Heart Healthy Foods (Cont.)

 
Garlic
Dietary use of garlic may lower some types of cholesterol in the short term, but it does not appear to offer long-term protection against heart disease. Garlic may help to reduce low-density lipoproteins (LDL), or "bad cholesterol," and triglycerides. This food has not been shown to raise HDL ("good cholesterol").
 
Soy Protein
Soy protein foods, which are made from the soybean, were once believed to be heart healthy foods because they were thought to lower "bad" (LDL) cholesterol without lowering "good" (HDL) cholesterol. However, based on a recent analysis of studies, the American Heart Association issued a statement saying that the heart healthy benefits of soy protein are minimal at best. Even with large intake of soy protein, there was little effect on LDL cholesterol levels and no effect on HDL levels.
 
Green Tea
The use of green tea or green tea extract does not appear to decrease the risk for developing heart disease.
 

Summary of Heart Healthy Foods

There are a number of foods that would be considered heart healthy foods because they are low in cholesterol, fat, and saturated fat. These include fruits, vegetables, grains, and fibers. There are also a number of foods that may actually decrease your risk for developing heart disease.
 
If you would like more information about heart healthy foods, talk with your doctor, registered dietitian, or qualified nutritionist. Also, for a heart healthy lifestyle, make sure that, in addition to your heart healthy diet, you are addressing the other controllable heart disease risk factors that may apply to you (see Heart Disease Prevention).
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD