Bad for Your Heart That 5 Foods

5 foods that are detrimental to your heart

Bad for Your Heart According to the American Heart Association (AHA), heart disease, commonly known as cardiovascular disease, kills more people annually in the United States than all forms of cancer and chronic lower respiratory diseases put together. Additionally, according to the same source, stroke causes one out of every 19 fatalities in the United States.

Heart disease can be brought on by things like stress, a lack of exercise, and underlying medical issues. But the AHA also warns that a diet low in heart-healthy foods can raise your risk of stroke, heart attack, and cardiovascular disease.

And to make matters worse, you might not even be aware of how bad your diet might be for your heart. You might even regularly eat some of the items that are the worst for your heart.

Continue reading to learn about some foods and beverages that are bad for your heart and some better options.

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Fatty red meats

If you want to maintain the health of your heart, refrain from eating that juicy steak or cheeseburger. According to research, those with diets strong in red meat have trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) levels that are three times higher than those whose primary sources of protein are white meat or non-meat sources, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). A molecule called TMAO, produced by gut bacteria, is linked to heart disease and worsens cholesterol deposits in artery walls.

The good news is that individuals in a trial done by experts at the Cleveland Clinic had elevated TMAO levels that may be reversed. Participants’ TMAO levels decreased after they switched to a white meat or non-meat diet for a month in place of their red meat diet.

The American Heart Association

The American Heart Association advises avoiding red meat altogether and replacing it with poultry and fish. For even greater heart health, make sure to trim those meats’ fatty portions and skin before cooking.

Soda and other sugary drinks

The next time you’re tempted to reach for a soda, energy drink, sports drink, sweetened sparkling water, or juice that’s packed with high-fructose corn syrup, try to rehydrate yourself with a glass of water or a different non-sugary beverage.

According to a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, drinking high-sugar beverages often is linked to high cholesterol and high blood pressure, two conditions that increase the risk of heart disease. But high-sugar drinks might hurt more than just your heart.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), studies have linked regular use of high-sugar drinks with weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, kidney disorders, liver diseases, tooth decay, and gout, an arthritic kind.

Instead of reaching for a sugary beverage, the CDC advises switching to plain water, 100% fruit juice, or water that has been sweetened with a splash of 100% fruit juice.

High-fat dairy products

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), regularly consuming dairy products with a high fat content, such as whole-fat milk, butter or stick margarine, cream, and cream cheese, can increase your risk for heart disease.

However, if you want to have a healthy heart, you don’t have to completely avoid dairy. Instead, HHS advises selecting low-fat dairy products. Consider substituting fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk or soy milk with calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin D for whole milk.

Rather than cooking with butter, switch to vegetable oils such as canola, corn, olive, peanut, safflower, soybean or sunflower to keep your heart healthy. Just make sure you avoid coconut and palm oils, which are high-fat oils.

Salt

According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the majority of Americans (nearly 90%) consume too much sodium, raising their risk of stroke, hypertension, and heart attack.

The frightening part is how simple it is to unintentionally consume too much sodium. Salt is found in the majority of processed foods, even some you might not expect like bread, sauces, condiments, and salad dressings. This is true even if you’re careful about how much salt you shake onto your food or dishes that you’re making.

The good news is that it’s simple to prevent sodium overload by reading the nutrition facts label on food before purchasing and selecting items marked “low-sodium” or “no salt added.”

Choose foods with a salt content of 5% daily value (DV) or less to assist safeguard your heart health. Additionally, avoid meals that have a DV of more than 20%, which is high.

Alcohol

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), drinking alcohol frequently can increase blood pressure, blood fat levels that cause high cholesterol, and your chance of developing heart failure.

The NHLBI suggests controlling your alcohol use or quitting alcohol completely. If you choose to drink, the American Heart Association advises keeping your intake to no more than two drinks for males and one drink for women per day.