Foods that help boost your heart health

When it comes to looking after your heart, what you eat and drink matters. Poor diet, smoking and not exercising are the main causes of heart disease.

Here are some of the superfoods that studies have shown can help keep your heart ticking away nicely. Why not start trying to incorporate a few into your diet?

Avocados

Avocados are the only fruit that contain monounsaturated fats, which can lower bad LDL cholesterol and boost good HDL cholesterol in your body. They’re a good source of fibre, vitamin E and potassium. They contain vitamin B6 and folate, which can help lower your homocysteine levels and reduce your chances of suffering a stroke².

Seeds and nuts

Seeds (like flaxseed, sunflower and pumpkin seeds) and nuts (like walnuts, pecans and almonds) also contain monounsaturated fats. Research³ has shown that eating one portion of nuts a day can reduce your chances of having coronary heart disease (which causes 73,000 deaths a year in the UK alone) by up to 30%.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is an anti-inflammatory, can protect your heart from damage, reduce your bad LDL cholesterol and prevent plaque build-up in your arteries⁴. If you’re not a fan of cinnamon, you can try ginger or turmeric instead as they have similar properties.

Dairy products

Milk, cheese and yoghurt contain calcium which can lower your blood pressure, as well as protein, vitamins A and D, iodine, zinc and vitamins B6 and B2, all which are needed for a healthy heart⁵. You should try to opt for semi-skimmed or skimmed milk over full fat milk which is high in saturated fat.

Wholegrains

Try to have three portions of wholegrains a day if you can. You could have porridge oats for breakfast, a granola bar for a snack and brown rice or wholemeal bread as part of your lunch. Wholegrains are a great source of fibre which can reduce your blood cholesterol levels and lower your chances of having heart disease or a stoke. They also contain magnesium which relaxes your blood vessels⁶.