8 Snacks That Fight Heart Disease

Heart diseases are mostly caused by unhealthy diet and lifestyle choices, and if you want to eliminate or prevent these deadly heart ailments, you need to focus on getting a healthy diet and plenty of exercise.

We’ve picked out a list of eight essential nutrient-rich foods that make the healthiest snacks for your heart, armed with powerfully potent properties to ward off heart ailments, strokes and cardiovascular dysfunction. These easy and effortless snack can be sneaked into your bags or pockets, and they won’t pile up the calories.

Image: HealthyVogue

Here, take a look at eight amazing snacks to keep your heart healthy and strong:

1. Grapes

Grapes are brimming with several heart-healthy nutrients, such as flavonoids, vitamin B6, vitamin C and potassium. Research reveals that grapes shield and strengthen the health of the cardiovascular system for they boost incredibly powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant profiles.

Its unique nutrient profile not only regulates and maintains healthy blood pressure levels, but they also cut down bad or LDL cholesterol, and strengthen the heart’s ability to pump blood.

Vitamin B6 offers an incredibly powerful anti-inflammatory profile that aids the body in preventing and eliminating the symptoms of high blood pressure, inflammation and atherosclerosis.

Just be sure to devour fresh organic grapes and don’t forget to chew the seeds as well for they are brimming with heart-healthy nutrients. You can also freeze grapes for the season they are unavailable, they don’t turn rancid and you can enjoy them with desserts, juices and salads.

2. Garbanzo Beans

Garbanzo beans, more popularly known as chickpeas, are one of the healthiest beans for the heart, and several studies have linked their consumption with a reduction in the risk factors of the coronary heart disease.

Chickpeas are brimming with soluble fiber, which aids in reducing the levels cholesterol. A recent study examined the diets of over 10,000 women and men. The results revealed that those who consumed a serving of legumes every single day, cut down their risk for developing the coronary heart disease by 22%.

Garbanzo beans are also brimming with heart-healthy antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids and potassium. Make a habit of devouring at least four generous servings of chickpeas every week.

You can make a delicious hummus, a Middle Eastern dip made with chickpeas, spices and olive oil, and devour it with whole-wheat pita bread.

Chickpeas make a splendid ingredient for a raw snack, or a calorie-free salad ingredient for your weight loss diet.

3. Almonds

Almonds are the healthiest nuts because they contain an astounding amount of cardioprotective nutrients, even more than walnuts. You must stock up lots of almonds and keep them at your desk or in your bag for a healthy snack to energize you every now and then.

A recent study examined the consumption of nuts and its benefits by analysing the findings of four large-scale epidemiological researches. The findings revealed that eating nuts every day reduces the risk for coronary heart disease by 37%.

Almonds are brimming with a powerful assortment of nutrients that are highly beneficial for the heart. For instance, vitamin E, potassium, fiber and magnesium. Potassium is vital to aid the heart and enhance its ability to pump blood, while magnesium is essential to maintain and regulate healthy blood pressure levels.

These delicious crunchy delights are also packed with monounsaturated fats, which are extremely healthy for eliminating and lowering the symptoms of heart diseases.

Try to pair up your almond snacks with an apple, and always try to devour them raw.

You can always pick out unsweetened almond butter, or even eat it with dark chocolate. Just keep your servings mindful, and eat no more than four servings every week to ward off the calories.

4. Blueberries

Several studies have linked the consumption of blueberries, nearly one or two cups, with enhanced and regulated levels of cholesterol, and reduced levels of triglycerides. Moreover, they also provide potent protection against oxidative damage, which is the most prevalent cause of clogging in blood vessels and a natural indication of heart ailments.

Blueberries are packed with an assortment of essential vitamins, minerals and heaps of antioxidant. They contain an incredible density of vitamins C and E, and a whopping amount of manganese, which allow it to provide strength and cellular protection.

The consumption of blueberries has also been linked with the reduction of bad or LDL cholesterol levels, and an increase in good or HDL cholesterol levels.

Blueberries also boost a remarkable profile of protective phytonutrients, which aid in the prevention of plaque build-up that clogs up the arteries, along with maintaining healthy blood pressure levels, and shielding the blood vessels.

Always pick out organic blueberries as they contain the highest density of antioxidants and not a trace of pesticide residue. Be sure to eat these delights as much and as often as you possible can, although, they’re nutrient density is so phenomenal, we implore you to eat them every single day if you can.

The best part is, you can always freeze them to enjoy them when they are out of season, for they don’t lose any of their antioxidant properties.

5. Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate has been scientifically proven as one of the best natural remedies to reduce the risk and symptoms of heart diseases and strokes. Researchers gave it the name of ‘polymeal’ and if you devour it every day, it can eliminate your risk for developing heart ailments by a whopping 21%.

Research reveals that dark chocolate is brimming with cocoa, which has an astounding amount of flavanols, a potent kind of flavonoid that aids in the prevention of clogged arteries, hence, lowering the risk for suffering a heart attack or stroke. Moreover, dark chocolate also aids in reducing and regulating normal blood pressure levels.

Always pick out mindful portions of dark chocolate every day, which shoulder be no more than one ounce or a two-inch square. Pick out dark chocolate varieties with organic or rich cocoa concentration, at least 70% or higher cocoa.

6. Figs

Figs are packed with a powerful density of fiber, which is a crucial nutrient for any heart-protective diet plan. These delicious treats also boost an incredibly high amount of potassium, which is also amazingly healthy for the heart.

Countless studies have directly associated the regular consumption of generously rich potassium meals with extremely reduced risk factors of heart ailments and strokes, along with healthy and normal blood pressure levels. Instead of grabbing those unhealthy processed snacks, which pile up heaps of heart-damaging dietary sodium along with increasing the risk of hypertension, grab a handful of figs and brim yourself up with potassium to help regulate your blood pressure levels.

Satisfy all your sugary dessert cravings with a succulently sweet and fresh fig. These delights are available fresh in the market from June to September, however, dried figs are available throughout the year and they pack up just the same amount of nutrients. Feel free to dips these into one ounce of decadent dark chocolate and treat yourself to an indulgently healthy snack.

7. Apples

Apples are the most nutritious superfoods that nature has to offer for healing countless ailments, including heart diseases, inflammation, and providing a daily nutrition fix to ward off all diseases and strengthen the immune system.

Countless heart-related studies have linked the consumption of apples with the strong health of the heart. They are brimming with antioxidants, pectin, dietary fiber, and protective phytonutrients that strengthen the body, satiate hunger and boost the health of the cardiovascular system.

Apples contain several antioxidants, primarily quercetin, which allows it to fight against oxidative stress, which causes atherosclerosis, and several other cardiovascular ailments.

Pectin also aids the body by reducing bad or LDL cholesterol levels, which is one of the greatest causes and risk factors of heart ailments.

Several studies have highlighted the potent anti-inflammatory profiles of apples, which strengthen and enhance the health of the vascular system.

Nearly all kinds of apple varieties can brim you up with powerful heart-healthy nutrients, but we strongly urge you to devour red apples as they contain the highest density of antioxidants.

8. Walnuts

After almonds, walnuts are the healthiest nuts to add to your heart-protective diet. These deliciously crunchy delights are brimming with heart-healthy nutrients, such as magnesium, antioxidants, potassium and vitamin E. But what really makes them a powerhouse of heart-healthy nutrition is their incredible density of omega-3 fatty acids.

All you need is a quarter-cup serving of walnuts to brim yourself them an astounding 95% of daily dosage requirement of omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3 fatty acids are powerful antiatherosclerotic, which basically mean that they are capable of reversing and preventing atherosclerosis, which is the consistent hardening and thickening of the arterial walls, caused by an excess of fatty deposits. In simpler words, omega-3 fatty acids are the good and healthy fats, and they work wonders at warding off and eliminating the dangerous atherosclerotic heart ailment.

Research reveals that walnuts aid in the reduction of bad or LDL cholesterol levels, prevent against excessive blood clotting, shield the body against inflammation and aid in maintaining healthy blood pressure levels.

Be sure to devour walnuts raw and without removing their skin, for their skin is brimming with essential nutrients.

It is ideal to consume one serving of walnuts at least four times a week, just a handful of these delights should be enough to brim you up with an incredible dose of heart-healthy omega-3s.

References

How much sodium should I eat per day? American Heart Association.
https://sodiumbreakup.heart.org/how_much_sodium_should_i_eat?utm. Accessed Dec. 11, 2017.

Sea salt vs table salt. American Heart Association.
http://sodiumbreakup.heart.org/sodium-411/sea-salt-vs-table-salt/. Accessed Feb. 10, 2015.

How to use fruits and vegetables to help manage your weight. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/fruits_vegetables.html. Accessed Feb. 9, 2015.

Lichtenstein AH, et al. Diet and lifestyle recommendations revision 2006: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee. Circulation. 2006;114:82.