Top Heart Healthy Foods (With a Few Surprises!)

• Part 1: 10 More Foods to Prevent a Heart Attack

Your heart is one of the most vital organs you have, in the sense that many early deaths are caused by its failure. This is common in people who consume a heart destroying diet of bad fats, sugar and cholesterol. Don’t let this be you! Here are the top 15 heart healthy foods we recommend. Some of them you may be familiar with, but others may come as a surprise.

1) Salmon. This fish is abundant in omega-3 fatty acids, which is an excellent kind of heart healthy food. Research indicates that omega-3 fatty acids decrease the risk of blood clots forming in your blood vessels, which can lead to a heart attack.

2) Fresh produce. Fresh vegetables are also a very important part of a heart healthy diet. Their function is to cleanse the bloodstream of free radicals, which are very dangerous for the body. The less processed the produce is, the better. Everything should be in as natural a form as possible.

3) Eggs. This one may come as a surprise, considering that eggs are always blamed for high cholesterol. However, this is only true for egg yolks. Egg whites are an abundant source of various minerals and vitamins necessary for the heart, as well as a great source of protein.

4) Beef tenderloin steaks. Lean beef in moderate portion is actually a good heart healthy food, as long as it’s not processed. Portion size should be no more than 3.5 ounces per serving. Petit filet mignon should do it.

5) Skinless chicken breasts or thighs. This may also come as a surprise on our list of heart healthy foods. Chicken may only be harmful if consumed with the skin, but if you remove the skin, it is a good source of iron and zinc.

6) Ground flaxseeds. These are a great component of a heart healthy-diet, because they contain omega-3 fatty acids, phytoestrogens, and fiber. A variety of foods contain ground flaxseeds, like cereal, yogurt, and homemade cookies or muffins.

7) Oatmeal. It contains an abundance of soluble fiber, potassium, magnesium, calcium, niacin, folate, and even omega-3 fatty acids, which makes it a great heart-healthy food. Oatmeal and raisin cookies that are not filled with sugar can also be applied here.

8) Black or Kidney Beans. They contain many of the same things as oatmeal and as well as B-complex vitamins.

9) Red wine. It contains antioxidants and flavonoids, so 1-2 glasses of red wine daily can be a great part of a hearth healthy diet.

10) Tofu. It is full of calcium, folate, potassium and magnesium – a wonderful heart healthy food.

11) Brown rice. Full of fiber, B-complex vitamins, magnesium, and niacin, brown rice is an easy heart healthy snack, especially topped with vegetables.

12) Soy milk. It contains similar goodies as brown rice and oatmeal, which is why it would double the hearth healthy effects if you have it with oatmeal.

13) Blueberries and other berries. Generally considered “superfoods”, blueberries contain flavonoids, carotenoids, vitamin C, ellagic acid, folate, magnesium, calcium, fiber, and potassium. An excellent combination in an excellent hearth healthy food!

14) Dark chocolate. Full of flavonoids, it is also good for the heart. Aim for 70 percent cocoa content or higher.

15) Tea. Green tea especially, containing flavonoids, is also one of the heart-healthy foods.

For more information, go to:
en.wikipedia.org,
nlm.nih.gov

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.