prevent them. As explained by the World Health Organization (WHO), many diseases that affect the heart can be prevented by following a balanced diet.
Proper nutrition helps decrease the chances of developing diseases such as diabetes mellitus, or too high a concentration of triglycerides. Or, it can help prevent high blood pressure. Pathologies like these could lead, for example, to heart attack or stroke.
Foods allies of the heart
What are the foods that can help to avoid the onset of cardiovascular diseases? The foods that are good for the heart are many and range from legumes to fish, from fruit to vegetables, up to red wine and chocolate.
We can start with fruits and vegetables. In the first case, both fresh fruit (especially oranges, mangoes, kiwis, apricots, cherries, apples, pineapples, melon, berries and red fruits) than the dry one (such as walnuts, hazelnuts and peanuts) they have beneficial effects on both the heart and the arteries.
As for the vegetablesthat is to be preferred green leafy. Spinach, zucchini, fennel and kale are great examples. These vegetables are able to protect the arteries and reduce blood pressure. We recommend that you accompany both lunches and dinners with at least one portion of vegetables.
Let’s move on to legumes. Beans, peas, broad beans, lentils: rich in vegetable proteins, mineral salts and macronutrients, they have various beneficial properties.
Legumes – to be consumed two or three times a week – are able to reduce blood pressure and decrease the presence of cholesterol which is harmful to health. They also contribute to the proper functioning of muscles (including the heart).
The beneficial effects of red wine and chocolate
Red wine is recommended as it contains resveratrol, a substance that has antioxidant properties and manages to decrease harmful cholesterol levels. In this sense, following the advice of grandparents can be useful to prevent the onset of cardiovascular diseases: enjoying a glass of red wine a day is good for the heart.
Then we have chocolate, as long as it is dark (composed of at least 70% cocoa). It helps make blood vessels more elastic and also reduces the risk of weight gain. The important thing is not to overdo it: a square of dark chocolate (or 10 gr) a day is more than enough.