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An apple a day might keep the cardiologist away. But many other fruits can benefit heart health in a variety of ways, too.
The American Heart Association recommends eating four servings of fruit per day, noting all fruits contain vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that may help prevent heart disease.
Cardiologists say the evidence is compelling.
“We know that people who consume more fruits and vegetables — or eat more plant-based or entirely plant-based — have much better cardiovascular outcomes, meaning that they have fewer heart attacks and strokes,” Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular prevention and wellness at National Jewish Health in Denver, tells TODAY.com.
“People just really need to load up, and every single meal should be containing fruits and vegetables.”
All the risk factors for atherosclerosis — the plaque build-up that hardens and narrows arteries — are improved when a person’s diet is full of fruits and vegetables, adds Dr. Sean Heffron, a cardiologist in the Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease at NYU Langone Health in New York.
“It’s beneficial from a blood pressure standpoint, but also a weight maintenance standpoint and cholesterol standpoint,” Heffron says.
How does fruit affect the heart?
Bite into a fruit and you get fiber, potassium, folate and vitamin C, according to the American Heart Association.
Fiber can help bind up cholesterol in the gut so it doesn’t go back into circulation, Heffron says, thus helping reduce total and LDL cholesterol (aka “bad” cholesterol), studies have found. Pectin, which many fruits also contain, does a similar thing to cholesterol, Freeman adds.
Foods rich in potassium help manage high blood pressure, the AHA notes. Research suggests folate reduces the risk of stroke.
The vibrant color of fruits signals they’re loaded…
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