Foods That Love Your Heart Back: A Dietary Guide to Cardiovascular Wellness

You’ve probably heard the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” As it turns out, there’s some truth to it. Research shows that eating apples daily can help lower cholesterol, an essential part of heart health.

What you eat plays an important role in reducing heart disease risk (the leading cause of death in women). A balanced, heart-healthy diet can help manage cholesterol, keep blood pressure in check, and reduce inflammation – key ingredients for long-term cardiovascular wellness.

In this article, we’ll break down the best foods for heart health, plus easy swaps you can make to nourish your body and support your heart in the long run. Let’s dive in!

Heart Disease Among Women: What You Need To Know

While women tend to develop heart disease about a decade later than men, the risk climbs significantly after menopause, largely due to declining estrogen levels.

Women who go through early menopause, whether naturally or due to a hysterectomy, are twice as likely to develop heart disease compared to those who go through menopause at the typical age. Midlife is also when other risk factors, like high blood pressure, tend to emerge.

Additionally, preeclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy) can raise the risk of coronary heart disease later on.

No matter your age or risk factors for cardiovascular issues, it’s important to stay proactive. One of the best ways to do that is by eating heart-friendly foods.

With a healthy, balanced diet, you can support your heart so it supports you for years to come.

Best Foods To Improve Heart Health Naturally

While some risk factors for heart issues (like genetics) are beyond our control, your diet is something you can take charge of to protect your heart health.

The foods you eat can influence various risk factors for heart disease, namely:

• High blood pressure

• High cholesterol and triglycerides

• Inflammation

• Excess weight

• Diabetes

Making a few simple swaps can lower your chance of getting heart disease, having a stroke, or developing other cardiovascular issues.

Vegetables

Leafy greens like spinach, kale, and collard greens are nutritional powerhouses packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support heart health. Like vitamin K, which plays a key role in protecting the arteries and promoting healthy blood clotting.

These greens are also rich in dietary nitrates, compounds shown to help lower blood pressure, improve blood vessel function, and keep arteries flexible. Boiled green peas, broccoli, turnip greens, and brussels sprouts are other examples of heart-friendly veggies.

Fruits

Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries aren’t just delicious – they’re loaded with heart-loving nutrients. Full of antioxidants, berries help fight inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which contribute to heart disease. Research suggests that eating blueberries daily may even support healthy blood pressure and circulation.

Besides berries, here are some other heart-friendly fruits you can add to your day (they make a great snack!):

• Apple (with skin)

• Banana

• Pear

• Orange

• Grapes

• Prunes

Whole Grains

Whole grains like whole wheat pasta and bread, rye, oats, quinoa, barley, air-popped popcorn, and brown rice are rich in fiber and serve as a healthier alternative to the refined carbs found in white bread and white rice.

Dietary fiber helps your body clear out excess cholesterol rather than absorb it, so eating more fiber is a great way to support heart health.

Lean Protein

Red meats like beef, pork, and lamb have more saturated fat than leaner meats and plant-based proteins. Since saturated fats can raise cholesterol and increase heart disease risk, opting for fish, poultry (skinless chicken and turkey), tofu, and legumes (kidney beans, lentils, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, and lima beans) is a healthier option to meet your body’s protein needs.

A 2021 study published in the Journal of Nutrition that included 73 people with high LDL cholesterol found that eating canned beans significantly lowered total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels.

Unsaturated Fats

Not all fats are bad for you – unsaturated fats, like those found in some fish and plants, are known to promote heart health. Research shows that swapping saturated fats for polynsaturated fats can lower someone’s risk for heart disease.

You can get your fill of heart-healthy fats from:

• Fish: Salmon, herring, mackerel, and tuna

• Plant oils: Olive oil, canola oil, and avocado oil

• Nuts (and nut butters): Walnuts, almonds, peanuts, and cashews

• Seeds: Flaxseeds, chia seeds, and sunflower seeds

• Avocado

In case you needed another reason to enjoy your avocado toast, research finds that two servings or more of avocado per week is linked to a 16% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and 21% lower risk of coronary heart disease. Score!

Green Tea

If you’re a coffee addict, you may consider switching to green tea for a few of your daily cups. Research shows that high coffee consumption can increase cholesterol, while green tea reduces it.

Foods To Avoid To Promote Heart Health

Now that we’ve covered heart-friendly foods, let’s look at the ones that do more harm than good. Cutting back on these can help protect your heart and lower risk factors like high cholesterol and inflammation.

Refined Grains

Refined grains are grains that have been processed to give them a finer texture and extend their shelf life – but this strips away important nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

Examples of refined grains include:

• White flour

• White rice

• White bread

• Regular pasta

• Many cereals and baked goods

The American Heart Association recommends swapping refined grains for whole grains to help lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, and metabolic syndrome.

To make sure you’re getting the real thing, you can check the ingredient list. Look for “whole wheat flour” as the first ingredient, not “enriched,” “unbleached,” or “multigrain” flour. Some breads may look like whole grain because they are coated with seeds or oats or have a darker color, but double-check on the label.

Saturated Fats

Saturated fats, or the kind found in red meat, dairy, baked goods, fried foods, butter, and cheese, can raise LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, increasing the risk of plaque buildup in your arteries and heart disease.

Instead, focus on heart-healthy unsaturated fats, like those found in olive oil, avocados, and nuts.

Sugary Drinks And Snacks

The majority of added sugar consumed in the U.S. comes from sodas, sweetened coffee and tea, fruit drinks, and energy drinks. Cakes, cookies, ice cream, and syrups are other major sources.

Excess sugar can take a toll on heart health, impacting cholesterol and triglyceride levels. To cut back, swap sugary drinks for water, unsweetened tea, or low-fat milk, and reach for naturally sweet options like fruit instead of processed treats. Making a few small shifts can have a big impact on your heart.

Sodium

Most Americans eat far more sodium than they need, which can raise blood pressure and increase the risk of heart disease.

The American Heart Association recommends keeping sodium intake under 2,300 mg per day – and ideally closer to 1,500 mg. Interestingly enough, over 70% of sodium in the average diet comes from packaged and restaurant foods (not the salt shaker).

Here are a few ways to cut back:

• Check food labels and choose low-sodium or no-salt-added options.

• Opt for fresh, frozen, or unseasoned foods instead of processed or pre-marinated ones.

• Prepare your own food more often, if you have time, so you have control over how much salt goes into your meals.

• Add flavor to your foods with herbs and spices rather than salt.

• Limit pre-made sauces, instant noodles, and other convenience foods, which tend to be high in sodium.

Alcohol

Alcohol can impact heart health in several ways. Besides adding extra calories to your diet, which can lead to weight gain, alcohol raises blood pressure and increases the chance of cardiovascular disease.

So just remember to keep it in moderation. Moderate drinking for women means that on days you drink, you limit yourself to one. Heavy drinking is defined as more than 3 drinks on any day or more than 7 drinks in a week.

If you have more than one alcoholic beverage daily, you may consider having a conversation with your healthcare provider and teaming up with an accountability partner to help reduce drinking.

Takeaway: Small Changes = Big Heart Benefits

The foods you eat play a key role in protecting your cardiovascular health, and even small tweaks to your diet can make a meaningful difference over time.

By filling your plate with fiber-rich whole grains, heart-healthy fats, and antioxidant-packed fruits and veggies (and cutting back on added sugars, refined grains, and excess sodium), you’ll be giving your heart exactly what it needs to keep beating strong.

One thing to note is that risk factors for heart disease like high blood pressure and cholesterol don’t have obvious symptoms, so it’s important to have regular checkups to protect your heart in the long-term.

Looking for more science-backed guidance to support your health? Download the Rosy app for personalized Wellness Plans, bite-sized expert videos, and more to help you take charge of your well-being, whatever life stage you’re in.

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