Heart disease health centre

Five super foods for your heart

Food for the heart: Spinach

We should all be eating as much spinach as Popeye, according to the British Dietetic Association, who cannot speak highly enough about the health benefits of this super food.

Ursula Arens, a dietician and spokesperson for the BDA, says, “We can’t bang the drum enough in praise of spinach. As a nation we eat very few dark green things and this is jam packed with nutrients”.

The dark green, leafy vegetable (and its cousins such as kale, Swiss chard, broccoli, and spring greens) is high in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The NHS says "Fruit and veg are packed with essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre that can help reduce the risk of diseases like cancer and heart disease."

Spinach is also rich in folate and the NHS says: "eating foods high in folic acid, such as green leafy vegetables or wholegrains, are known to lower homocysteine levels." An emerging risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease is a high level of homocysteine.

The BDA recommends eating a portion a day of your favourite dark green, leafy vegetable and says it does not matter if you eat it raw, boiled or fried.

Food for the heart: Salmon

Nutritionist Kathleen Zelman, WebMD’s director of nutrition, says she’s a “huge salmon fan”. “Salmon is widely available, affordable, fast and easy”, she says.

Oily fish such as salmon (as well as mackerel, herring, and sardines) contain high levels of Omega-3s. The NHS says "There is evidence that omega-3 fatty acids, primarily those found in oily fish, when eaten as part of a healthy diet, can help maintain a healthy heart and reduce risk of heart disease." The British Heart Foundation concurs:  "It is well established that a dietary intake of omega-3 is good for heart health. Oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel or sardines, is a nutritious source of omega-3."

Research has also found that Omega-3 fatty acids prevent blood clots by making platelets less likely to clump together and stick to artery walls. Blood vessels are also less likely to constrict, making the heart less vulnerable to life-threatening irregular heart rates.

The British Heart Foundation recommends eating at least two servings of fish (including one of oily fish like salmon) a week; a serving is between 85 grams and 170 grams.

Food for the heart: Soya protein

Rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamins, and minerals, soya protein is a good alternative for red meat, says Ms Arens. It is also lower in fat and higher in fibre than many meat choices.

In people with high cholesterol, studies show that soya protein, when eaten with a healthy low-fat diet, lowers cholesterol. In fact, researchers found that people who ate a diet of several cholesterol-fighting foods lowered their cholesterol as much as people who took medicine.

Both the BDA and the BHF encourage eating at least 25 grams of soya protein daily. You can get your soya from soyabeans (they taste a bit like Oriental broad beans and are sold frozen in supermarkets), soya nuts, soya milk, soya flour, energy bars, fortified cereal, tempeh, and tofu.