Diet and nutrition Archive

While the focus is often on avoiding unhealthy foods, adding in nutritious options can be a means of protecting and improving your heart health. Olive oil, mixed nuts, multicolored fruits and vegetables, fatty fish, and sources of soluble fiber are options to try.

Intermittent fasting means that people avoid food for a designated amount of time each day. One of the most popular approaches is called 16/8. People eat during an eight-hour period—for example from noon to 8 p.m.— followed by 16 hours of fasting, in this case from 8 p.m. until noon the next day, when the pattern repeats. While science does not yet know the long-term benefits of intermittent fasting, initial short-term research has suggested the practice may help lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and weight, among other health benefits.

During his lifetime, a man loses about 30% of his muscle mass. Older men can maintain and even regain muscle by combining regular weight training and a proper diet, including adequate amounts of protein. Research suggests that to help counter lost muscle mass, healthy older adults need 1.2 grams of protein for every kilogram of body weight per day. This is calculated by dividing a person's weight in pounds by 2.2 and then multiplying by 1.2.

Some research says taking a daily fish oil supplement can reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, while other studies say the evidence remains thin. While fish oil is the best source of omega-3 fatty acids (essential nutrients that the body cannot make on its own),  taking an over-the-counter fish oil supplement probably provides no extra heart benefit beyond a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of omega-3-rich fatty fish, nuts, and seeds.

What people choose to eat has a big impact on their cardiovascular health. The dietary habits of the nation as a whole also have a major effect on the country's economic health. About 45% of the costs associated with heart disease, stroke, and diabetes is related to unhealthy diets. The dietary habits that appear to have the biggest effect are not eating enough nuts, seeds, and seafood omega-3 fatty acids. Among foods to avoid, sugary beverages and processed meats seem to contribute the most to higher costs. Each year, unhealthy diets cost the United States an average of about $300 per person in medical costs, which translates to $50 billion nationwide.

A sugary diet contributes to weight gain and other factors that boost heart disease risk, including inflammation, disrupted blood sugar control, and increased cholesterol. The typical American diet is very high in added sugar, nearly half of which comes from sugar-sweetened beverages. Another 30% comes from baked goods such as cookies, brownies, cakes, pies, doughnuts, sweet rolls, and pastries. People don't need to completely give up sweet treats but should enjoy them just once or twice a week rather than daily.

The Mediterranean diet is touted for its health benefits, which include a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and potentially even improvements to the gut bacteria, which may reduce harmful inflammation inside the body. Making some simple changes to your current diet can help improve your health. These include switching to olive oil as the primary fat, eating more whole grains and less processed food and sugar and reducing red meat consumption. Whenever possible, base your daily diet on a base of vegetables, fruits and plant-based options.

Over the past decade, nutrition experts have shifted away from recommending a low-fat diet to focusing more on an overall healthy dietary pattern. This eating style, which includes lots of plant-based foods, is naturally low in saturated fats. Found mainly in meat and dairy products, saturated fat can boost levels of harmful LDL cholesterol, a key contributor to heart disease. Cutting back on all types of fat does not necessarily translate into a diet that lowers cardiovascular risk. The plant-centric Mediterranean eating pattern, which is rich in healthy unsaturated fats found in nuts, seeds, and olives, has the best evidence for lowering heart disease risk.

Certain fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds have been labeled "superfoods" because, compared with other foods, they have higher amounts of certain vitamins and minerals and powerful antioxidants. They often are associated with combating high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and even some cancers. But instead of focusing on eating more of individual foods, experts suggest building "superplates" that include a variety of superfoods.