Foods to avoid for a healthier heart: Experts reveal top offenders
Taking care of our heart health is crucial. It requires regular physical activity, avoiding stimulants, and following an appropriate diet. Cardiologists have long warned that certain foods can significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Find out which ones they mean.
1:16 PM EDT, June 18, 2024
Ice cream
It is undoubtedly one of the most beloved desserts, especially in summer. Although the ingredients of ice cream do not raise significant concerns, it cannot be ignored that these frozen treats are a source of empty calories. Additionally, they often contain large amounts of sugar and hardened palm oil. Excessive amounts of these ingredients can lead to obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, and atherosclerosis.
Red meat
Consuming red meat can also negatively impact our cardiovascular system. This is primarily a matter of one ingredient. Pork, beef, and lamb contain significant amounts of saturated fats. Processed meat such as ham, sausages, bacon, pâté, salami, and canned meats is particularly harmful. To take care of the heart, it is better to opt for lean white meat or fatty seafood.
Fried foods
Frying food, especially in deep fat, is one of the worst meal preparation methods. French fries, hamburgers, potato pancakes, and steaks fried this way contain a lot of trans fats, which increase the level of bad LDL cholesterol in the blood. Regular consumption of these foods leads to atherosclerosis, heart attacks, and strokes. This is one aspect of our diet that we should limit.
Foods high in salt
Salt, known as the "white death," is present in almost every product. To avoid problems with the cardiovascular system, obesity, and cancer, it is worth replacing it with healthy spices and carefully reading product labels. On these, we find a range of information about the salt content in the products we are interested in.
Alcohol and energy drinks
Alcohol consumption affects several elements of our body. It has long been known that excessive alcohol destroys the liver, but it also negatively affects the cardiovascular system. Similarly, popular energy drinks can disrupt heart rhythm and raise blood pressure, even though they are non-alcoholic.
Abstaining from alcohol can bring immediate benefits to our health. It is also worth avoiding energy drinks with reduced caffeine content recently appearing on the market - they also negatively affect our health.
