Have you been looking for a diet that’s good for your heart too? Are you confused with such varied information on different diet regimens available on the internet? If yes, then we have got the perfect news for you to clear your thoughts. The American Heart Association (AHA) has recently come up with a consolidated list of diets that can significantly reduce several heart-related risks. According to an official release by AHA, “The number of different, popular dietary patterns has proliferated in recent years, and the amount of misinformation about them on social media has reached critical levels”, which has further confused people and several health care professionals. Hence, the researchers analyzed popular eating patterns and found, “some promote heart health much better than others.” The findings were published in the AHA’s flagship journal Circulation.
Diet And Heart Health: Why Is Diet Considered Important For Heart Health?
Heart health has always been a matter of concern across the world. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), heart-related diseases are the leading cause of death globally. In fact, heart ailments take “an estimated 17.9 million lives each year”, reads a report on the WHO website. However, experts state that with proper care and a healthy lifestyle, the situation can be altered, reducing heart risks. This means that food has a major role to play. In fact, there are certain foods that influence the body’s blood pressure, triglycerides and cholesterol levels that either aggravate or reduce heart risks. Hence, it is important to know the food ingredients well before following a certain diet regime.
Also Read: 7 Healthy Foods That May Help You Improve Heart Health
Best Diets For Heart Health: Complete List By American Heart Association:
1. Dash Diet:
DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It is a diet pattern that is specially designed to keep your blood pressure levels in check. A typical DASH diet is low in salt and rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean protein. Click here to find out more about the foods you can include in your DASH diet.
2. Pescatarian Diet:
The Pescatarian Diet has a lot in common with the vegetarian diet. It is enriched with fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains and dairy products and eliminates meat and poultry. The only (and significant) addition to it is seafood. In other words, a pescatarian is a person who eats fish, but not meat or chicken.
3. Mediterranean Diet:
The Mediterranean diet has been named the best overall diet and the healthiest diet in the 2023 US News & World Report’s annual ranking. Plant-based foods, such as whole grains, vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices, are the foundation of the diet. One can also include yogurt, cheese and poultry in their diet in moderation. Click here to know all about the Mediterranean diet.
4. Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian Diet:
To put it simply, this diet includes every possible plant-based food, along with dairy products and eggs. However, a lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet eliminates poultry (except eggs), meat and fish from the plan.
Also Read: Vegetarian Diet: All You Need To Know About Vegetarianism
Now that you got the handy list, we suggest, take a wise call while planning your diet the next time. And yes, do consult an expert before adapting to any of the above diet regimes.