Properly balanced nutrition plays a huge role not only in the prevention of diseases, but also in their treatment and prevention of further complications. It is also known that certain products, due to their composition, have a beneficial effect on the state of various organs and systems. Since diseases of the cardiovascular system are diagnosed today more and more, many are interested in what is useful for the heart.
Basics of a "heart" diet
Our heart is formed by muscle fibers, so to maintain normal function it requires proteins and amino acids. With a lack of these nutrients in the diet, the processes of repair of damaged muscle cells deteriorate. In this regard, low-protein diets often lead to cardiac muscle dystrophy, a weakening of its contractility. So you should first take care of sufficient intake of protein in the body. Its daily requirement for men is from 70 to 110 grams per day, and for women from 60 to 85 grams per day. Thus, the heart will be useful protein products: low-fat meat, skim milk products and legumes.
Diseases of the cardiovascular system, which are recorded most often, develop against a background of high blood cholesterol . It increases due to the consumption of excessive amounts of animal fats, as well as due to insufficient supply of unsaturated fatty acids to the body, which contribute to reducing the "bad" and increasing "good" cholesterol. That is why the diet should include vegetable oils and limit the intake of animal fats.
Vegetables and fruits for a healthy heart
Vegetables and fruits must necessarily be present in the menu wishing to keep the heart healthy. First, because the fiber binds and removes from the intestine an excessive amount of fat. Secondly, plant products contain minerals that are needed for normal operation of the heart. For a good reduction of the heart muscle fibers, potassium, calcium and magnesium are needed. In the conditions of deficiency of these elements the depletion of the heart muscle progresses. To understand what fruit is good for the heart is not difficult. You should choose those that contain the most potassium and magnesium. These include:
- prune;
- bananas;
- avocado;
- melons;
- grapes;
- kiwi.
Among vegetables, there are also those that are valuable sources of necessary minerals. So in your diet should be present and vegetables, useful for the heart:
- baked potato;
- beans;
- carrot;
- beet;
- pumpkin;
- Bulgarian pepper;
- radish.
Specialists also note that some of the vitamins are especially useful for the cardiovascular system. Vitamins useful for the heart include vitamins E , A, ascorbic acid, niacin. They have the ability to reduce the negative impact of free radicals on cells, in simple terms, slow the aging of the heart muscle. In addition, Vitamin C and niacin have a beneficial effect on the state of the blood vessels and normalize the level of cholesterol in the blood.
What sport is good for the heart?
"Jogging from a heart attack" - this popular phrase became the motto of fans to organize jogs. In fact, moderate and regular running exercises really have a positive effect on the body. The heart is a muscular organ, so it can be trained like other muscles. In the process of running, blood circulation accelerates, the heart begins to contract more actively, this leads to the fact that its muscle fibers thicken. As a result, the body more easily perceives physical activity and wears out more slowly. However, a one-hour run will not bring anything, except fatigue and excessive stress on the heart. Therefore, the question of whether running for the heart is useful, you can give a positive answer, but with the caveat: if the training is moderate and regular.