What foods strengthen the heart muscle and are good for it: proper nutrition

What foods are good for the heart

The basis of dietary recommendations for diseases of the cardiovascular system is the formation of a diet exclusively from healthy and natural products. From the point of view of diet therapy and dietary prophylaxis, cardiac pathology is divided into three main groups:

• hyperlipidemia - an increase in the level of lipids (fats) in the blood;
• arterial hypertension (AH) - persistent pathological increase in pressure;
• myocardial infarction (MI) - necrosis of the heart muscle due to impaired blood flow.

Hence, there are three different approaches to diet therapy depending on the main complaints.

Features of nutrition for arterial hypertension

There are a huge number of drugs on the pharmaceutical market that can stop the progression of hypertension. However, any treatment is meaningless without lifestyle modifications. Basic recommendations for patients with hypertension:

• normalization of body weight in case of excess;
• restriction of alcohol, caffeine and complete elimination of smoking (especially for patients with tachycardia);
• moderate daily physical activity;
• control of the amount of absorbed sodium (according to the recommendation of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, no more than 6 g of salt per day, or a completely salt-free diet);
• people at risk of thrombosis (oncology, varicose veins of the lower extremities, postoperative condition, other coagulopathies) are advised to increase their water intake to 1.5-2 liters to thin the blood;
• inclusion in the daily diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products in order to increase the intake of potassium, calcium and magnesium;
• introduction of dietary fiber into the diet at the rate of 5 g per day for beginners with a gradual increase to 25 g for girls and 40 g for men in the absence of contraindications.

For patients with cardiovascular pathology, a unified diet has been developed with an energy value of 2300 kcal / day and limiting salt intake. A person receives a balanced amount of nutrients (70 g of protein, 60 g of fat, 400 g of carbohydrates), B vitamins, magnesium salts and lipotropic substances (help to remove "harmful" fats from the body).
With concomitant ischemic heart disease (IHD), hypertensive patients are recommended an anti-atherosclerotic diet: salt restriction (up to 6 g), enrichment with foods with magnesium, potassium and vitamins.

With chronic circulatory failure, the diet is replenished with potassium-containing products (dried fruits, bananas, apricots).

Diet therapy for hyperlipidemia

Violation of fat metabolism affects the appearance of a person, and affects important vessels in the body. Excessive amounts of lipids in the diet increase the risk of atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and stroke.

Basic principles of prevention of hyperlipidemia:

1. Rational and fractional nutrition - four to five times a day with the correct distribution of daily calories in proteins, fats, carbohydrates and meals. The mode is calculated individually for each patient, as diverse and convenient as possible (taking into account financial capabilities and personal preferences).
2. Give preference to homemade food over fast foods and cafes.
3. Limit the quota of fat in the daily calorie content to 30%. It is recommended to diversify the diet, use in equal parts:

• saturated - palm, coconut, butter, cocoa butter and animal fat;
• monounsaturated - avocado, olive oil, nuts;
• polyunsaturated - cottonseed, safflower, sunflower and soybean oils.

4. Control over the amount of cholesterol-containing products (no more than 300 mg per day).
5. Carbohydrates occupy from 50 to 60% of the daily calorie content. The share of simple (easily digestible - sugar, chocolate, nutritional bars, bakery products) does not exceed 7-10% of the total amount of carbohydrates. It is recommended to use them in the morning, more careful monitoring is advised to patients with diabetes mellitus.
6. Protein in the diet is no more than 17-18% (we reduce the proportion of animals, increase the vegetable to 50%). There are studies recommending eating only protein from plants (beans, lentils, soybeans) two to three times a week. To obtain animal proteins, it is advised to focus on fish and seafood.
7. Limit salt intake in recipes as much as possible. It is no secret that they retain excess fluid in the body by controlling water and electrolyte metabolism.
8. Add potassium and magnesium fortified heart foods to your diet to improve the functioning of the conductive fibers and the central nervous system. The effectiveness is equal to the use of "Riboxin" and other metabolic drugs.
9. Measures aimed at normalizing body weight (weight loss and further prevention of obesity). The calorie content of the diet is selected individually, taking into account the gender, age and lifestyle (profession) of the patient. Limiting total calorie intake and regular physical activity are recommended for overweight patients.

The above recommendations form the basis of the Scandinavian ("Norwegian") diet, which is used by women not only in the European region for controlled weight loss and enrichment of the body with vitamins.

Systemic lipid-lowering therapy involves three stages that will maximize the metabolism of fats:

1. Following the above recommendations for 9-12 weeks under the control of blood parameters (lipid profile).
2. With an improvement in the values, it is recommended to further reduce the amount of fat in the diet to 25%, and total cholesterol to 200 mg / day. The meat is limited to 140-160 g per day.
3. If there is no progress, it is recommended to reduce the fat quota to 20%, and the amount of meat consumed to 90 g / day.

Rational nutrition for heart attack

Myocardial infarction (MI) is one of the three most common CVDs, for which dietary habits differ at different stages of pathology development.

Immediately after the attack, the tactics of drug treatment are aimed at preventing rhythm disturbances and maximizing the sparing of the necrosis zone. Patients in this period are weakened, their appetite is reduced. Even with strong thirst, drinking plenty of fluids is not recommended due to the risk of fluid transfer into the interstitial spaces and the development of tissue edema. Correct water-electrolyte disturbances by parenteral administration of drugs. To quench his thirst, the patient is offered pieces of ice.

Only when the circulating blood volume (BCC) stabilizes and the state of health improves (after one or two days), food intake is resumed and the second stage of diet therapy for MI is resumed.

In order to maximize the removal of the load from the heart, they begin to feed the patient with low calories (1200 kcal, distributed over 60 g of protein, 30 g of fat and 180 g of carbohydrates). Food is cooked in a gentle mode (boiled, baked, steamed) without spices, pungent odors and tastes with a temperature of 23-25 ​​° C.
A few days before discharge, there comes a favorable time to prepare the patient for an extended menu (third stage).The main recommendation is to continue adhering to the in-patient menu, adhere to the diet and monitor the weight.

Basic principles in the third stage:

• increasing calorie intake to 1500-2000 kcal with an adequate level of protein, reducing fat;
• a complete ban on alcohol (at least in the first months after an attack);
• low-sodium diet (salt restriction);
• last meal two to three hours before bedtime.

"Heart vitamins"

Vitamins are found in minimal amounts in the body, but they regulate the work of all organs and systems. Representatives of group B are often prescribed for the treatment of cardiovascular pathologies, therefore the term "cardiac vitamins" is found in the literature. They are obtained in two ways: from food or dietary supplements. I, as a nutritionist, will show you the first way: the right amount and foods that are good for the heart.

Vegetarians prefer seaweed (kelp or blue-green), brewer's yeast, miso sauce, and tofu.

Vitamin C is recommended for patients to strengthen blood vessels; the greatest amount is found in berries (currants, mountain ash, fresh rose hips, strawberries).

Diet for cardiovascular disease: general principles

To achieve the maximum effect and reduce the risk of pathology progression, products for the heart and blood vessels are consumed systematically and in a complex manner. All over the world adhere to evidence-based approaches to diet therapy:

1. Eliminate saturated fat. The World Health Organization (WHO) has named palm, butter, coconut and cocoa butter as the main risk factors for atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease.
2. Limit trans isomers of fatty acids (FFA). TIZHK is mostly found in margarine, cooking oil and all sweets: cakes, cookies, chocolate bars, sweets, waffles.
3. Back in 2003, WHO denied the opinion about the atherosclerotic effect of cholesterol-containing foods. Studies confirm that in only 12% of cases, sources of "cholesterol" stimulate the development of coronary artery disease.
4. Unsaturated fats have a beneficial effect on all metabolic processes (including in the brain), therefore they are purposefully introduced into the diet of cardiac patients. Contained in such products: oil of avocado, evening primrose, walnuts, fish oil. Fish with a high concentration of unsaturated fats is limited to 60 g / day with daily consumption (or 100 g 3 times a week).
5. Proteins. Evidence-based medicine does not recommend reducing the level of protein in the diet: the calculation is carried out on average by 1.2 g / kg of body weight. They control the quality of meat and fish products, give priority to low-fat ("lean") varieties. Recommended Protein Sources:

• meat - turkey, veal (young), rabbit meat;
• dairy products - low-fat cottage cheese;
• fish - salmon, mackerel, cod;
• eggs - no more than four pieces per week;
• legumes (beans, peas, soybeans).

For athletes who increase muscle mass, the calculation is carried out depending on the type and intensity of the load.

6. Carbohydrates - the share in the daily calorie intake is increased due to the limitation of the fat quota. There are healthy (complex) and unhealthy (simple) carbohydrates. Preference is given to the first ones, which are contained in whole grain cereals, vegetable mixtures, greens. It is recommended to use honey sauces for sweetening.
7. Fruits that are good for the heart - bananas, apricots, plums - are introduced into the diet.
8. In practice, there was the term "heart vitamins", which exaggerated the role of thiamine and other members of the group in the treatment of CVD, but evidence-based medicine refuted the prevailing opinion. Vitamins and minerals must be ingested exclusively with food, which improves absorption and prevents overdose.
9. Not overeating is a fundamental principle of diet therapy. An overflowing stomach puts pressure on the diaphragm, which shifts from its usual place and loads the heart.
10. Do not drink too much water. Additional fluid stimulates the body to flood, which negatively affects the work of the heart and blood vessels due to an increase in the BCC.
11. Do not oversalt food. The fact of fluid retention with salt has long been proven and does not need additional confirmation.
12. Potassium normalizes the heart rhythm, has a beneficial effect on the conduction of an impulse through cardiomyocytes (to prevent the development of atrial fibrillation and other types of arrhythmias). In addition, the benefit of the element is in the release of excess fluid from the body. Contained in dried fruits (raisins, dried apricots, prunes), rose hips, fresh apricots, pumpkin and potatoes.
13. Magnesium reduces the excitability of the vagus nerve and vasomotor centers, which leads to a hypotensive effect and controlled bradycardia. This property is used in the diet therapy of cardiovascular disorders. The trace element is found in beets, carrots, black currants, walnuts and almonds, oatmeal, barley and buckwheat cereals, rye and wheat bread.

Conclusions

Adequate treatment of diseases of the circulatory system includes not only drug therapy, but also a well-chosen diet. Doctors recommend a comprehensive approach to the treatment of pathologies and not equate rational nutrition with restrictions. A variety of seafood, vegetable fats and meat, fresh fruits and vegetables replenishes the supply of essential substances and prevents the development of pathologies. And the combination of diet, physical activity and giving up bad habits is the key to good health and longevity.