#10 Super Foods for Heart Health (Handpicked by Ayurveda)

By following lifestyle changes to prevent heart disease and choosing superfoods, you can balance the hormones as well as your heart, naturally.

Let’s focus on what the good foods for the heart are.

#10 | Vegetables

Beans, brussels sprouts, broccoli, green herbs and green leafy vegetables like spinach, lettuce, and kale have useful phytochemicals and antioxidants. These nutrient-enriched vegetables are the best foods for heart health.

#9 | Fruits

Avocado, berries, bananas, pears, apples, oranges, and grapes have vitamins C, K, and B and potassium, which shield the heart and promote overall wellness.

#8 | Legumes

Beans, lentils, and chickpeas are rich in plant-based protein, fiber, and magnesium, which help lower cholesterol and regulate blood sugar.

#7 | Whole Grains

Brown rice, oats, and whole wheat have fiber and vitamins. They lower bad cholesterol and keep your digestion smooth.

#6 | Lean Proteins

Lean meats, fish, eggs and tofu are good proteins with less fat. They keep muscles strong and support heart health.

#5 | Nuts and Seeds

Almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds, and chia seeds have healthy fats. They reduce inflammation and protect blood vessels.

#4 | Healthy Oils

Olive oil, flaxseed oil, and avocado oil are considered heart-healthy oils. They help balance cholesterol and protect your heart.

#3 | Green Tea & Herbal Teas

Green tea has antioxidants that lower bad cholesterol and improve blood flow. It’s a soothing drink for your heart. Some herbal teas like Pravek’s Ayurvedic Tea also contain herbal antioxidants without any tea leaves or caffeine, and are helpful in reducing stress in our modern hectic lifestyles.

#2 | Low or Fat-Free Dairy Products

Dairy products like milk and yogurt are widely known to give calcium and vitamin D. While they make bones strong they also help control blood pressure!

#1 | Dark Chocolate (70% Cocoa or More)

The top-most superfood for the heart is dark chocolate (70% cocoa or more) as it has antioxidants that improve circulation and lower blood pressure.

| Must Read: Ayurvedic Tips to Maintain a Healthy Heart and Lifestyle

If you want to keep your heart thriving and functioning properly, you must limit sodium, saturated foods, foods with added sugar, alcohol, and cigarettes. Foods like full-fat dairy, fatty meats, fried foods, sugary items like cakes, pastries, drinks, and candies, as well as canned and processed foods. 

Moreover, ready-made foods and preservative-based foods should be avoided or limited, and you should opt for heart-healthy foods that will provide wholesome nutrients to the heart and body organs.

In Ayurveda, everything begins with the three doshas (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha). Before planning your diet, it is important to understand your unique dosha type. This knowledge helps you determine what foods truly support your health and which ones to avoid. 

After all, the foods generally considered good for a healthy heart may not always be the best for yours. If any dosha is imbalanced in your body, the desired benefits may not be achieved. Therefore, always identify your dosha and recognize which one may be out of balance.

| Must Read: Understanding the Tridoshas and a Guide to Balancing Them

Including improper diet, hormonal imbalance may also affect cardiac health. Yes, this is true, especially when the cortisol hormone is unbalanced. Cortisol is a stress hormone that directly affects our blood, cholesterol, and blood sugar level. So, it is crucial to keep your hormones in check which can be balanced by opting for a healthy lifestyle and wholesome diet.

Q1. What foods are good for the heart?
Foods rich in fiber, omega-3s, and antioxidants like oats, fatty fish, nuts, green leafy vegetables, and berries are excellent for heart health.

Q2. How do I make my heart stronger?
Regular exercise or yoga, a balanced diet, and stress management, strengthen your heart. Avoiding smoking or excessive alcohol is strongly recommended to help maintain a healthy and strong heart.

Q3. Which fruit cleans the heart?
Berries, apples, pears, and citrus fruits help reduce toxin buildup and improve blood vessel health.

Q4. What are three foods cardiologists say not to eat?

Cardiologists often recommend avoiding processed meats, sugary baked, processed foods and drinks, and high-fat foods.

“Healthy habits are your heart’s desire.” To fulfil its desire, you must adopt a wholesome diet which includes heart-friendly foods like green leafy vegetables, fruits, legumes, dark chocolate, whole grains, and lean proteins. 

As heart-healthy foods are one of the foremost transformation to adopt, you may also take help from the powerful companions handpicked by Ayurveda, like Arjuna herb for maintaining cardiac health and Chyawanprash - an age old Ayurvedic gooseberry jam fortified with herbs and minerals that is helpful in maintaining healthy liver and heart function, strengthening immunity, and promoting overall wellness.

Therefore, by taking these good foods for heart health and natural supplements, exercise, and yoga, one can keep the heart in good shape. 

Eat Healthy and Stay Young at Heart!

1. Emotion suppression affects cardiovascular responses to initial and subsequent laboratory stressors
2. Chyawanprash: A Traditional Indian Bioactive Health Supplement
3. Revisiting Terminalia arjuna – An Ancient Cardiovascular Drug
4. Choose Heart-Healthy Foods