Lifestyle Practices That Help Prevent Heart Disease
04:20
Fruit is a friend to the heart, boosting its health by lowering some of the key risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Eating plenty of fruits may play a “major role” in preventing clogged arteries, which can lead to a heart attack, studies have found.
The soluble fiber in fruit can improve cholesterol, for example, says Dr. Annapoorna Kini, a cardiologist at the Mount Sinai Fuster Heart Hospital in New York.
“The American diet has very little fiber. The usual fiber recommendation is more than 20 grams, 25 to 30 is ideal, but nobody can get that,” Kini tells TODAY.com.
Soluble fiber dissolves in water and forms a gel-like substance in the gut, which traps cholesterol and its precursors. It’s then excreted in a bowel movement, naturally lowering cholesterol levels in the body.
Eating lots of whole fruits may also reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure, researchers reported in the journal Hypertension. Fruits contain potassium, which can help ease tension on blood vessel walls and reduce the effects of too much sodium, the American Heart Association notes.
Then, there’s fruit’s power to reduce inflammation — thanks to its vitamins and antioxidants — which may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
It’s best to eat a variety of whole fruits to get lots of different nutrients, and consume fruit fresh, rather than cooking or baking it, to avoid losing any of the nutrients in the process, Kini says. She also advises avoiding fruit juice, which can lead to a “sugar rush” since it’s missing the fiber of whole fruit.
Here are nine fruits to consider when aiming to reduce heart disease risk:
Berries
“You should try to eat some fruits with the best fiber, so berries probably are the best,” Kini says, adding, “Raspberry has the highest fiber.”
Anthocyanins, the plant pigments that give blueberries their signature color, can improve endothelial function, or blood flow, studies note. Eating blueberries daily lowered systolic blood pressure, the top number of the reading.
A higher intake of anthocyanins, which are also found in strawberries and blackberries, was associated with a 32% reduction in the risk of a heart attack, a study found.
Berries are among cardiologists’ favorite fruits.
Grapes
Grapes contain phytonutrients — beneficial compounds produced by plants such as resveratrol, which has been studied for its cardioprotective benefits. These compounds are mostly found in the skin of the fruit, says registered dietitian Natalie Rizzo, <a href="https://health.kporia.com/which-is-best-for-personalized-nutrition/” title=”Which is Best for Personalized Nutrition?”>nutrition editor for TODAY.
Grape polyphenols, a subgroup of phytonutrients, can lower blood pressure, researchers noted, identifying grapes as fruits that have shown “potent cardiovascular protective action.”
Others on the list include blueberries, pomegranates, apples and avocado.
Apples
The popular fruit is rich in pectin, a soluble fiber. Eating two apples a day was shown to lower cholesterol and improve cardiometabolic biomarkers in a randomized trial.
Quercetin, a flavonoid in apples, can decrease systolic blood pressure by three points, research has found. Flavonoids are plant compounds with health benefits, and quercetin possesses “strong anti-inflammatory capacities,” studies note.
Don’t peel your apples: The skin contains most of the fruit’s fiber and quercetin, Rizzo advises.
Pears
Apples and pears are similar when it comes to nutrient content, but pears have even more fiber.
One medium pear has 6 grams of fiber, or about 20% of the daily recommended amount, Rizzo notes.
“This delicious fruit is my secret weapon for meeting your fiber goals,” she says.
Pear or apple intake “significantly decreased” the risk of cardiovascular death, a review of studies found.
Avocado
An abundance of research links avocados with heart health, Rizzo points out. It has good fat and is a tasty butter substitute.
Registered dietitian Kristin Kirkpatrick lists avocados on her list of foods that lower blood pressure.
A review of studies found eating avocados twice a day as part of a low saturated fat and cholesterol diet can help lower total and LDL cholesterol, the type that clogs arteries. A separate study found higher avocado intake was associated with lower risk of heart disease.
Citrus Fruits
Flavonoids found in oranges, lemons and grapefruit can reduce inflammation, cholesterol and blood pressure, a potential reason why they have a “therapeutic role” against atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, a study notes.
The membranes and pith of citrus fruits contain pectin, a soluble fiber.
Pomegranate
These fruits contain brilliantly red arils, or seeds, that are high in antioxidants. The color comes from anthocyanins, the beneficial plant pigments also found in blueberries.
Pomegranate juice can “significantly decrease” both the top and bottom number of the blood pressure reading, a review of studies found.
A compound produced in the body after eating pomegranates improves the heart’s ability to relax, which could lead to treatment that may help some heart failure patients, researchers at King’s College London reported in August.
Watermelon
“Anything that is red color is good because red color contains a thing called lycopene. This lycopene is a good antioxidant,” Kini says. “Watermelon has a lot a lot of lycopene.”
The amount of lycopene in watermelon is about 40% higher than raw tomatoes, the American Heart Association notes.
Watermelon is also rich in citrulline, an amino acid linked to the production of nitric oxide, which is important for blood vessel health, the AHA adds.
Cherries
Eating cherries has “significant potential” to reduce the risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease, a study notes.
Like berries, these deeply hued fruits are “richanins that can help reduce blood pressure and cholesterol
