Alliance Healing Center

In the March 2007 Yoga Journal, an article on a heart-healthy diet included the following “power foods” to consider adding to your diet.

1.  Pomegranate Juice is the hottest heart healthy potable these days.  A rich source of powerful antioxidants, it can help prevent hardening of the arteries and treat existing cases.  Plus, a recent study published in the American Journal of Cardiology found that participants who drank 8.5 ounces of pomegranate juice a day for three months experience a 17 percent increase in blood flow to the heart.

2.  Walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.  A recent study published in The Journal of Nutrition found that eating an ounce and a half of walnuts (about 10 whole nuts) every day can lower LDL cholesterol and reduce blood levels of C-reactive protein, an inflammation marker associated with an increased risk of heart disease.

3.  Kidney beans are one of the great undersold foods.  They’re great for soluble fiber, super for protein, and a good source of all kinds of phytonutrients.  Kidney beans in particular are high in cholesterol-reducing fiber (one cup of cooked beans contains 13.4 grams).  Beans are also among the best food sources of folate, a B vitamin that’s been found to reduce blood levels of homocysteine, a known risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

4.  Oats are perhaps the best source of beta-glucan, a form of soluble fiber that can lower LDL cholesterol levels by binding with cholesterol in the digestive tract and preventing it from being reabsorbed in the blood–that’s why the FDA allows heart-health claims on whole oats (there’s no evidence that refined oat flour offers the same benefit)

5.  Avocados are a good source of oleic acid that’s particularly adept at raising HDL cholesterol.  One recent study found an 11 percent increase in HDL after only seven days of an avocado inclusive diet.  They’re also rich in other heart-helpful nutrients, including potassium, which helps keep blood pressure low; folate, which reduces blood levels of homocysteine; and a micronutrient called beta-sitosterol, which may help block the absorption of LDL choloesterol in the large intestine. 

6.  Yellow onions are a good source of the flavonoid quercetin, an antioxidant that’s also found in red wine and tea.  Quercetin is thought to stop the oxidization of LDL cholesterol while promoting HDL levels.  One study showed that the juice of one yellow onion a day can raise HDL cholesterol levels by 30 percent. (White onions may also be beneficial, but red onions were not found to affect HDL.  As a bonus, the sulphur compounds contained in onions may protect against cancer, too.

7.  Soy foods:  the Ornish program recommends one serving per day of “full fat” soy foods (those that naturally contain more than 3 grams of fat per serving), such as tofu or soy milk.  Soy has been found to reduce harmful LDL cholesterol levels while promoting beneficial HDL levels.  But there’s no evidence that extracted soy proteins are as beneficial.

This entry was posted on Monday, March 5th, 2007 at 12:33 pm and is filed under Nutrition. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.