Food to keep your heart healthy

It has been proven that eating certain kinds of food every day can reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

"Eating food in its natural form as whole foods and unprocessed food is good for your body. Naturally occurring food like nuts, whole grains, fruit, green vegetables, fish(occasionally), and red wine should fill up your plate for both variety and good health," states Dr. Bipeenchandra Bhamre, Cardio-Thoracic Surgeon, Sir H N Reliance Foundation Hospital and Research Centre, told IANSlife.

Whole grains: Opting for oats, barley, rye, buckwheat and quinoa can be beneficial for your ticker. They are loaded with fibre and can help you lower bad ‘LDL' cholesterol. Moreover, eating them on a regular basis can allow you to keep heart diseases at bay.

Berries: Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are jam-packed with antioxidants namely anthocyanins that help in protecting against the oxidative stress and inflammation and keep away the heart disease.

Nuts: Eating walnuts (that contain magnesium, copper and manganese) and almond (having heart-healthy monounsaturated fats and fibre) are good for your heart.

Fish: Eating fish rich in Omega-3 fatty acids can be helpful for your heart. Opt for salmon, tuna, pomfret and mackerel.

Olive oil: It is rich in antioxidants and monounsaturated fatty acids that can enhance your heart health.

Other foods: Green vegetables like spinach can be beneficial for the heart. Likewise, carrots, sweet potatoes, green/red chillies, tomatoes, oranges, papaya, sunflower, dried beans, sprouts, lentils can be included in your diet.

The doctor's take-home message? Quantity plays a vital role. How much you eat is equally important as what you eat as controlling body weight is important to prevent heart disease. Furthermore, do not forget to exercise daily.