Index
- What diet for cardiovascular disease?
- What is cardiovascular disease?
- What are the risk factors for this type of disease?
- What to remember about the diet for cardiovascular disease?
- Why adopt a diet in case of cardiovascular diseases?
- What type of diet to choose?
- The ancestral-type regime
- The Okinawa-type regime
- The Mediterranean diet
- Which foods to choose?
What diet for cardiovascular disease?
Food is the first thing that guarantees health. This is especially true when you encounter certain health problems. Indeed, what we eat can either affect our health or promote the proper functioning of the body and strengthen it. It is therefore very important to choose what you put in your dishes. In the case of cardiovascular disease, it is important to adopt the right diet to preserve heart health and avoid complications. What foods should be preferred in this case? And what diet should be adopted? This article will help you understand this a little better.
What is cardiovascular disease?
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide and can affect both young people and adults. They are all disorders that affect the heart and blood vessels. For this purpose, the following diseases are classified as cardiovascular disease:
- Peripheral arteriopathies or lesions of the blood vessels in the arm and legs
- Coronary heart disease or disorders of the blood vessels that supply the heart muscle
- Congenital heart defects
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Pulmonary embolisms
- Heart attacks and strokes
What are the risk factors for this type of disease?
Although some cardiovascular diseases are congenital, many can occur as a result of contributing factors. Among the main risk factors for cardiovascular diseases are:
- Lack of physical activity or sedentary lifestyle
- Poor nutrition
- Smoking
- Heavy drinking
What to remember about the diet for cardiovascular disease?
There are many causes of cardiovascular disease. However, all of them have the consequence of altering the functioning of the heart and the destruction of the veins. Fortunately, there are certain habits you can adopt to preserve your heart health on a daily basis. Also, there is a diet for cardiovascular disease that will help you relieve the symptoms of your disease and prevent it from becoming more complicated. Here are the key points to remember about this diet:
- You should always choose foods with the right fat content
- Avoid bad fats as much as possible, as they are harmful to the functioning of the heart
- Focus on fibre and fruits and vegetables
- Make sure you eat a diet with a low glycemic index
- Ensure regular physical activity
Why adopt a diet in case of cardiovascular diseases?
By following the basics mentioned above, a person with cardiovascular disease is already well on the way to controlling his or her health problem. Indeed, adopting an adequate diet brings many benefits to heart and vascular health:
- the regulation of blood sugar and blood cholesterol levels
- lowering blood pressure
- maintaining a healthy weight
- limiting the risk of recidivism
prevention of stroke
What type of diet to choose?
Several types of diets exist when it comes to maintaining health in the event of cardiovascular disease. The question that arises is therefore in relation to the choice of diet to adopt. It is up to you, but above all to your attending physician to choose the one that is adapted to your state of health. In any case, the diets listed below have the effect of preserving cardiovascular health.
The ancestral-type regime
It is a diet that is increasingly popular with people who are sick or concerned about their heart health. Also known as the Paleolithic diet, this diet consists of an abundant consumption of fruits, vegetables, tubers (except potatoes) and nuts. It also requires a variety of different types of meat. However, the ancestral diet excludes all dairy products, processed foods and cereals. It therefore has the merit of being well balanced in fatty acids.
The Okinawa-type regime
The goal of this diet is to fill up on omega-3 fatty acids. The Okinawa-type diet is based on fruits, vegetables, fish, seaweed, soy and a little rice. Its special feature is that it is rich in spices, which gives it this protective effect for the heart and blood vessels.
The Mediterranean diet
Some scientific studies have shown that following a Mediterranean diet can reduce the risk of cardiovascular mortality. In fact, this diet is based on vegetables, fruits, legumes, olive oil and whole grains. In addition to this, it consists of regular consumption of fish and poultry. Sweets, red meats and cold cuts are allowed, but in small quantities. The benefits of this type of diet on cardiovascular health are mainly due to its antioxidant and anticoagulant effects.
Which foods to choose?
Heart healthy foods that should be included in the diet if you have cardiovascular disease include the following:
- good fats: olive oil, avocado, salmon, trout, mackerel.
- Lean proteins: white meat, game, veal,...
- Fibres: passion fruit, black or red beans, broad beans,...
