Boost Your Heart Health With These Food Items

High levels of LDL may clog the artery and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. To lower these bad cholesterol levels, you need to check your diet.

To start with, add food items that may help in boosting the level of good cholesterol or high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in the body.

Fruits are rich in compounds like antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that may prevent heart diseases.

Here is a list of foods that you can incorporate into your daily diet

1. Onions

A 2017 study submitted to the National Library of Medicine found that quercetin, an important compound found in onion helps in lowering cholesterol in rodents. Onions help in preventing inflammation and hardening of arteries. You can consider eating onions raw by tossing them in a salad, or you can add them to your sprout chaat and omelette as well.

Nuts

Nuts are packed with high nutrients. Nuts like Walnut are packed with Omega-3 fatty acids which are good for your heart. The presence of a certain amino acid in Almonds helps in regulating blood pressure. The presence of plant compounds like phytosterols in nuts helps lower cholesterols by preventing absorption into the intestines. Daily intake of these cholesterol-lowering nuts can reduce the risk of heart disease.

Garlic

Garlic adds a strong flavour to your foods and can also lower bad cholesterol. The presence of plant compounds including allicin can help in lowering blood pressure in people with high levels. It may also help in reducing the total and LDL cholesterol levels in the body.

Fatty Fish

Salmon and Mackerel are excellent sources of Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 is known to increase good cholesterol (HDL) levels and may lower the risk of heart stroke. In a study titled -Fish consumption and stroke risk in elderly individuals: the cardiovascular health study, it was found that intake of baked or broiled fish once a week by elderly people lowered the risk of a stroke by 27 per cent. Instead of frying it, steam, stew or broil the fish for positive effects.

Fruits

For a balanced diet, it is extremely important to include fruits as well. Many fruits are healthy for the heart and have soluble fibre which can help in lowering LDL levels.