Ten Tips to Lower Blood Pressure, Reduce Cholesterol, and Improve Heart Health
In order to make eating for health even easier, I have created a series of handy-dandy cheat sheets to remind us of easy actions we can take each week for optimal wellness. This week’s focus is heart health.
For optimal cardiovascular function long-term, I encourage you to consider incorporating the following ten items into your weekly routine. Or better yet, think of this as your daily to do list for a long and healthy life.
Wishing you abundant good health and happy eating.
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References:
1. Diab, A., Dastmalchi, L. N., Gulati, M., & Michos, E. D. (2023). A heart-healthy diet for cardiovascular disease prevention: Where are we now?. Vascular Health and Risk Management, 19, 237–253. https://doi.org/10.2147/VHRM.S379874
2. Iqbal, I., Wilairatana, P., Saqib, F., Nasir, B., Wahid, M., Latif, M. F., Iqbal, A., Naz, R., & Mubarak, M. S. (2023). Plant polyphenols and their potential benefits on cardiovascular health: A review. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 28(17), 6403. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28176403
3. Khan, S. U., Lone, A. N., Khan, M. S., Virani, S. S., Blumenthal, R. S., Nasir, K., Miller, M., Michos, E. D., Ballantyne, C. M., Boden, W. E., & Bhatt, D. L. (2021). Effect of omega-3 fatty acids on cardiovascular outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. EClinicalMedicine, 38, 100997. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2021.100997
4. Jangid, G., Popoola-Samuel, H. A. O., Goda, K., Anamika, F. N. U., Gupta, V., Kanagala, S. G., & Munjal, R. S. (2023). Influence of plant-based diet on the cardiovascular system: A narrative review. Cardiology in Review, 10.1097/CRD.0000000000000613. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1097/CRD.0000000000000613
5. Hu, H., Zhao, Y., Feng, Y., Yang, X., Li, Y., Wu, Y., Yuan, L., Zhang, J., Li, T., Huang, H., Li, X., Zhang, M., Sun, L., & Hu, D. (2023). Consumption of whole grains and refined grains and associated risk of cardiovascular disease events and all-cause mortality: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 117(1), 149–159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajcnut.2022.10.010
6. Balakrishna, R., Bjørnerud, T., Bemanian, M., Aune, D., & Fadnes, L. T. (2022). Consumption of nuts and seeds and health outcomes including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and metabolic disease, cancer, and mortality: An umbrella review. Advances in Nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 13(6), 2136–2148. https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmac077
7. Mendes, V., Niforou, A., Kasdagli, M. I., Ververis, E., & Naska, A. (2023). Intake of legumes and cardiovascular disease: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. Nutrition, Metabolism, and Cardiovascular Diseases : NMCD, 33(1), 22–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2022.10.006
8. Li, K. J., Burton-Pimentel, K. J., Vergères, G., Feskens, E. J. M., & Brouwer-Brolsma, E. M. (2022). Fermented foods and cardiometabolic health: Definitions, current evidence, and future perspectives. Frontiers in Nutrition, 9, 976020. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.976020
9. Masmoum, M. D., Khan, S., Usmani, W. A., Chaudhry, R., Ray, R., Mahmood, A., Afzal, M., & Mirza, M. S. S. (2024). The effectiveness of exercise in reducing cardiovascular risk factors among adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Cureus, 16(9), e68928. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.68928
10. Kalra, S., Miraj, M., Ajmera, P., Shaik, R. A., Seyam, M. K., Shawky, G. M., Alasiry, S. M., Mohamed, E. H., Alasiri, H. M., Alzhrani, M., Alanazi, A., Alqahtani, M., Shaikh, A. R., Al-Otaibi, M. L., Saleem, S., Pal, S., Jain, V., & Ahmad, F. (2022). Effects of yogic interventions on patients diagnosed with cardiac diseases. A systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine, 9, 942740. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2022.942740