Heart disease

Disease

Also known as: Cardiovascular Disease, coronary artery disease, cardiovascular disease

Foods That May Help

Foods linked to Heart disease in the research literature.

VinegarReduces risk of
Harvard Nurses' Health Study found 54% lower risk of fatal heart attacks among women using oil and vinegar dressing 5+ days/week.
Source: How Not to Age
ApplesReduces risk of
Modeling study suggested prescribing an apple a day could prevent about as many vascular deaths as a statin drug.
Source: How Not to Age
GarlicImproves
A quarter teaspoon garlic powder daily
Dramatically improved artery function, slowed atherosclerosis progression, lowered cholesterol and blood pressure
Source: How Not to Age
LegumesReduces risk of
Daily bean eaters in Costa Rica had 38% lower risk of heart attack; RCTs show cholesterol, blood pressure, and inflammation lowered in 4-8 weeks
Source: How Not to Age
ChickpeasReduces risk of
Chickpeas for 5 months dropped total cholesterol from 206 to about 160 mg/dL
Source: How Not to Age
Sweet PotatoesReduces risk of
Study of 14,000 people showed 18% lower premature death; Okinawa had 6-12x fewer heart disease deaths than US
Source: How Not to Age
Chili PeppersReduces risk of
Four out of four studies found significant decrease in all-cause death risk
Source: How Not to Age
Olive OilReduces risk of
Better than butter for LDL cholesterol; replacing a teaspoon of butter with olive oil daily lowers heart disease risk 5-7%; but no difference vs other oils
Source: How Not to Age
Tomato Juice (Salt-Free)Reduces risk of
Can lower LDL cholesterol and improve artery function
Source: How Not to Age
Peanut ButterReduces risk of
1 tablespoon, 5+ days/week
Women at high risk for heart disease who ate nuts or a tablespoon of peanut butter five or more days a week appeared to nearly halve their risk of suffering a heart attack
Source: How Not to Die
WaterReduces risk of
5+ glasses/day
Those who drank five or more glasses of water a day had about half the risk of dying from heart disease compared to those who drank two glasses or less daily; Water intake is associated with reduced fatal coronary heart disease in the Adventist Health Study (Chan et al. 2002)
Source: How Not to Die
NutsReduces risk of
Regular consumption of nuts is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease in women with type 2 diabetes (Li et al. 2009)
Source: How Not to Die
BerriesReduces risk of
Berries and prevention of heart disease
Source: How Not to Die
Tree NutsReduces risk of
1 ounce per day
PREDIMED: the mixed-nuts group showed a 28% reduced risk of stroke, heart attack, and death
Source: Outlive
WalnutsImproves
Only nut known to significantly improve artery function.
Source: The How Not to Age Cookbook
BlueberriesReduces risk of
Packed with flavonoids, blueberries have been linked with improved brain and heart health
Source: The Young Forever Cookbook
EdamameReduces risk of
phytoestrogens, compounds that have been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease
Source: The Young Forever Cookbook
WalnutsReduces risk of
walnuts as they're rich in antioxidants as well as omega-3 fats, which can lower your risk of heart disease
Source: The Young Forever Cookbook
Black BeansReduces risk of
fiber and the polyphenol anthocyanin, which are both good for heart health
Source: The Young Forever Cookbook
SalmonReduces risk of
Heart-healthy omega-3 fats from the salmon and avocado make it a substantial main course
Source: The Young Forever Cookbook
Dark ChocolateReduces risk of
flavonoids, which are helpful for the heart
Source: The Young Forever Cookbook
HazelnutsReduces risk of
toasted hazelnuts, another heart-healthy ingredient
Source: The Young Forever Cookbook
Olive OilProtects against
Heart-healthy benefits come from polyphenol effects on endothelial function and reducing blood vessel inflammation.
Source: Young Forever
Akkermansia muciniphilaProtects against
Source: Young Forever

Compounds That May Help

Bioactive compounds linked to Heart disease in the research.

SpermidineProtects against
Higher dietary spermidine correlated with reduced blood pressure and lower combined incidence of heart attack, stroke, and vascular death.
Source: How Not to Age
QuercetinReduces risk of
Those who consume more quercetin appear to have less than half the risk of dying from heart disease.
Source: How Not to Age
IsoflavonesReduces risk of
Highest intake of isoflavones associated with lower risk of premature death from cancer and cardiovascular diseases
Source: How Not to Age
Dietary fiberReduces risk of
7g per day for 9% reduction
Every 7g of daily fiber intake correlates to 9% reduced risk in heart disease
Source: How Not to Age
Soy proteinProtects against
50 g/day
Sacks et al. (2006) based on 22 randomized trials recommended a minimum daily intake of 50 g of soybean proteins for achieving reduction in serum lipids levels
Source: Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity
Omega-3 fatty acidsReduces risk of
PUFA DHA/EPA from fish oils support heart health and may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease
Source: Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity
LycopeneProtects against
lycopene, a carotenoid antioxidant that's known to help control cholesterol and protect against free radicals
Source: The Young Forever Cookbook
Epigallocatechin gallateReduces risk of
Source: Young Forever
Omega-3 fatty acidsImproves
Improve endothelial function and prevent dangerous clotting.
Source: Young Forever
Dietary fiberProtects against
Denis Burkitt observed hunter-gatherers eating 100-150g fiber/day had no modern chronic diseases.
Source: Young Forever
Nitric OxideProtects against
Nitric oxide increases blood flow; important for vascular health.
Source: Young Forever
Beta-caroteneProtects against
Source: Young Forever
AnthocyaninsProtects against
Source: Young Forever
EGCGProtects against
Source: Young Forever
ResveratrolProtects against
Source: Young Forever
OleuropeinProtects against
Source: Young Forever
Omega-3 fatty acidsProtects against
Source: Young Forever
Caprylic AcidProtects against
Source: Young Forever
Vitamin D3Protects against
Source: Young Forever

Risk Factors

Foods and compounds that may contribute to Heart disease.

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs)
Glycation stiffens arteries and heart muscle.
Source: How Not to Age
Neu5Gc
Source: How Not to Age
Dietary cholesterol
Any intake above zero increases heart disease risk.
Source: How Not to Age
Oxidized Cholesterol
Oxidized fat makes it into LDL cholesterol particles that accelerate atherosclerosis
Source: How Not to Age
Calcium
Calcium supplements appear to raise risk of heart attacks and strokes by leading to unnaturally large, rapid calcium levels in blood
Source: How Not to Age
Omega-3 fatty acids
Most extensive systematic assessment found increasing fish fats has little or no effect on deaths and cardiovascular events; meta-analyses unequivocally demonstrate no cardiovascular benefit from OTC fish oil
Source: How Not to Age
Homocysteine
Homocysteine is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and dementia; elevated by NAM supplementation
Source: How Not to Age
Saturated fat
The three boosters of bad cholesterol—trans fat, saturated fat, and dietary cholesterol—all stem from eating animal products and processed junk.
Source: How Not to Die
Apolipoprotein B (apoB)
Each standard-deviation increase in apoB raises myocardial infarction risk by 38%; every lipoprotein that contributes to atherosclerosis carries the apoB signature
Source: Outlive
Lipoprotein(a)
Lp(a) is the most prevalent hereditary risk factor for heart disease; it may be even more likely than normal LDL to get stuck in artery walls and acts as a clotting factor
Source: Outlive
Homocysteine
Homocysteine, an amino acid that in high concentrations is strongly associated with increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and dementia
Source: Outlive
TMAO
High levels of TMAO associated with significantly higher risk of heart attack or stroke or dying prematurely.
Source: The How Not to Age Cookbook
Sugar
Source: Young Forever

Biological Mechanisms

Contributes toHyperinsulinemia
Insulin is a potent growth-signaling hormone that helps foster both atherosclerosis and cancer
Contributes toIncreases insulin resistance
Studies found insulin resistance associated with almost sixfold risk of death from cardiovascular disease
Contributes toVisceral Fat Drives Inflammation
Visceral fat is linked to increased risk of both cancer and cardiovascular disease
Contributes toLDL Oxidation Triggers Plaque Formation
Oxidized LDL causes foam cells, fatty streaks, and ultimately atherosclerotic plaques

Recipes That May Help

Sources

How Not to Age
How Not to Die
Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity
Outlive
The How Not to Age Cookbook
The Young Forever Cookbook
Young Forever