Best heart-healthy diets, ranked by American Heart Association

The American Heart Association has ranked heart-healthy diets based on nine criteria. They analyzed ten popular diets based on their composition and nutritional profiles. This ranking included doctors, dieticians and nutrition researchers.

Heart disease kills many people every year, and diet plays a key role in the prevention and management of heart health. In this article, we bring you all about the heart-healthy diet rankings published by the American Heart Association in their journal Circulation.

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Heart-healthy diets: Ranking best cardiac diets

Fresh fish is recommended for a heart-healthy diet (Image via Unsplash/CA Creative)

According to the American Heart Association, the best diets for the heart are:

1) DASH diet

DASH diet stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet and is mainly aimed at managing blood pressure.

Whole foods, like fruits, vegetables, lean protein, low-fat dairy, whole grains, legumes and nuts, are recommended in this diet. The DASH diet recommends that consumers keep their daily sodium consumption to no more than 2,300 mg.

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2) Pescatarian Diet

The pescatarian diet recommends only fish and other seafood, like shrimp, as the primary protein source.

Fatty fish like salmon, herring and trout are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids are anti-inflammatory and are essential to heart and liver health. Whole grains, vegetables, nuts and fruits are also recommended in this diet. The pescatarian diet ranks second among the heart-healthy diets.

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3) Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet includes fresh fruits, green vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fish, nuts, olive oil and a moderate amount of dairy, red meat and poultry.

It discourages consumption of sugars and processed foods. This kind of diet is consumed by people in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, including France, Spain, Greece and Italy.

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4) Lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet

The Lacto-Ovo vegetarian diet only includes dairy and eggs but excludes meat, fish and poultry.

Many people follow this diet for ethical, environmental or health reasons. This diet scored fourth among heart-healthy diets. Research has linked the Mediterranean diet to reduced risk for type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, dementia, memory loss, depression and breast cancer.

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What are the foods good for heart? Heart-healthy foods list

Freshly sourced whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts and healthy fats can be included in a heart-healthy diet, including:

• Vegetables: tomatoes, broccoli, cucumbers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, kale, spinach, onions, cauliflower, carrots, Brussels sprouts and turnips
• Fruits: apples, bananas, oranges, grapes, dates, figs, melons, pears, strawberries and peaches
• Nuts and seeds: almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, walnuts, peanuts, macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and watermelon seeds
• Legumes: pulses, peanuts, chickpeas, beans, peas and lentils
• Whole grains: oats, brown rice, whole wheat bread, rye, barley, corn, buckwheat and whole wheat pasta
• Fish and seafood: tuna, mackerel, shrimp, salmon, sardines, trout, oysters, clams, crab and mussels
• Poultry: chicken, duck and turkey
• Eggs: chicken, quail, and duck eggs
• Dairy: cheese, yogurt, and milk
• Herbs and spices: garlic, sage, nutmeg, cinnamon, basil, mint, rosemary and pepper
• Healthy fats: extra virgin olive oil, olives, avocados and avocado oil

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Heart-healthy diet plan

Vegetables and eggs should be included in a heart-healthy diet (Image via Unsplash/Katie Smith)

Here is a sample menu for a healthy heart:

Breakfast

• Greek yogurt with berries and roasted nuts
• Orange juice

Lunch

• Chickpea Hummus and whole-wheat bread
• Shrimp salad
• Chicken soup with sweet potatoes

Snacks

• Chia seed pudding
• Baked eggs

Dinner

• Salmon and veggies in olive oil
• Brown rice with steamed chicken
• Fresh vegetable salad and feta cheese

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Indranil Biswas is a nutritionist and personal trainer with a diploma in dietetics and personal training with a specialization in sports nutrition and strength training.

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