Many people around the globe get life-threatening risks linked to poor heart health. In the United Staes alone, heart disease is the leading cause of death with one person dying every 37 seconds from cardiovascular disease.
Plenty of billions are invested in research and treatment of heart-related diseases but it still remains a major killer.
Some of the major causes of heart-related disease are;
- Insulin résistance or diabetes.
- High cholesterol
- Blood pressure.
- Unhealthy foods
- Obesity.
However, the cause of heart disease above can be prevented or relieved by a healthy diet that involves eating heart-friendly food, herbs, and spices.
In this article, we shall be looking at the spices you can add to food for better heart health.
Are spices good for your heart?
Spices can healthy as they are packed with lots of health benefits. Some spices are making the skin healthier, longer hair, boost manpower, improve eyesight and some are great for the heart.
For the heart, spices can be good as they clear the blood vessels to prevent fat accumulation in arteries, lower high blood pressure, and help promote general heart health.
Many spices are also able to stabilize cholesterol levels thus reducing the risk of heart disease.
Though not directly many spices pose health benefits that promote a healthy heart. For example, some spices aid weight loss and prevent obesity which is a major cause of heart disease. Such benefits make spices healthy and good for your heart.
What are the best spices for heart health?
Spices are known for many benefits and of which heart health is among them. These are the best spices for heart health;
1. Cayenne
Cayenne is a spice known for its hot pungent taste and is packed with a lot of health benefits as it is packed with vitamin C, potassium, and capsaicin which is the active ingredient that gives it the hot taste.
For heart health, capsaicin helps to clear lipids and fat from the arteries ensuring a smooth flow of blood to the heart. This helps prevent heart attacks.
Additionally, cayenne is known for lowering high blood pressure. In a study
, it was found out that capsaicin found in cayenne reduced high blood pressure.
Among other benefits of cayenne to the hear is relaxing arteries making the expansion and contraction easier and smoother.
2. Garlic.
Another great spice for your heart is garlic. Garlic is native to Siberia and is widely used in all parts of the world. The main compounds of allicin and Sulphur are responsible for its many health benefits for the body.
It is good for cardiovascular health as it lowers high blood pressure. Garlic is also capable of reducing cholesterol levels ensuring a healthy blood flow and heart in general.
Eating garlic can help prevent the hardening of the arteries by clearing fatty deposits made up of cholesterol and other substances to build-up to the blood vessels that lead blood to and from the heart. Improving cholesterol levels helps to lower the risk of heart disease.
3. Ginger.
Ginger is used in many recipes, tea, and other cooking activities like baking. It is a rhizome that is got from the ginger plant and is packed with many benefits.
Gingerol the most active ingredient in ginger is linked to many health benefits. For the heart, ginger lowers blood sugar and improves heart disease risk.
In a study carried out, it was found that ginger is anti-diabetic as it lowered fasting blood sugar by around 12%.
Ginger lowers cholesterol levels which is a major risk of heart disease.
Read more about the health benefits of ginger from the article here
4. Turmeric.
Belonging to the same family as ginger, Curcuma longa as it’s scientifically known, turmeric is a wonder spice with plenty of health benefits.
Turmeric has many benefits in lowering the risk of heart disease and can help reverse the process. Curcumin the active component in turmeric improves the endothelium factor that ensures your endothelium regulates blood pressure, blood clotting, and other heart-related conditions.
Curcumin is anti-inflammatory as it also reduces inflammation and oxidation of blood vessels which plays a major role in heart disease.
5. Cinnamon.
Cinnamon is a delicious spice that is obtained from the inner bark of the cinnamon tree genus Cinnamomum.
It is known that people with diabetes are at a high risk of getting heart disease. Taking cinnamon can help improve diabetes.
Cinnamon can also reduce levels of cholesterol and triglycerides which contributes to a healthy heart.
Additionally, cinnamon can stabilize blood pressure to the recommended levels thus reducing the risk of heart disease and related conditions.
check out the health benefits of the cinnamon honey combo.
Ways to ensure a healthy heart.
Eating heart-friendly spices alone will not give you a healthy heart but the combination of other healthy habits can help you have a healthy heart reducing the risk of heart disease and related risks.
Eat healthily.
Eating a healthy diet can help you stay heart risk-free. Foods such as leafy greens, whole grains, berries, avocados, fatty fish, walnuts, beans, and dark chocolate are some of the healthy foods to get a healthy heart.
Keep a healthy weight.
Many heart conditions are linked to overweight and obesity. Therefore, keeping a healthy weight can help lower the chances of weight-related heart risks.
Manage stress levels.
Being happy and managing stress levels can help you keep a healthy heart. Activities such as yoga, gym workouts, being with family and many other activities help you stay stress-free and reduce the risk of heart disease.
Take moderate amounts of alcohol.
Drinking too much alcohol can increase the risk of heart disease. Limit alcohol to 1 drink for women and 2 drinks for men per day.
Stay active.
Working out and avoid a sedentary life can help you stay healthy with reduced chances of heart disease. Working out a total of around 2 hours and 30 minutes can reduce the chances of heart disease. Brisk walking, cycling, swimming, gym, outdoor sports hobbies, and many other activities that get your heart racing are healthy for keeping a healthy heart.
Quit smoking.
Staying away from tobacco and related components helps you lower the chances of heart disease.
Control your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
High cholesterol levels and blood pressure can lead to heart attacks and disease. However, keeping these levels in check can lower the heart-related risks.
What are the worst foods for the heart?
The foods we eat much affect our health with some foods making our bodies stronger while others ruin it. For the heart it is the same thing too some foods are bad for it.
The foods that lead to poor heart health are foods that raise bad cholesterol levels, are high in added sugars, high in saturated fat content, and added sugars.
Foods that are high in added sugars than what’s recommended are more likely to lead to obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
The body needs fats to function properly, however, saturated fats can cause cholesterol to build up in the arteries. High cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease.
Too much cholesterol building up in the walls of the arteries can cause atherosclerosis which is a form of heart disease. The arteries get narrowed blocking or slowing down blood flow.
List of the worst foods for the heart.
- Soda.
- Pizza.
- Refined carb food sources. Like bread and pasta
- Ice cream.
- Pastries.
- Processed meats.
- Butter
- Alcohol.
- Full fat yogurt
- French fries.
- Canned foods
- Red meat
The bottom line.
Spices can be consumed in meals or through teas. With both of these, the health benefits are
Spices can be great for the heart but engaging in a generally healthy diet can lead to a healthier heart. Staying active is also another way for an improved heart as exercises make the heart race which is a good exercise for the heart.
Therefore, combining a good diet and exercise can help promote a healthy heart.
Subscribe for Insights on herbs and spices
b