Top five heart healthy vegetables

Diet plays a major role in heart health and can impact your risk of heart disease. In fact, certain foods can influence blood pressure, triglycerides, cholesterol levels and inflammation, all of which are risk factors for heart disease.

Here are some fruit and veggies that you should be eating to maximize your heart health.

Leafy green vegetables

Leafy green vegetables like spinach, kale, and collard greens are well known for their wealth of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. In particular, they’re a great source of vitamin K, which helps protect your arteries and promote proper blood clotting. They’re also high in dietary nitrates, which have been shown to reduce blood pressure, decrease arterial stiffness, and improve the function of cells lining the blood vessels. Some studies have also found a link between increasing your intake of leafy green vegetables and a lower risk of heart disease.

Berries

Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries are jam-packed with important nutrients that play a central role in heart health. Berries are also rich in antioxidants like anthocyanins, which protect against the oxidative stress and inflammation that contribute to the development of heart disease. Studies show that eating lots of berries can reduce several risk factors for heart disease.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are loaded with lycopene, a natural plant pigment with powerful antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help neutralize harmful free radicals, preventing oxidative damage and inflammation, both of which can contribute to heart disease. Low blood levels of lycopene are linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke

Beans

Beans contain resistant starch, which resists digestion and is fermented by the beneficial bacteria in your gut. Resistant starch has the potential to exert a healthy impact on the gut and certain members of its resident microbiota. Multiple studies have also found that eating beans can reduce certain risk factors for heart disease.What’s more, eating beans has been linked to reduced blood pressure and inflammation, both of which are risk factors for heart disease

Garlic

For centuries, garlic has been used as a natural remedy to treat a variety of ailments.In recent years, research has confirmed its potent medicinal properties and found that garlic can even help improve heart health.