Keeping your heart healthy is possible through a balanced diet. Targeted food choices can help prevent and lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Dr. Ilaria Ernesti, a nutrition specialist at Paideia International Hospital and Mater Dei General Hospital, explains more.
What is the Best Dietary Approach to Protect the Heart?
There is no single perfect diet, but rather a healthy lifestyle that includes eating habits geared toward cardiovascular prevention. The main heart risk factors—such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and abdominal obesity—can all be managed through proper nutrition. The most recommended diets include the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet, and a plant-based approach.
The Mediterranean diet is more than just a diet; it’s a lifestyle. It includes seasonal foods, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, moderate amounts of white meat, fish, and dairy. Extra virgin olive oil, rich in polyphenols and vitamin E, offers antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits, supporting heart health.
The DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) primarily focuses on reducing daily salt intake (less than 1.5 mg/day) to control blood pressure.
Plant-based diets exclude animal proteins and can help reduce cardiovascular risk when well-balanced. Their high fiber content improves lipid profiles and reduces fat absorption. However, it’s essential to supplement this diet with nutrients like calcium, zinc, vitamin B12, and vitamin D.
What Foods Should Be Avoided to Protect the Heart?
Guidelines recommend limiting ultra-processed foods high in preservatives and salt, such as ready-made meals and saturated fats. Sugary or alcoholic beverages should also be consumed with caution, as even moderate alcohol intake can increase the risk of arrhythmias, like atrial fibrillation.
For a healthy heart, the focus is on a nutrient-rich diet with protective compounds working synergistically to lower cardiovascular risk. In cases of overweight or other risk factors, a personalized diet plan, often combined with innovative medications, can help manage weight and reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events.
Ilaria Ernesti
Specialist in Nutritional Science at Paideia International Hospital and Mater Dei General Hospital
