Nutrition Videos

Hi! I'm Stelios Pantazis. I'm a doctor and I specialize in medical nutrition and metabolic disorders. Our subject today is 16 foods that benefit the heart. This subject does not only concern heart patients or people that have some risk factors that affect the heart, such as high cholesterol and blood sugar, but everyone, because it is estimated that 1 in 3 will die of a heart problem. Therefore, prevention is the best medicine. Let's see these foods. First of all, herbs. Herbs can enhance the taste of our food and in this way help us to add less or no salt, sugar and fats to our food. In this way, a meal can become more interesting without our missing the salt. Herbs also often have some effects that are very beneficial to our health, such as anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-diuretic effect etc. Black beans. Although we don't use them a lot in Greece, black beans are extremely good for our health, because they're rich in plant-based proteins of very high quality, as well as fibers, which help in the elimination of cholesterol, as I've said in a previous video. They also delay the absorption of the food's carbohydrates. Finally, they're very rich in magnesium, which lowers blood pressure. Red wine. The legendary red wine, which is rich in antioxidants and is one of the few things we can do to increase HDL, which we often call good cholesterol. Be careful. The amount shouldn't exceed 120 ml for women or 240 ml for men per day. Otherwise, the benefits are missed. Sardines, anchovy, mackerel and herring. The four musketeers of our heart. They're very rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and they don't contain many heavy metals and other toxins. They're necessary for the heart's good health and their consumption is recommended at least twice a week. Olive oil. For every oil and fat, you'll find different opinions on the internet. You may read somewhere that animal fats are bad for the heart and elsewhere that they're not. Fortunately, all dietary experts agree on one thing. Olive oil is the best for our heart's health. In Greece, we enjoy it as we should. Walnuts. Walnuts are richer in Omega-3 than the other nuts. A few walnuts a day lower cholesterol and protect the heart from inflammation, because they contain anti-inflammatory substances. Almonds. Although they don't protect the heart as much as walnuts, they're worth a place in the list, because they contain many fibers, good fats and anti-inflammatory substances. Edamame beans. Edamame beans are soybeans in Japanese and they are one of most typical dishes of Japanese cuisine. They're very rich in fibers, proteins of very high quality, and many studies have shown that they lower cholesterol. It's worth including them in your diet, because they're cooked very easily and they're very tasty. Tofu. I've done this job for almost 20 years and I've tried really hard to train many patients of mine to introduce tofu in their daily diet, because it's very rich in nutrients and very good for the heart. It can be cooked in many ways and can be very easily introduced in many Greek traditional dishes, enriching them with nutrients. Tofu is tasteless and it doesn't change the taste of a dish. It just makes it more nutritional. Sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes taste great, much better than common potatoes. Besides that, they're very rich in vitamins, antioxidants and lycopene, which benefits the heart. Moreover, in contrast to common potatoes, they have a low glycemic index, which means that they don't abruptly increase blood sugar. Oranges. Oranges are very beneficial to the heart. First of all, their fibers are pectins, which lower cholesterol. But they also contain potassium, which lowers blood pressure. Therefore, there's a double benefit. But it should be pointed out that these apply only to oranges, not their juice, because when we make juice, fibers and vitamins stay on the peel and are thrown away, while it's the most valuable component of oranges. Beet greens. Beet greens are extremely valuable in nutrients and fibers. The fibers lower cholesterol and blood sugar, while the magnesium and potassium they contain lower blood pressure. Oatmeal. Oatmeal is very rich in fibers, which lower cholesterol and help in the blood sugar regulation. They also make us feel full longer. If you want to sweeten your breakfast with oatmeal, prefer raisins or raspberries instead of honey or other sweeteners, because they're more beneficial to the heart. Flax. As I've said before, I haven't found one benefit to our health that flax doesn't have. Therefore, it's no surprise that it significantly helps the heart too. Flax is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, which greatly help the heart, as well as plant-based proteins of very high quality. Flax is rich in some specific plant-based fibers called lignins that benefit our heart and health in many ways, mainly by helping in weight, blood sugar and cholesterol regulation, as well as by protecting us from some cancers. Cherries. Both cherries and sour cherries are rich in a group of antioxidants called anthocyanins, which protect vessels. It should be pointed out that the benefits are missed when we combine them with sugar and other sweeteners. Therefore, forget sour cherry juice. Blueberries. Blueberries concentrate many nutrients that benefit not only the heart but also the whole body. Like cherries and sour cherries, they contain anthocyanins, these miraculous antioxidants that benefit the heart, as well as other important substances. Like I've said in a previous video, frozen blueberries are the best choice, not only because they're easy to consume, but also because freezing enables nutrients to be more bioavailable for absorption. Therefore, this is the form I choose. These foods can significantly benefit our health and our heart. If you already consume them, make sure you increase them in your diet. If you don't consume them, find ways to introduce them into your daily diet. Your heart will be grateful. If you thought this was interesting, please give us a thumbs up. Share it with people who you think might find it interesting and subscribe to our channel in order to get notified when we upload a video. You can also suggest subjects in the comment section. Thank you very much!