Heart Health and Nutrition

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When it comes to the root cause of heart diseases, both genetic and environmental factors are effective. Nutrition is one of the most effective environmental factors. Individual characteristics (age, gender, BMI, genetic structure, health problems) must be taken into account when arranging and creating a diet for heart diseases.

What needs to be done to prevent heart diseases is to gain healthy eating habits, to exercise regularly, and to stay away from tobacco and other harmful habits.

Since obesity is a risk factor for heart diseases, the loss of excess weight in the body has an important place here. A body mass index between 18.5 and 24.9 kg/m2 and a waist circumference of < 80 cm for women and < 94 cm for men indicate safe limits.

Reducing total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels to normal limits and blood pressure to remain within normal ranges are among the targets.

For this reason, daily consumption of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grain products, nuts, fish, lean meat and semi-fat dairy products in certain portions is recommended to improve and improve heart health.

The choice of fresh and low-salt foods is also an important factor. The recommended daily salt consumption is 5 g. Bread, ready-made and processed foods, and pickled products are among the groups whose consumption should be controlled due to the amount of salt they contain.

The consumption of foods with added sugar and soft drinks is also among the groups that are not recommended.

Carbohydrates are the fastest and most economical source of energy for the body. Excessive intake of carbohydrates into the body, by converting carbohydrates into fat by the liver, increases the accumulation of fat in certain parts of the body; Insufficient intake causes an increase in protein breakdown in the body.

Daily carbohydrate need can be met with vegetables, fruits and whole grain foods. A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains has a positive effect on blood pressure due to its high fiber content.

Fruit juice, on the other hand, is not the equivalent of fruit, it does not provide satiety because it does not contain fiber, it causes excessive carbohydrate intake. For a diet rich in vitamins and minerals, very colorful vegetables and fruits should be preferred in our daily diet.

The preferred protein sources should generally be healthy sources such as lean red meat, skinless chicken, fish and turkey. It is recommended to consume fish twice a week.

Milk and dairy products should be consumed with or without fat. In meals, liquid oils (sunflower oil, olive oil) should be used instead of solid fat (butter, lard, tallow). Attention should also be paid to where, in what quantity and in how many servings per day the protein and fat sources that we will take into our body are taken from.

It should not be forgotten that Hippocrates said “Let food be your medicine and medicine your food”.