Heart healthy or hype?

Heart Health or Hype? Exploring the effect of diet trends on cardiovascular disease

This article looks at diet trends for cardiovascular health, mainly foods that are supposedly “especially good for the heart,” and find out whether they are heart healthy or hyped. I already knew that omega-3 fatty acids were heart healthy, but was surprised to hear about how the others affected cardiovascular health.

Cranberries – Heart healthy! Cranberries are rich in flavonoids which help reduce the oxidation of LDLs (bad one) which usually make up atherosclerotic plaques. They also help improve lipid profiles by increasing HDL and lowering LDL levels in the blood. Only a small amount is needed to get their good effects, so an occasional cranberry snack is good enough to be cardioprotective! Just make sure to get the fresh version.

Dark chocolate and cocoa – Heart healthy! Chocolate has a lot of catechins (which are flavanoid compounds) and procyanidins (another type of flavonoid). Like the same mechanism as mentioned above, they reduce the oxidation of LDLs and accumulation of plaque. Good to note though: you can’t just gorge on chocolate on top of your normal diet! If adding chocolate, there needs to be an elimination of an equivalent source of calories and maintenance of proper nutrition. Like the commercials say: EAT DARK CHOCOLATE! (part of a balanced, nutritional diet—shows a million vegetables and fruits)

Milk – Heart healthy! Although dairy contains CVD promoting fat and cholesterol, higher milk intake decreased incidence of diabetes mellitus, insulin resistance, and weight gain (especially abdominal fat). Dairy foods regulate energy metabolism and have antihypertensive effects (peptides from lactic acid bacteria in milk inhibits ACE enzymes and endothelin release). Low fat, skim milk, and yogurt are good options for people who want to increase dairy consumption.

Omega-3 fatty acids – Heart healthy! Omega-3 fatty caids have antiatherogenic, antithrombotic, and antiarrhythmic effects – all contribute to prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Diet plays a huge role in cardiovascular health, and some foods do have more benefits than others. It’s important to remember that food alone cannot prevent heart disease but it does have the power to heal. Regular exercise on top of a balanced diet with some of these heart healthy foods can help maintain a healthy heart.