Heart disease is one of the leading preventable causes of death because diet directly contributes to its occurrence, according to an April 2009 article in the "Public Library of Science Medicine." In a study discussed in the article, cholesterol was cited as being a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular mortality. High cholesterol and high blood pressure both lead to heart disease and getting both under control can decrease the chances of developing a heart-related problem. Diet choices to lower cholesterol will also often lower blood pressure.
Fatty Fish
Eating fatty fish, such as salmon, herring and albacore tuna, can be healthy for your heart because these fish have high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, which can reduce your blood pressure as well as your risk of developing blood clots, according to MayoClinic.com. Other healthy food choices for lowering blood pressure should include foods low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Along with fatty fish, opt for other healthy protein sources such as chicken and turkey. Always try to boil, bake, grill or broil your food as frying, breading and the addition of creams and salt turn healthy food choices into unhealthy ones. Beans and legumes are additional healthy protein sources.
Oatmeal, Fruits and Vegetables
Oatmeal is high in soluble fiber and can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream, according to MayoClinic.com. Soluble fiber is also found in fresh fruits and vegetables, which are naturally low in salt and fat and have not been processed. While eating fresh or frozen fruits are best to help control blood pressure and cholesterol, if only canned products are available, rinse them before eating to remove any added salt.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is particularly healthy for lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. According to MayoClinic.com, it contains a powerful mix of antioxidants that can lower "bad" cholesterol, while leaving "good" cholesterol alone. It does not contain sodium and is high in monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat, which are the healthy types of fat that remove unhealthy fats and cholesterol from the bloodstream. Polyunsaturated fats can also be found in nuts, seeds, oils from plants and avocados.
References
- Public Library of Science Medicine; The Preventable Causes of Death in the United States: Comparative Risk Assessment of Dietary, Lifestyle, and Metabolic Risk Factors; Danei G., et al.; 2009.
- "Circulation"; AHA Scientific State: Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations Revision 2006; Lichenstein, Alice; et al.; 2006.
- MayoClinic.com: High Cholesterol
