Fewer steps to a healthier heart than many skincare routines.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recently updated the dietary guidelines for heart-healthy eating patterns at a time when cardiovascular deaths are on the rise.
And the new features don’t just focus on what foods to consume, but place firmer emphasis on what should be avoided, as well as a surprising update to one recommendation.
The link between eating patterns and cardiovascular health has been well-documented, with good-for-you food choices resulting in less risk of heart attack, disease and stroke.
Now, the AHA has refocused on detrimental choices such as alcohol, ultra-processed foods, sodium and added sugars, according to a sweeping update published in the journal Circulation.
The best diet for your heart focuses on nine easy-to-adopt steps:
- Adjust calorie intake and physical activity
- Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits
- Choose foods made mostly with whole grains
- Choose healthy sources of protein
- Choose sources of unsaturated fat
- Choose minimally processed foods
- Minimize intake of added sugars
- Choose foods low in sodium
- If alcohol is consumed, limit intake
The usual standbys of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables and whole rather than refined grains make up the core of the diet.
Whole wheat, oats, brown rice, quinoa, and barley carry fiber and essential minerals that refined grains lose.
The three items the organization recommends cutting out? Ultra-processed foods, foods with high sodium content and added sugars.
The AHA particularly emphasized minimally processed foods over ultra-processed foods like packaged snacks, sugary drinks, processed meats and sweetened cereals.
These foods have been shown to have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, metabolic syndrome, obesity, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, Type 2 diabetes and even premature death.
Protein choices matter too, as healthy non-processed sources of protein, such as legumes, nuts, fish, low-fat or fat-free dairy and lean unprocessed meats, are better for the heart.
Making these swaps and avoiding other ultra-processed fats will also reduce saturated fat intake, another recommendation in the updated guide, as this type of fat is thought to raise cholesterol and cause heart disease.
Cutting back on salt intake, whether through premade food or cooking from scratch, can lower blood pressure in both healthy people and those with hypertension.
And high sugar intake rounds out the danger zone, as adults who get 25 percent or more of their daily calories from added sugars have nearly three times the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared with those who stay below 10 percent.
One of the biggest changes in the guidance, though, was the alcohol recommendations.
While previous research hinted at heart benefits from moderate drinking, new studies found little to no clear protection against heart disease.
Therefore, current drinkers are urged to limit alcoholic beverage consumption, while non-drinkers shouldn’t start at all.
Although not one of the steps listed in the new guidelines, it’s also recommended that children as young as one year old and pregnant women especially focus on healthy eating patterns, as cardiovascular disease start far earlier than expected.
Rather than a rigid prescription, the AHA says this new guidance is a flexible framework offered to fit various lifestyles, budgets and life stages.
Diets that follow align with all nine features include the Mediterranean and DASH diets, as well as pescatarian and vegetarian patterns.
