hardening of the arteries. Green leafy vegetables, peas, beans, and some fruits also contain folic acid, a nutrient that lowers the risk of heart attack or stroke in people who already have cholesterol building up in their arteries. Finally, many fruits and vegetables contain potassium, a mineral that both protects arteries and lowers blood pressure. A recent Harvard study of 43,738 men found that getting a high level of potassium reduced the risk of stroke by almost 40 percent.
Eat at least six servings of grains a day, so that you get 25 to 30 grams of fiber daily.
By selecting fiber-rich fruits and vegetables as well as whole-grain breads and cereals, nuts, peas, and beans, you’ll easily meet this important guideline.
Soluble fiber — the kind found in oat bran, oatmeal, beans, peas, citrus fruits, and strawberries — can lower cholesterol. As a bonus, fiber may even cut down on how many calories you absorb from your meals.
Many studies have shown that this adds up to powerful protection for the heart. The Nurses’ Health Study at Harvard, a dietary investigation of more than 68,000 women, found that those who ate the most fiber each day were 23 percent less likely to develop heart disease than were those who ate the least. In addition, a study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that young adults who ate large amounts of fiber were less likely to develop obesity and diabetes, two conditions strongly linked to heart disease.
Get no more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol each day.
Cholesterol, found only in animal products, is most abundant in meat, organ meats, full-fat dairy products, and eggs. Although previous studies made Americans afraid of eggs, the American Heart Association notes that an egg a day is perfectly fine.
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Limit your sodium consumption to 1,500 milligrams each day.
The AHA recommends sodium intake levels of no more than 1,500 mg per day. This advice may not apply to everyone, though. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, roughly 70 percent of the U.S. population is sensitive to salt. For them, cutting back could lead to a significant drop in blood pressure.
For the rest, a low-sodium diet won’t do much to protect the heart. To find out if you’re salt-sensitive, try a low-sodium diet (less than 1,500 mg per day) for two weeks and see if your pressure dips. Cutting back on sodium, of course, requires more than shunning the saltshaker; read labels on canned and other processed foods, which can be loaded with sodium.
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Drink sensibly.
A small amount of alcohol each day may lower your blood pressure and boost your good cholesterol, but too much can actually destroy portions of the heart muscle, increase bloodstream levels of triglycerides (a damaging kind of fat), and raise blood pressure. Many doctors say that a healthy limit is two drinks a day or less for men and one drink a day or less for women. If you’re not a regular drinker, consult your doctor before adding alcohol to your diet. Excessive alcohol intake is linked to many chronic diseases, including alcoholism and liver cancer.