3 Foods For A Happy Heart
Today most people are aware of the dangers that high-fat and high-cholesterol diets pose for the heart. Unfortunately, healthy eating often seem like a form of punishment. Yet there are still lots of foods that are both yummy and good for your heart. If you are curious to learn more, read on. This article will present three foods that will make your heart--and your mouth--happy.
Pomegranate Juice
Juice has become a red-flag item for many health-oriented consumers, largely because of the elevated sugar levels found in most juices. Pomegranate juice, however, is one case where the benefits happily outweigh the negatives. That's because pomegranate juice contains very high levels of antioxidants, a naturally occurring family of molecules believed to play a large role in preventing everything from cancer to motion sickness to--you guessed it--heart disease.
Pomegranate juice acts to protect your heart by preventing dietary cholesterol from turning into artery-clogging plaque. Not only that, but it may even help to eliminate pre-existing plaque, thus lowering the chances of experiencing a stroke or a heart attack. Additionally, studies have suggested that pomegranate juice can play a role in slowing the growth of certain types of cancer--specifically prostate cancer in men.
Soy Sauce
Healthy eaters have long shied away from soy sauce, on account of its high levels of sodium. But moderate doses of soy sauce can actually benefit the health of your heart. Like pomegranate juice, soy sauce contains especially high levels of antioxidants--specifically a class of antioxidants known as shoyuflavones. These act to reduce inflammation, as well as stimulating digestion by improving the body's production of gastric acid.
Milk
Milk and other dairy foods have at times been unfairly maligned for their high levels of saturated fats. Yet, rather than aggravating cardiovascular problems, milk is now believed to actually reduce both cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Scientists believe that this stems from milk's high concentration of fatty acids. These heart friendly substances have been shown to lower the risk of heart attack by up to 9% in men and 26% in women.
Interestingly, however, not all milk seems to offer the same degree of benefit. To optimize its heart positive effects, be sure to select an organic whole milk. Studies have indicated that organic milk contains a greater amount of omega-3 fatty acids. This class of fatty acids has been proven to drastically lower triglyceride levels. What's more, they may also play a role in combatting the effects of arthritis, asthma, and even depression.
For more information about heart health, visit Premier Surgical Associates.
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