The key to a heart-healthy diet is being mindful of salt and saturated fat. Photo / 123rf
From chocolate and coffee to oats and baked beans, three experts reveal the simple foods they eat to keep heart disease at bay.
Eating for heart health doesn’t need to be complicated or involve an expensive visit to a health food store. These days, some of the most powerful, nutrient-dense foods are just everyday items which are all stocked in the supermarket.
The key to a heart-healthy diet is being mindful of salt and saturated fat, says Dr Jo Lunn, a lead nutritionist at John Lewis Partnership. She reminds us that the NHS recommends consuming no more than 6g salt per day, “as increased sodium levels can cause hypertension or high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease".
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“Choosing healthier unsaturated fats over saturated fats can reduce ‘bad’ cholesterol and increase the ‘good’, lowering the risk of heart disease,” Lunn explains. And the good news is, with just a few food swaps, you can make your favourite meals significantly more heart-friendly with very little effort.
If anyone knows about looking after our tickers it’s got to be the cardiologist Dr Jay Shah, the chief medical officer at Aktiia, a blood pressure monitoring company. “Leafy greens such as spinach and kale are good for your heart and blood pressure because they are rich in nutrients that produce nitric oxide in the body,” explains Shah. “Nitric oxide is known to be beneficial for the relaxation of blood vessels, and therefore can help lower blood pressure and reduce cardiovascular risk.”
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The leaves should be cooked with as little boiling or cooking as possible to retain the maximum amount of nutrients. Spinach can be used as a salad base, or thrown into a smoothie with berries to sweeten. For those who find raw kale unappealing, it’s delicious seasoned and roasted with a drizzle of olive oil.
The popular pink fish is good for the heart and blood pressure because it contains a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids, says Shah. “Specifically salmon is rich in EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) EPA and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) which are both anti-inflammatory, as well as potassium, which can help lower blood pressure.”
In fact, says Dr Federica Amati, the head nutritionist at health company Zoe and the author of Every Body Should Know This, all oily fish are “absolute stars for your heart”. The omega-3s help reduce inflammation, lower LDL cholesterol, and improve blood circulation, she says.
Indeed, the Mediterranean diet, known particularly for its heart health benefits, relies heavily on fish. Aim for 2-3 servings of oily fish like salmon, mackerel, or sardines every week.
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It’s simple to grill, bake or steam if you wish to avoid frying it, and can be flaked into pasta sauces to make it go further. Lunn recommends serving with some wholegrain rice (in a pouch if you’re in a rush) and steamed edamame beans for additional fibre.
It’s traditional to stock up on the funny-shaped juglandaceae (as they’re known in Latin) at Christmas, but don’t forget about eating walnuts for the rest of the year. These little gems are a heart health powerhouse, says Amati. “Packed with omega-3 fatty acids, walnuts are scientifically proven to lower ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and reduce inflammation; two key contributors to heart disease,” she adds.
Don’t like the “mouth-feel” of walnuts? Shah recommends a daily handful of almonds instead. “They are rich in unsaturated fats and fibre, which can help lower bad cholesterol.” They are also rich in vitamin E which can help improve vascular flow, he says, and the flavonoids found in the skin are antioxidants, while the potassium and magnesium in almonds can help lower blood pressure.
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Delia Smith’s coffee and walnut cake is the stuff of bakers’ legend, but alas our waistlines won’t thank us. And more calories (leading to weight gain) clearly negates the heart benefits.
Instead, suggests Amati, “Snack on a handful as a midday pick-me-up, sprinkle them over a salad for an interesting texture, or top your morning yoghurt for a crunchy boost.”
Shah blends them in his smoothies, while Lunn suggests spreading almond butter on toast.
Extreme weather conditions affecting harvests saw a vast price hike in extra virgin olive oil last year, but they’re slowly coming back down again, so our wallets won’t be hit quite so hard. And the cost is worth it as Amati describes a daily dose of the distinctive golden liquid as “non-negotiable” if heart health is a priority. “It regulates blood sugar, reduces inflammation, and may even reduce your risk of chronic diseases,” she says. “Choose high-quality brands, like Frantoi or Citizens of Soil, for maximum benefits.”
Anecdotally, there are claims that drinking the oil neat (some Mediterraneans drink 60ml every morning) can soothe your stomach and even aid weight loss.
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If drinking it neat doesn’t appeal, it’s perfect for drizzling over roasted vegetables or fish, or whisking into a superior salad dressing.
Dark chocolate is a firm favourite for Amati. “It’s packed with flavonoids, particularly flavanols, which can improve blood flow, lower blood pressure, and reduce inflammation,” she says.
Flavanols are plant chemicals which are abundant in cocoa beans. Like all antioxidants, flavanols stop unstable molecules known as free radicals from damaging our cells. A lack of antioxidants in the diet can put you at a higher risk of heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes and other long-term diseases.
Studies looking into the flavanols in cocoa beans, particularly the flavanol epicatechin, have linked them to benefits for heart health such as making your blood vessels more elastic and lowering blood pressure. Amati advises aiming for 70% cocoa or higher to reap the health benefits, over the dark chocolate versions of say, a Kit-Kat, Aero, or digestive biscuit, as when cocoa is processed into chocolate many of the flavanols are removed.
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If you enjoy ending a meal with a sweet treat it might stop you needing a proper pudding. “It’s perfectly fine to enjoy a few squares every day, or sprinkle some cacao nibs over your morning oats or smoothie for a rich, yet bitter crunch,” says Amati.
Our morning cup of Joe – once demonised as bad for us – genuinely boasts many health benefits. As well as recently being praised for reducing neck cancer and possibly warding off Alzheimer’s, Amati points to one recent study that found that morning coffee drinkers are 31% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease.
“It’s good for the heart as the active compounds help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation,” Amati says. Research exploring the strong effect of coffee on the gut microbiome, also found that “coffee drinkers tend to have more diverse gut microbiomes than non coffee-drinkers,” she adds.
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Amati insists that any coffee (even instant) works. “Just avoid unfiltered coffees, such as Turkish coffee or French press, because these contain diterpenes (oily substances found in the beans). “While coffee lovers say these oils improve the taste, they can also raise LDL cholesterol levels,” she adds.
If you’re looking to cut out on calories drink it black or just with a splash of milk and say no to the flavoured syrups.
Budget-friendly and probably now even sold even in your local corner shop, the small fish are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, and help reduce inflammation and lower triglyceride levels, a type of fat that stores unused calories and provides energy for the body. High levels of triglyceride increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, and so reducing them is “crucial for cardiovascular health”, says dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine, the author of How Not To Eat Ultra-Processed.
Sardines aren’t just a nutritional powerhouse for heart health, they support overall health too “as they’re also a fantastic source of vitamin D and calcium,” adds Ludlam-Raine.
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“Be adventurous, they’re obviously easy to spread on whole-grain toast for a quick and nutritious lunch, but adding them into a salad will boost your protein intake or mix them into pasta for a flavoursome kick,” says the dietician. Look for those canned in olive oil, tomatoes or water (as opposed to sunflower oil or brine) to keep the added ingredients heart-healthy too.
The reddish-purple vegetable with a swollen bulb at the root is a bit of a Marmite love or loathe sort of food. But if you fall into the former camp, beetroot is a simple yet effective way to support your heart. “Rich in dietary nitrates, it helps lower blood pressure by improving blood vessel function, making it a natural vasodilator,” says Ludlam-Raine. These nitrates improve circulation as well as being loaded with fibre and antioxidant, adds Amati.
The benefits are there even if you buy it in a jar. And studies show the juice alone can reduce blood pressure. For a more convenient option, opt for pre-cooked vacuum-packed beetroot, which are widely available in supermarkets, says Ludlam-Raine. Just ensure it’s not pickled in sugary or salty brine or rinse the beetroot before prepping if it is.
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Enjoy sliced or diced jarred beetroot in salads, blended into smoothies or they’re delicious (and look pretty) roasted as a side dish, says Ludlam-Raine. Amati adds that it’s nice grated in salads and makes a delicious homemade beetroot hummus for a heart-healthy dip.
All the experts sang the praises of starting your day with oats, with Ludlam-Raine calling them “a classic staple for heart health, thanks to their high beta-glucan content”. This soluble fibre helps to optimise cholesterol levels by binding to LDL cholesterol in the gut, preventing absorption into the bloodstream, she explains.
Amati says as well as doing all this, they also stabilise blood sugar and should be everyone’s go-to breakfast, especially on chilly winter mornings. Steel-cut oats are best as they have a higher fibre content, she says, while Ludlam-Raine agrees, but also suggests choosing plain rolled oats over flavoured packets to avoid added sugars.
How to serve
Enjoy them as overnight oats (soaked in milk and left in the fridge overnight), porridge topped with fresh fruit and seeds or blended into smoothies for breakfast. Or try adding oats to a fruit-based crumble, or even using them as a crumb coating for chicken or fish, says Ludlam-Raine. While Amati suggests topping with walnuts, chia seeds, and a handful of berries for the ultimate healthy start to your day.
We all know they’re good for us, but many of us are unsure how to get more of them into our diets. “Pulses are a great source of protein, which we need to maintain our bones and muscles, along with fibre,” says Lunn, but she points to specific studies which show they reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, too. Common pulses are chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans and beans – whether butter, broad or runner. Even the humble baked bean counts.
And don’t be put off by the thought you might have to soak anything overnight.
How to serve
Baked beans and a jacket potato (or on toast) is an easy classic. But picking up a pot of supermarket soup can pack in 10 different plant varieties and counts as one of your five a day.
Lentils also work well as a side dish with fish or chicken. Or throw tinned chickpeas into a blender with garlic, tahini and olive oil to make a homemade hummus dip in minutes.
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