Foods That Can Save Your Heart — Part II
- Posted by andrea on March 18th, 2008 filed in Prevention
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LOWFAT OR NONFAT YOGURT: In studies, people who ate enough of these two minerals and kept their sodium intake low experienced drops in both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. The reduction is larger in people with hypertension, but yogurt also lowers blood pressure a little in people with normal levels.
GARLIC: This tasty bulb has a mild cholesterol-lowering effect and also keeps LDL from building up in the arteries and contributing to plaque. You need to consume several cloves a day to get the protective benefits. To fit it into your meals, use garlic as often as you can in cooking.
EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL: Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats, which can lower LDL when they replace saturated fat in your diet. Try replacing saturated fat–rich foods with olive oil, as well as with avocado, nuts, and other sources of monos. Extra-virgin olive oil has an advantage over other types: It packs extra polyphenols, compounds that keep LDL cholesterol from sticking to artery walls.