Diets for the Heart

What you eat has a direct impact on your heart health, both immediately and over your lifetime. Maintaining a heart-healthy diet does not have to be a time-consuming chore. Just follow these simple diet guidelines to keep your heart both strong and healthy.

Fiber

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic recommend that you make fiber-packed fruit and vegetables the base of your diet. You can eat as much as you want, but make sure to get at least three servings of fruit and four of vegetables a day. Whole grains are another great source of fiber.

The dietary fiber in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains helps keep your arteries clear of cholesterol and your blood flowing freely. In addition, these food groups are generally low in calories, so making them the bulk of your diet helps keep you thin. Obesity is a major risk factor for heart problems.

Cholesterol

Cholesterol can build up in your arteries, clogging them with calcified deposits and potentially leading to heart attacks or strokes. To keep your heart healthy and arteries clear, you need to limit cholesterol in your diet.

Meat, seafood, eggs and dairy are common sources of cholesterol, so limit yourself to one or two servings of meat and seafood and two or three of eggs and dairy a day. Eating a primarily plant-based diet with occasional animal products is the best way to avoid too much cholesterol.

Sodium

Eating too much sodium raises your blood pressure, which can cause numerous heart health problems over time. Plan on eating only 1.5 grams of sodium a day for the maximum heart benefits.

Pre-packaged and prepared foods often contain tremendous amounts of sodium. Look for "no salt added" and "reduced sodium" foods, but still look at the label so you know how much salt you're getting. Remember, the best way to control salt in your diet is to cook your own food from scratch.

Caffeine

Caffeine temporarily raises your blood pressure but probably doesn't have much of a long-term effect on your heart. So, if you have high blood pressure already, you should limit yourself to one or two caffeinated drinks a day to avoid pushing your blood pressure even higher. If you don't have high blood pressure, stick to coffee or tea, as sodas contain sweeteners that can lead to obesity and diabetes.

Alcohol

Alcohol is a mixed bag for heart health. According to some studies, having a drink or two a day may actually be good for your heart---unless it's not---other studies have found that even moderate drinking raises blood pressure.

Alcohol is, however, a major source of extra "empty" calories that can lead to weight gain, which in turn is strongly linked with higher blood pressure and other heart problems. In general, if you're overweight or have high blood pressure, you should steer clear of alcohol, but if you're in good health, a drink a day should not be a problem.