Reason to celebrate! February is American Heart Month! This initiative was created to raise awareness about heart disease and stroke, which is the number one killer of people in the United States.
The easiest way to prevent heart disease is through diet, and given that, we have highlighted five heart healthy foods that could potentially save your life.
Garlic. Numerous studies have shown that regular garlic consumption benefits blood pressure, platelet aggregation, serum triglyceride level, and cholesterol levels. In addition, by using garlic instead of salt to flavor foods you can reduce your amount of sodium intake, which will also keep your heart healthy.
Salmon. This fish can help lower your risk of heart disease thanks to heart healthy fats. Omega-3s can prevent erratic heart rhythms, reduce likelihood of blood clots inside arteries, improve the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol, and prevent cholesterol from becoming damaged, at which point it clogs arteries. Don’t like fish? No problem! Even though consuming salmon is your best bet to get the heart healthy omega-3s, supplement your diet with fish oil capsules and you can also reduce your risk of heart disease.
Berries. Berries are high in polyphenols, which prevent cell damage that creates unhealthy blood vessels and heart. Berries also contain heart healthy antioxidants. If you are having a hard time finding berries in the winter, experiment with frozen varieties. Thaw a bag of frozen berries in the refrigerator and use in smoothies and your morning oatmeal.
Quinoa. This tiny miracle seed is an excellent source of magnesium, the mineral responsible for relaxing blood vessels. If you are one of the millions of people in the United States with low dietary levels of magnesium, you may be at an increased risk of hypertension, ischemic heart disease and heart arrhythmias. Adding versatile quinoa to your diet can help protect your heart!
Hot Chocolate. Surprised? Hot chocolate is full of antioxidants! It contains two times more antioxidants than red wine and three times more than green tea, which are also considered heart healthy foods. To gain maximum benefit, avoid the sugary hot chocolate mixes and use 100% cocoa and a teaspoon of sugar. In addition, recent studies have found that by eating a small piece of dark chocolate each day may also decrease your risk of heart disease, just note, the higher the cocoa percentages, the better for your heart!
SOURCE: http://shine.yahoo.com/event/hearthealth/5-foods-to-prevent-heart-disease-577077/