Two of the main risk factors for developing heart disease, which describes any disease that affects the heart and blood vessels leading to the heart, are high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Diet plays a major role in the development of these two conditions. In order to lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels, follow a heart-healthy diet that limits the amount of fat, cholesterol and salt.
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a fatty substance necessary for normal cell function. Too much cholesterol; however, can build up in the blood vessels and contribute to atherosclerosis, which can lead to heart disease. Your cells produce approximately 75 percent of the cholesterol in your body, and the remaining 25 percent comes from the foods you eat, according to the American Heart Association. This means that nutrition plays a major role in your cholesterol levels. If you have high cholesterol, defined as a total cholesterol of greater than 140 mg/dL, you should follow a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet.
Blood Pressure
Blood pressure, the amount of pressure the blood exerts on the walls of the blood vessels, is measured in two numbers. The systolic pressure, the higher number, reveals the pressure when the heart contracts; the diastolic pressure, the lower number, represents the pressure when the heart relaxes. A normal blood pressure reading should consist of a systolic pressure of less than 120 mmHg and a diastolic pressure of less than 80 mmHg. Doctors diagnose blood pressure readings greater than 140 mmHg systolic pressure or 90 mmHg diastolic pressure as hypertension, or high blood pressure.
Effects of Salt
The mineral sodium, commonly known as salt, functions as an electrolyte in the body. In addition to helping conduct electrical impulses, salt helps keep the amount of water inside and outside of cells balanced. Consuming too much salt increases the amount of water the body retains, which increases the volume of blood. Increasing the volume of blood leads to an increase in blood pressure.
Fat and Cholesterol
The American Heart Association recommends that to maintain heart health, you should limit your intake of dietary cholesterol to 300 mg or less per day. Many foods contain dietary cholesterol, including meats and eggs. Cutting down on dietary cholesterol might not result in a dramatic change in your cholesterol levels. Fats, including both transfat and saturated fats, also contribute to high cholesterol levels. Therefore, to lower cholesterol levels, you must lower not only your cholesterol intake but also your fat intake.
The DASH Diet
The DASH diet developed by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute provides an eating plan to help patients with high blood pressure. This diet limits the intake of salt to less than 2300 mg with a goal of lowering it to 1500 mg per day. In addition, the diet emphasizes foods rich in potassium, magnesium and calcium, all minerals that help maintain healthy blood pressure. The DASH diet also limits the intake of saturated fats and cholesterol, making it a heart-healthy diet.
