# 8 Surprising Heart-Healthy Foods from The Editors of Men's Health



## smokinhusker (Jul 9, 2012)

Just saw this online and thought it was pretty good.

http://health.yahoo.net/articles/nutrition/photos/8-surprising-heart-healthy-foods#0

Five dollar foot-longs: good for the heart? Well, kind of. Earlier this summer the American Heart Association put its stamp of approval on certain Subway meals, crowning the sub shop the first fast-food chain to don the “Heart-Check” logo on its menu.

While the whole menu isn’t fair game, some of your favorite sandwiches like the black forest ham, oven roasted chicken, and subway club on 9-grain bread—at 6 inches—meet the American Heart Association’s standards for amounts of calories, sodium, cholesterol, saturated fat, and trans fat. (Want to drop pounds eating delicious restaurant fare? Pick up _Eat This, Not That! 2012  _today.)

Shocked? Heart-healthy foods don’t have to mean boring oatmeal and dry salmon. Here are three more that may surprise you.

Spicy Foods Heartburn or heart protector? When researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong studied the effects of capsaicinoids—compounds that lends flavor to chili peppers and jalapenos—in hamsters, rodents fed the spicy foods showed lower levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol than the animals that ate capsaicinoid-free meals. What’s up? Capsaicionoids appear to block the gene that causes your arteries to contract, leading to relaxed muscles and better blood flow to the heart, researchers believe. Your move: Don’t go overboard with the Mexican. Instead, spice up a salad with half a chili pepper, or a tablespoon of chili flakes a day. Bonus: Sip that Bloody Mary guilt-free—it’s also packed with the capsaicinoid cayenne.

Beer Red wine may soon have company on the healthy drinks menu. According to a recent review of more than 18 studies on booze, beer is just as good for your heart as vino. Drinking a little more than a pint of beer a day could make you 30 percent less likely than non-drinkers to suffer from stroke, heart attacks, and heart disease, researchers found. Credit heart benefits to the alcohol itself, and polyphenols (antioxidants) in beer. And make sure to drink that beer with a smile—click here to learn The Surprising Heart Benefits of Optimism*.*

Burgers As long as they’re grass-fed. How come? A heart-healthy diet has to be balanced in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid ratio is usually way out of whack on most of your conventional beef, but with grass-fed beef, it’s close to 1:3—similar to the ratio found in most heart-healthy fish. Another bonus? Grass-fed beef is loaded with cardio-protective vitamin E*. *Check out your local farmer’s market to find the best grass-fed beef.

Pasta The antioxidants in pasta help control inflammation and insulin, which in turn helps reduce levels of harmful LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. When Harvard University researchers analyzed the diets of more than 27,000 people over 8 years, they discovered that those who ate whole grains daily weighed 2.5 pounds less than those who ate refined grains. The solution? Start by avoiding these 7 Worst Pasta Dishes in America.

Scrambled Eggs A study in the _Journal of Nutrition _found that eating eggs increases HDL (“good”) cholesterol but not LDL (“bad”) cholesterol. So eggs actually help your arteries stay clear! In another study, overweight participants ate a 340-calorie breakfast of either two eggs or a single bagel 5 days a week for 8 weeks. Those who ate eggs (including the yolk) reported higher energy levels and lost 65 percent more weight—with no effect on their total cholesterol levels.

Steak Yes, it’s true: Even beef can give bad cholesterol a gut-punch, says a study published in the _American Journal of Clinical Nutrition._  Study participants ate portions of 4.0 and 5.4 ounces of lean beef daily, and saw decreases in “bad” LDL cholesterol of up to 10 percent when combined with a healthy diet.

What gives? Previous studies that found that red meat increases heart disease risk have one big flaw: They lump processed meats (sausage, hot dogs, Spam) in a category with red meat. “These are completely different from lean beef in terms of nutrition,” says nutritionist and coauthor of the study Michael Roussell, Ph.D.

Drumsticks “The extra fat in dark turkey or chicken meat raises your levels of cholecystokinin (CCK), a hormone that makes you feel fuller, longer,” says Alan Aragon, M.S., a California-based nutritionist. The benefit: You'll be less likely to overeat in the hours that follow your meal. What about your cholesterol? Only a third of the fat in a turkey drumstick is the saturated kind. (The other two-thirds are heart-healthy unsaturated fats.) What's more, 86 percent of that saturated fat either has no impact on cholesterol, or raises HDL (“good”) cholesterol more than LDL (“bad”) cholesterol—a result that actually lowers your heart-disease risk.

Ketchup There are two things you need to know about tomatoes: red are the best, because they’re packed with more of the antioxidant lycopene; and processed tomatoes are just as potent as fresh ones, because it’s easier for the body to absorb the lycopene. Studies show that a diet rich in lycopene can decrease your risk of coronary artery disease. It took people just one glass of tomato juice and 2 tablespoons of ketchup every day for 3 weeks to cut LDL cholesterol levels by an average of 8.5 percent, according to a study in the _British Journal of Nutrition_.


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## michael ark (Jul 9, 2012)

Thanks you the info.Thumbs Up


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## diggingdogfarm (Jul 9, 2012)

That's interesting, but 2 tbsp. of ketchup (and the equivalent of 2 sugar cubes worth of sugar) as source of lycopene from tomatoes seems a little weird.
Sun-dried tomatoes provide the most lycopene, gram per gram, and don't, in most cases, have the added sugar.

~Martin


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## smokinhusker (Jul 9, 2012)

You're very welcome! 


michael ark said:


> Thanks you the info.


Personally I don't like ketchup on too many things. We eat loads of fresh tomatoes and tomato juice. I know ketchup has lots of sugar, but a bottle can sit in my fridge forever! Sun dried tomatoes are yummy too.


DiggingDogFarm said:


> That's interesting, but 2 tbsp. of ketchup (and the equivalent of 2 sugar cubes worth of sugar) as source of lycopene from tomatoes seems a little weird.
> Sun-dried tomatoes provide the most lycopene, gram per gram, and don't, in most cases, have the added sugar.
> 
> ~Martin


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## brian rumbley (Nov 16, 2012)

At age 32 I had a major heart attack because of a delicious but unhealthy lifestyle. Bacon Cheeseburgers, subs, and salty foods ruled my world, until it was all nearly taken from me. Long story short, I've had to totally reconstruct my diet, and it all started with the death of salt. Then the loss of fatty meats was conquered by getting lean meats that I can then butcher myself. The best thing I did, was start making my own NO SODIUM BBQ sauce! I've lost weight, I'm in much better shape, and my family LOVES my cooking!

Anyhow, if anyone wants any ideas on how to still eat great meals while taking the doctor's orders, drop me a message! I'm no chef, or nutritionist. I've worked in a kitchen or two, and know my way around a grill or smoker, but I'm just a guy that was forced to turn my unhealthy lifestyle around and find a way to make it taste good. 

Here's a quick tip: If you want to be able to eat that 1000mg worth of sodium in one meal bad enough, you'll figure out how to eat several meals that are low sodium enough to get you there. Read every label. Look for alternatives. Start eating more often but smaller portions, and you'll find that it doesn't take as much to satisfy your hunger pangs. I still enjoy the occasional pizza, but now it's Stouffer's French Bread. Low in sodium (around 500mg, which is less than the common sandwich) and quite filling! That still leaves me with 500-100mg worth of sodium to spread out through the day. Make these types of adjustments, and enjoy that dinner out with the normal eaters every once in a while!

Brian Rumbley
34 Dilated Cardiomyopathy, Congestive Heart Failure, Coronary Artery Disease
Father of two beautiful children that want their Daddy to see them grow up


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## brian rumbley (Nov 16, 2012)

Oh, and ketsup is high in sodium. Find the unsalted version, or make your own using sugar alernatives as well. I use Heinz no salt added. I also use no salt added tomato sauce. All of these little things can go a long way to keeping your heart, liver  and kidneys happy.


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## linguica (Nov 16, 2012)

DiggingDogFarm said:


> That's interesting, but 2 tbsp. of ketchup (and the equivalent of 2 sugar cubes worth of sugar) as source of lycopene from tomatoes seems a little weird.
> Sun-dried tomatoes provide the most lycopene, gram per gram, and don't, in most cases, have the added sugar.
> ~Martin


Try this ketchup from "HotandSpicy"              I could eat this stuff over toast. Low sugar

I like to make as much of what I eat from scratch.  I used to prefer Heinz Ketchup over any others.  Since I got this recipe from another cooking forum I belong to I have not bought Heinz again. 

*Ketchup* I think this recipe came from Hillbilly Housewife

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 cup agave syrup
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon Splenda
1 teaspoon salt
dash of cloves
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until smooth. When mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat and slimmer for 20 minutes, stirring often. Remove pan from heat and cover until cool.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.


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## daveomak (Nov 16, 2012)

Good news for a change.......   http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Healthday/story?id=4509390&page=1

TUESDAY, Nov. 13 (HealthDay News) -- *Eating nitrite/nitrate-rich foods such as vegetables and cured meats may help improve the chances of surviving a heart attack and of recovering more quickly*.

That's the finding of a preliminary study in the Nov. 12 online edition of the _Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences_.

Researchers found that mice fed extra nitrite and nitrate had 48 percent less cell death in the heart following a heart attack than mice fed a regular diet. Mice fed a low nitrite/nitrate diet had 59 percent greater cell death.

The study also found that 77 percent of mice fed extra nitrite survived a heart attack, compared with 58 percent of mice fed a low nitrite diet.

"This is a very significant finding, given the fact the simple components of our diet -- nitrite and nitrate -- that we have been taught to fear and restrict in food can now protect the heart from injury," lead author Nathan S. Bryan, a cardiovascular physiologist at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, said in a prepared statement.

"Simple changes in our daily dietary habits such as eating nitrite and nitrate-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables and some meats in moderation can drastically improve outcome following a heart attack," said Bryan, who is also an assistant professor at the university's Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine for the Prevention of Human Diseases.

He explained that nitrite forms nitric oxide gas during a heart attack, which reopens closed or clogged arteries and reduces the amount of permanent damage to the heart muscle.

"This paper provides the first demonstration of the consequences of changes in dietary nitrite and nitrate on nitric oxide biochemistry and the outcome of heart attack," Bryan said.

The next logical step in this line of research would be to determine if increasing nitrite/nitrate intake in patients with known cardiovascular risk factors would decrease the incidence and severity of heart attack and stroke, or enhance recovery, he said.

* page While some studies have linked nitrites/nitrates with cancer, Bryan said many of those study findings were based on weak epidemiological data*


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## johnstephen1 (Feb 22, 2013)

I also use Heinz no salt added. All of these little things are very helpful to keeping our heart, liver and kidneys happy as well.

Earler i shocked when read this article but thanks for the information.

__________________

Mashomecare.com


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