Heart disease is the leading cause of death for adults in the United States, causing more than one quarter of all fatalities. Poor nutrition may increase your risk of heart disease, whereas good nutrition can lessen risk factors. Certain nutrients play a significant role in reducing heart disease risks. Consult your doctor about your cardiovascular health and to find out how diet can help you prevent heart disease.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy fats found in fatty fish, such as salmon, herring, tuna, halibut and sardines, and certain nuts and seeds, such as walnuts and flax seeds. These foods may reduce your risk of heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends that you eat two 3.5-ounce portions of fatty fish each week to reduce your risk of heart disease. Taking supplements that contain omega-3 fatty acids may also reduce your risk. A 2009 article published in "Clinical Cardiology" explains that dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular deaths, sudden cardiac death, death from all causes and nonfatal cardiovascular events.
Monounsaturated Fat
Monounsaturated fat is present in olive oil, avocados, nuts, such as almonds, pecans and hazelnuts, and seeds such pumpkin and sesame seeds. Eating foods with monounsaturated fat may reduce your risk of heart disease. Consuming virgin olive oil that is rich in antioxidants called phenols may also provide beneficial effects if you already have cardiovascular disease, according to research performed at the Institute of Medical Investigations in Barcelona, Spain, and published in "Atherosclerosis" in 2005.
Vitamin B3
Niacin is a form of vitamin B3 that may protect you from heart disease. Vitamin B3 occurs in significant levels in fish, green vegetables, whole grains and legumes. Taking 500 mg or more of niacin daily may increase your blood levels of HDL cholesterol, which is good cholesterol that can help protect your heart. These high doses are often prescribed by physicians for patients with high cholesterol.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C intake may protect you from coronary heart disease. Coronary heart disease, also called coronary artery disease, occurs when plaque accumulates inside your arteries and weakens the endothelium, the layer of cells that lines the interior of your blood vessels. Research published in "Clinical Cardiology" in 2002 found that individuals who take vitamin C have mild improvement or no damage to the endothelium after consuming a high-fat meal. Those who eat a high-fat meal without taking vitamin C show endothelial impairment. People who use vitamin C supplements appear to have a lower risk for coronary heart disease, according to research published in the "Journal of the American College of Cardiology" in 2003.
References
- Centers For Disease Control and Prevention: Heart Disease Facts
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- American Heart Association: Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- "Clinical Cardiology": Omega-3 Dietary Supplements and the Risk of Cardiovascular Events: A Systematic Review; Paul Marik; Jul 2009
- Harvard School of Public Health: Fats and Cholesterol: Out With the Bad, In With the Good
- "Atherosclerosis": Antioxidant Effect of Virgin Olive Oil in Patients with Stable Coronary Heart Disease: A Randomized, Crossover, Controlled, Clinical Trial; M. Fito, et al.; July 2005
