host posted on February 09, 2012 22:58
9 top foods for the heart Source: MSN
Studies have shown that up to 70% of heart disease can be averted with the right regimen, according to Walter Willett, MD, chair of nutrition at Harvard School of Public Health. But is diet alone as powerful as drugs? "Oh, no, it's much more powerful," says Dr. Willett. "Statins, the most effective single medications for reducing heart disease, only cut risk by 25 to 30%."
nine top foods for the heart
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Oranges
Rx Effect: Reduce blood pressure, cholesterol and heart failure
THE EVIDENCE: Oranges contain a pharmacy's worth of salves for the heart. The soluble fiber pectin acts like a giant sponge, sopping up cholesterol in food and blocking its absorption--just like a class of drugs known as bile acid sequestrants. And the potassium in oranges helps counterbalance salt, keeping blood pressure under control.
But new research shows something even more startling: Citrus pectin helps neutralize a protein called galectin-3 that causes scarring of heart tissue, leading to congestive heart failure--a condition that is often difficult to treat with drugs. "Twenty percent of Americans over 50 have high galectin-3," says Pieter Muntendam, MD, CEO of BG Medicine in Waltham, MA. "A 2009 study showed that a diet high in fruits and vegetables decreased the risk of heart failure by 37%."
TRY: Pectin is contained in the pulp and pith. You'll get more of it in juice with pulp. Or better yet, eat your oranges.
Kale
Rx Effect: Prevents atherosclerosis
THE EVIDENCE: Your mom was right: You need to consume your dark leafy greens. "Kale has everything you would want in a superfood," says Joel Fuhrman, MD, the author of the bestseller Eat to Live, who uses diet and exercise to help patients reverse their cardiovascular disease. For starters, kale boasts a bumper crop of heart-healthy antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, folate, potassium, and vitamin E. It's also rich in lutein, which correlated in the Los Angeles Atherosclerosis Study with protection against early atherosclerosis. Kale even contains an unusual compound, glucoraphanin, that activates a special protective protein called Nrf2. "It creates a sort of Teflon coating in your arteries to keep plaque from adhering," says Dr. Fuhrman.
TRY: For a snack, try Brad's Raw Leafy Kale--actual kale that is dehydrated, then coated with ground cashews, sunflower seeds, lemon juice, and garlic.
Garlic
Rx Effect: Reduces blood pressure and plaque
THE EVIDENCE: Research suggests that, much like the ACE inhibitor drugs that fight high blood pressure, garlic ratchets down an enzyme called angiotensin, which constricts blood vessels. Though the effect is modest compared with medications, garlic seems to have a significant impact on the buildup of plaque. In three randomized trials, Matthew Budoff, MD, professor of medicine at UCLA, found that plaque progression slowed by more than 50% in people taking garlic extract, compared with the non–vampire slayers--"and the nongarlic group was on standard drugs," he says.
TRY: The trials used 250 mg tablets of Kyolic aged garlic extract to standardize the dose. "But it's always better to eat the real food," says Gayl Canfield, PhD, RD, director of nutrition at Pritikin Longevity Center in Miami.
Red wine
Rx Effect: Boosts HDL, reduces unwanted clotting
THE EVIDENCE: Any alcohol nudges up HDL, the "good" cholesterol that helps prevent plaque. But red wine may offer additional benefits, says John Folts, PhD, professor emeritus of cardiovascular medicine and nutrition at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. "The key is not resveratrol--you would need 16 bottles a day," he says. Instead, compounds called polyphenols help keep blood vessels flexible and reduce the risk of unwanted clotting. "They're nearly as effective as aspirin," he claims. But note: More than one glass of vino a day ups the risk of breast cancer for women, and chronic heavy drinking damages the heart, so this is a case where more is not better.
TRY: Dark beer such as Guinness stout delivers many of the same beneficial polyphenols.
Dark chocolate
Rx Effect: Reduces blood pressure
THE EVIDENCE: The Kuna Indians off the coast of Panama have enviably low blood pressure--and unlike the rest of us, they don't develop hypertension as they age. When Harvard cardiologist Norman Hollenberg, MD, set out to unravel their secret, he assumed they carried some rare genetic trait. Instead he found they drink enormous quantities of minimally processed cocoa. It's rich in compounds called flavanols, which improve blood vessel flexibility. We can all get them from chocolate--a few squares a day. Dark chocolate is likely to have more, because it starts with a higher cocoa content--but that's no guarantee, since different processing methods can destroy them.
TRY: Dove Dark has been shown to have high levels of flavanols.