Whether you have heart problems or not, following a cardiac diet can improve your heart health for the long term. Maintaining your muscle and vascular tissue and supporting the electrical processes that regulate heartbeat and blood pressure increase your cardiovascular fitness. This helps you meet physical demands and may even help you live longer. The American Heart Association recommends a diet that is low in saturated and trans fats, cholesterol and sodium. Such a diet naturally limits calories to aid in weight control.
Avoid High Blood Pressure
The majority of sodium in your diet comes from salt in foods, and your sodium intake directly affects your blood pressure. Salty foods such as processed meats, fast foods and many canned foods can cause you to exceed the 1,500 mg daily limit on sodium suggested by the American Heart Association. If you already have high blood pressure, you need a cardiac diet to stay within these boundaries and prevent escalation. If you don't, watching your salt intake can help you maintain normal blood pressure levels.
Avoid Atherosclerosis
A low-fat, low-cholesterol diet prevents the arterial buildup of fatty substances, particularly from trans fat, saturated fat and dietary cholesterol in some foods. Over time, these elements form plaque inside the arteries that reduce the area for blood flow, decreasing the amount of oxygen and nutrients that reach your cells or the rate of delivery. Arterial plaque can scar the walls and create bleeding and blood clots. This condition, called atherosclerosis, is a precursor to chronic heart disease. High blood cholesterol levels may indicate the development of this atherosclerosis.
Avoid Heart Attack and Stroke
If you have high blood pressure or atherosclerosis, a cardiac diet can prevent their further progression toward heart disease. With your cardiovascular function in a safe zone, you'll be less likely to have a heart attack or stroke. If you're healthy, eating low-fat and low-salt foods will reduce your chances of suffering from these potentially fatal events as well.
Achieve a Healthy Weight
A low-fat diet automatically cuts some of the high calories that accompany dietary fat. The American Heart Association also recommends limiting added sugars in a cardiac diet to further control calorie intakes and maintain a healthy weight. This is due to the significant cardiovascular risk factors posed by overweight conditions. The Office of the Surgeon General reports that you are more likely to get heart disease and to die from it if you are overweight.
