Avoid these foods for a healthy heart
If you want to maintain the health of your heart and cardiovascular system, then start now and make a few diet changes to live healthy, happy, and long. It's important to avoid high amounts of sugar, refined carbs, and saturated fats, and focus on your overall diet with heart-healthy fruits, vegetables, lean protein, and whole grains. Here are a few foods you must avoid.
Here is what our expert says
For a healthy heart, a diet that is rich in fiber, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and low fat proteins is encouraged. Diet which is high in sodium, saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, starch and refined sugar is discouraged. Moderation in food portions is as important as the type of food one eats. Chips, sugary drinks, instant noodles, sauces and pickles should be avoided.
Soft drinks and sodas
Beverages like sodas, energy drinks, packaged juices, and soft drinks are loaded with sugar that can cause various heart diseases, including stroke. These drinks can also cause unhealthy weight gain, type-2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. According to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, your blood pressure and stress hormones can increase by drinking only one 16-ounce energy drink.
White bread and white rice
Made with white flour, white bread and pasta, and white rice lack heart-healthy nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals. These refined grains convert to sugar which is stored as fat in your body and causes belly fat, type-2 diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary diseases, and other ailments. You can consume whole grains like oats, whole wheat, and brown rice to maintain your heart health.
Ketchup and similar condiments
If you are a fan of ketchup and just can't live without condiments, you should know that they have health consequences and shouldn't be consumed in excess. Store-bought bottles of ketchup are loaded with sugar and sodium and have zero nutritional value. Excessive sodium intake can lead to water retention and cause high blood pressure. Two tablespoons of ketchup contain 320 milligrams of sodium.
Fried chicken and French fries
Fried food items like deep-fried chicken, chips, and French fries are loaded with saturated and trans fat that is responsible for lowering the good cholesterol and increasing the bad cholesterol in the body. They also cause weight gain and increase the risk of heart diseases, hypertension, and type-2 diabetes. Instead, you can make oven-baked sweet potato fries or chicken strips with heart-healthy olive oil.
Red meat
The high content of saturated fats present in red meat can boost your cholesterol levels which can trigger various heart-related diseases and diabetes. According to a 2018 study, red meat forces the body to produce high amounts of trimethylamine N-oxide, a gut bacteria that is associated with increased heart risks and heart attacks. Instead of red meat, consume plant-based proteins like beans and nuts.
