Eat these foods as often as possible: They are excellent for heart health

It's no secret that certain foods are better for heart health than others, but recent studies reveal that foods rich in potassium, such as fish and bananas, are very good for heart health, especially in women. The results of the study, which were published in the European Heart Journal, state that such foods are associated with lower blood pressure, especially those who consume a lot of salt.

Heart diseases are the leading cause of death in the world, and risk factors for the development of these diseases include high blood pressure, cholesterol, bad lifestyle habits and family history of diseases. You can control some of these factors and make changes to prevent the disease from developing.

"It is well known that a high proportion of salt in the diet is associated with increased blood pressure and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke," says professor Dr. Liffert Vogt from the Faculty of Medicine in Amsterdam adds that the advice of experts is to reduce salt intake, but today it is difficult to achieve this due to the increasingly present processed food, reports Ordination.

Potassium helps the body get rid of excess salt in the urine, and in the aforementioned study, it was associated with many health benefits. The participants of the study, 25.000 of them aged between 40 and 79, answered questions about lifestyle habits. Their blood pressure was measured and their urine analyzed to assess sodium and potassium intake. Subsequently, the relationship between potassium intake and blood pressure was analyzed, and in women they found that blood pressure decreased when potassium intake was increased. The authors stated that this finding was only found in women with higher sodium intake, while it was not seen in men.

The subjects were followed for 19 years, and it was discovered that 55 percent of them were hospitalized for cardiovascular disease, and when they monitored the relationship between potassium intake and cardiovascular problems, they found that those who consumed the highest levels of potassium had about 13 percent less chance of having a heart attack. or stroke.

"The results indicate that potassium can prevent heart disease, but women will benefit from it more than men. The relationship between potassium intake and cardiovascular diseases is the same regardless of salt intake, which may mean that potassium protects heart health in more ways than one," says Prof. . Vogt.

How much potassium should be taken into the body?

According to the guidelines of the World Health Organization, an adult should consume about 3.5 grams of potassium per day and less than 3 grams of sodium. Foods that contain the most potassium are: bananas, nuts, beans, peas, dairy products and fish.

Why is potassium intake so important?

Potassium is among the most important electrolytes, it is necessary for the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system and kidneys, the transmission of nerve impulses, the strength of bones and teeth, muscle work, water balance, carbohydrate and protein metabolism... A lack of potassium in the body can cause pain and spasms in muscles, weakness, dizziness, constipation and irregular heartbeat.