World Heart Day is observed on every year on September 29 and was first introduced by the World Heart Federation in 1999. Its main goal is to raise awareness of the global public about cardiovascular disease (CVD), to highlight the need for prevention of heart diseases and the adoption of active life styles by people for preventing and managing cardiovascular diseases.
Nutrition is the basic material for life and health. It is also closely related to the health of the heart.
Studies indicate that wrongly composed diets (that are poor in quality and quantity) have a close relationship with increased cardio-vascular diseases-related mortality (morbidity and mortality) [1].
Eating well will keep you healthy if you are able to. Healthy dietary patterns can enhance cardiovascular health [2].
At the beginning of 2022, the American Heart Association (AHA) issued fresh dietary guidelines reflecting the changes made in “updates to improve cardiovascular health”. The last version of this guide was dated 2006.
We will definitely eat to keep our hearts healthy next. There are ten instructions in entirety [3]
1. Maintain a healthy weight
Keeping your weight at a healthy level over the course of your life is one of the most important factors in lowering your risk of cardiovascular diseases. A healthy pattern of eating accompanied by at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week at least helps keep the energy balanced.
Each individual’s energy needs vary with age, activity, sex, and size. Adults lessen their energy needs by around 70-100 calories every 10 years.
It is possible to double the weight just because of too much food even if it is healthy. In the modern lifestyle of today “eating more and moving less”, it is crucial to have the energy balance.
2. Eat more fruits and vegetables
Dark-skinned fruits and vegetables have more nutrients than light-skinned, white fruits and vegetables. Unlike fruits and vegetables juices, whole fruits and vegetables additionally provide the body more dietary fiber and plant compounds and increase satiety. So you eat whole fruits and vegetables instead of juicing them is good for you. “Drink” fruits and vegetables, a little off track!
3. Eat whole grains regularly and eat less refined rice
Generally, whole grain foods refer to foods that contain at least 51% of whole grain ingredients. The whole grain has the starch endosperm, germ, and bran without being processed and is very rich in fiber.
Studies have proven that the substitution of refined foods with whole grains is linked to the lower risk of coronary heart diseases.
4. Appropriate amount of high-quality protein
Fish and seafood are frequently consumed, A low-fat or fat-free dairy product is used, and lean meat or poultry is chosen.
Soy protein, edamame, lentils, chickpeas, split peas, and other plant-based foods are not only high in protein but are also good sources of dietary fiber. Besides, the replacement of animal food with plant-based natural food will result in the reduction of the carbon in the diet, hence contributing to low-carbon environmental protection. Eating fish 2-3 times a week could decrease the death rate, cardiovascular diseases, coronary heart diseases, myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure to which fish consumption is related.
Several prospective observational studies have found that the change of dairy fat with vegetable fat or polyunsaturated fat is correlated with the decrease of the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke.
The substitution analysis of large cohort studies found that the replacement of red and processed meats with unprocessed foods such as poultry, fish, nuts, and legumes resulted in total death and cardiovascular disease death decrease.
5. Replace tropical oils, animal fats and partially hydrogenated fats with vegetable oils
Tropical oils comprise coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil. Besides that, animal fats comprise butter and lard, etc.
Unsaturated fats in the diet consist of polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats which have very good cardiovascular health. The heart-protecting effects of unsaturated fats are among which are lowering of the concentration of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and the decrease of the risk of cardiovascular diseases, and the effects of polyunsaturated fats are more intense than those of monounsaturated fats.
By the sources of food, polyunsaturated fats are mostly oil fats that come from soybean oil, corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, walnut oil, and linseed oil, whereas meat fats are the main source of monounsaturated fats, like rapeseed oil, olive oil, peanuts, most nuts and butter, etc.
6. Choose rough-processed foods as much as possible and reduce the intake of refined foods
Overconsumption of refined and processed foods is linked strongly with overweight, obesity, cardiometabolic disorders (type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease), and all-cause mortality, etc.
Effect of excessive consumption of refined foods on the intake of energy and on the body weight gain over a short period was very clear in a 4-week randomized controlled trial.
7. Minimize the intake of drinks and foods containing added sugars
Restrict the use of added sugars at all stages of the life cycle.
Added sugar is any sugar that is added to food or drink during preparation or processing. Common added sugars are glucose, dextrose, sucrose, corn syrup, honey, maple syrup, and juice concentrate, etc.
Maximum consumption of added sugars has been linked to elevated risks of type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and overweight, etc.
8. Choose foods with less salt or no added salt
Most important to control sodium intake is controlling salt intake.
Lowering sodium intake can decrease blood pressure in healthy individuals as well as in hypertensive patients, but also in those who are treated with antihypertensive medications.
Lower sodium intake in some research has also been linked with a low risk of cardiovascular disease. On the whole, a decrease in sodium intake has the highest impact on blood pressure of blacks, middle-aged and elderly people, and hypertensive patients.
9. Try not to drink or drink less
Alcohol consumption effects on cardiovascular health are rather complicated and depend on various factors such as the volume of alcohol consumed, the kind of alcohol, age, sex, and the type of cardiovasculardisease outcome. More alcohol consumption leads to more chances of hemorrhagic stroke and atrial fibrillation. Alcohol users should not have more than one unit of alcohol a day and they should avoid binge drinking.
10. Persevere
This food guide, based on scientific facts, is universally applicable to all foods and drinks, regardless of the location of food preparation, sourcing, and consumption.
Not only by eating nutritious food, but by living happier lives, we can now begin to safeguard our cardiovascular health and improve our meal patterns. Let’s do it!
Disclaimer: The following image/content has been generated by an Artificial Intelligence model and is not a photograph or a traditional human creation.
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