An Overview of Heart Healthy Foods
When it comes to heart healthy foods, there are a number of food groups that would be considered heart healthy. In fact, a heart healthy diet should include lots of heart healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, and fibers.
But what about heart healthy foods that actually lower your risk for
heart disease? Go on the Internet and search "heart healthy foods," and you will find claims that everything from
garlic to walnuts will lower your heart disease risk. Research has shown that certain food can lower the risk for heart disease; for other "heart healthy foods," the research is less clear-cut.
Specific Heart Healthy Foods
There are several types of foods that have been shown to decrease the risk for heart disease.
These include foods that are:
- High in soluble fiber
- Fortified with plant stanols or sterols.
Other heart healthy foods show pretty strong evidence of lowering the risk for heart disease. These foods include:
Alcohol in moderation is also considered heart healthy.