Even a few servings of dark greens make a difference.
Greens like kale, Swiss chard, and spinach are often highlighted for their role in reducing inflammation, which helps your heart tremendously. And only a few servings a day can be effective, according to a recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
This study analyzed data from more than 50,000 men and women and found that those who ate foods rich in vitamin K, such as leafy greens, had a significantly lower risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease than those who ate less. Total. Other foods high in the vitamin include broccoli, beef liver, hard cheeses, and avocados.
An interesting aspect of the study is that those who ate much more of these foods did not lower their risk, says lead author Nicola Bondonno, Ph.D. from the Institute for Nutrition Research at Edith Cowan University in Australia.
“More does not mean great benefits,” she notes. “This means that regular servings on a consistent basis were more meaningful than trying to increase them.”
A moderate reduction in calories is better than too sharp.
While a significant reduction in calories can lead to some weight loss, your heart is actually better off adopting a more moderate strategy, even a few hundred calories.
According to a study published in the journal Circulation, people who dropped about 200 calories and maintained that amount for 20 weeks by incorporating regular exercise into their daily routine experienced significant changes in aortic stiffness.
It is a key indicator of your cardiovascular function and important in preventing heart disease. Study participants who cut about 600 calories a day didn’t actually notice any change, which means that the smaller the shift had a bigger impact.
It’s never too early to start taking preventive measures.
While people tend to think about preventing heart disease as they get older – which makes sense since the risk also increases over time – using strategies at a young age can pay off decades to come.
Here’s a prime example: a recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association that looked at how eating habits affect people between the ages of 18 and 30 found that switching to a plant-based diet in this age range was associated with a lower risk of heart disease. vascular diseases. middle Ages. This included fruits and vegetables, nuts, legumes, and whole grains.
As part of this shift, the benefits of a plant-based diet could be enhanced by limiting the intake of foods high in sodium, added sugars and trans fats, the researchers added.
Bedtime can play a role.
Sleep quality and heart health have been well studied in the past, but new research highlights that the timing of when you go to bed and when you wake up can play a role too, no matter how well you sleep in between.
A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that sleep time affects the risk of congestive heart failure. Those who went to bed after 11:00 pm and woke up after 8:00 am were at the highest risk. This could be due to changes in circadian rhythm affecting heart health.
This rhythm disturbance can affect you in other ways, such as weight gain and higher stress levels, according to Darria Long Gillespie, M.D., assistant professor of clinical practice at the University of Tennessee.
“If your circadian rhythm is disrupted, your hormones will overload to try to balance and align you again,” she says. “But the result can be overcompensation, which will have a ripple effect in many aspects of your health.”
Maintaining gut health helps the heart.
Another strong link for heart health is adequate fiber intake. This link was supported by a recent study published in the Journal of Nutrition that found that increased intake of whole grains has significant benefits for blood pressure and cholesterol.
Getting enough fiber every day is an important part of gut health as well as heart health, and the two are intertwined, says senior author Nicola McKeown, Ph.D., a researcher in nutritional epidemiology at the USDA. Foods like whole grains contain compounds like magnesium and potassium, which help the nervous system, blood pressure and digestion, she said.
This means that making changes that benefit your heart is rarely just for your heart – eating healthy, exercising regularly, and practicing stress relief can be a boon to your entire body and your emotional health.
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