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Heart Healthy Diet

Improve Your Cardiovascular Health by Raising Nitric Oxide Levels

Jul 27, 2007 Sherry LaBonte

Fight heart disease and prevent stroke and heart attack by preventing atherosclerosis with a nutrient-dense diet.

It is known that some foods support the production of powerful nitric acid within the body, just as others prevent it.

Increasing nitric acid (NO) production in your body can be achieved by exercise, supplements, and diet. Diet is an important player here, because the effect of supplements and exercise alone cannot combat daily bombs of trans fats and artery-clogging high-cholesterol foods.

Specific foods to target are fresh vegetables and fruits, legumes, whole grains, and nuts. According to Dr. John Cooke, head of Stanford Medical School’s vascular unit, the goal is to consume nutrient-dense foods high in antioxidants, including vitamins B, folate, C, and E. These foods have properties that improve NO levels, and thus, your cardiovascular health.

Print this list and tape it to your refrigerator. This list is not by any means exhaustive, but it can be used as a solid base for a heart-healthy diet.

Foods to Add to Your Diet

Vitamin A (Carotenoids)

  • Apricots
  • Cantaloupe
  • Spinach
  • Broccoli
  • Carrots
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Tomatoes
  • Winter squashes

Vitamin B12

  • Fish
  • Eggs
  • Meat (occasional and very lean meat)
  • Poultry

Vitamin B6

  • Fortified cereals
  • Beans
  • Meat (occasional and very lean meat)
  • Poultry
  • Fish
  • Certain fruits and vegetables

Vitamin C

  • Broccoli
  • Oranges
  • Cantaloupe
  • Lemons
  • Peppers (sweet and hot)
  • Tomatoes
  • Citrus fruits

Vitamin E

  • Vegetable oils
  • Nuts
  • Leafy green vegetables
  • Fortified cereals
  • Wheat germ

Fiber

  • Blueberries
  • Carrots
  • Prunes
  • Raisins
  • Oranges
  • Sweet potatoes
  • Whole grain breads
  • Oatmeal
  • Bran flakes
  • All types of dried beans, legumes, and peas

Folic Acid (Folate)

  • Whole grain breads and cereals
  • Avocado
  • All types of dried beans, legumes, and peas
  • Oranges
  • Spinach
  • Strawberries

L-Arginine-Rich Proteins

  • All types of dried beans, legumes, and peas
  • Fish
  • Soy (tofu)
  • Egg whites
  • Meat (occasional and very lean)
  • Chicken
  • Nuts

Polyunsaturated Fats

  • Canola oil
  • Olive oil
  • Corn oil
  • Walnut oil
  • Avocado oil

Small portions of good fats are not only necessary, but they actually increase levels of desirable HDL cholesterol. Healthy fats that have omega-3s are especially beneficial. Omega-3s are known to have anti-inflammatory properties. They can also enable cells and blood vessels to be more flexible, which is beneficial to the heart. Omega-3s improve endothelial function, thus improving blood flow, reducing thickening of vessels, and prevent clots.

Source of Omega-3s

  • Several types of fish, especially mackerel, herring, and salmon
  • Flaxseed
  • English Walnuts
  • Soybeans, roasted

Be sure, however, that other foods you choose to include in your diet are free from cholesterol raising saturated fats, and artery-clogging trans fats. These toxic fats suppress the production of NO. Culprits include fast-food restaurants, pastries, margarine, full-fat dairy products, fatty cuts of meat.

General Healthy Guidelines

  • Watch portion sizes
  • Use only small portions of healthy fats
  • Eat grilled, steamed, poached or baked foods instead of fried
  • Stock up with convenient snacks like nuts, berries, and veggies
  • Avoid processed foods that are high in salt, saturated and trans fats, and empty calories
  • Experiment with highly nutritious whole grains, like quinoa, teff, and spelt
  • Eat foods high in omega-3s

Cooke, John P. The Cardiovascular Cure. New York: Random House, 2002.

The copyright of the article Heart Healthy Diet in General Medicine is owned by Sherry LaBonte. Permission to republish Heart Healthy Diet in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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