Ingredients That Are Great for Your Heart Health

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in America. No one wants to have bad heart health, especially considering this fact and the effect a bad heart has on the rest of your body. What can you change in your diet, however, to improve the health of your heart and reduce the risk of heart problems? Here are three ingredients to add to your diet or include as supplements!

Omega-3s

Most commonly found in fish oil, Omega-3s refers to three different fatty acids that have been found to reduce heart attacks and strokes. This is because they’ve been found in the past to reduce blood triglyceride levels and essentially scrub out a lot of the plaque that grows in the heart’s arteries. For these reasons, according to Eat This, Not That, taking Omega-3 supplements or including Omega-3 foods in your diet via salmon, chia seeds, and walnuts is a great way to improve your heart health.

Turmeric

Turmeric is another winner when it comes to your heart, mostly because it’s considered a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. According to Organixx, inflammation plays a large role in heart disease, so adding this spice to meals is a pretty smart idea. The active ingredient in turmeric, called curcumin, prevents cellular degeneration and damage, boosting your body against chronic disease. You can easily find turmeric as a spice or in a supplement capsule or tablet form, and if you want to absorb as much of it as possible, try taking black pepper with it!

Fiber

More commonly promoted to help with gut health, soluble fiber nonetheless helps the heart too. Foods high in fiber have been found to reduce inflammation and blood pressure, and can lower lipoprotein—which contributes to bad cholesterol levels. In general, fiber also fills you up and so prevents you from snacking and overeating. Considering being overweight is linked to heart disease and risk of heart failure, making fiber more part of your diet is a good idea for that reason alone. According to the Cleveland Clinic, there are lots of delicious foods high in fiber, so it will only improve your meals.

The heart plays a huge role in your overall function and health, so doing what you can to keep this organ healthy is a smart decision. It doesn’t have to include losing all the foods you love, however—there are many ingredients like these that you can add to your diet or take supplements for. Get active and proactive in your heart health, and you’ll thank yourself later!

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