10 Heart-Healthy Foods for Valentine's Day

This Valentine’s Day, be good to your sweetheart, but don’t forget to take care of your own heart. Start by eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. These foods are rich in polyphenols, which are plant compounds that have been shown to promote heart health.

Indeed, polyphenols may provide a wide range of health benefits. According to an article in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, studies show tat polyphenols may help to prevent cardiovascular disease and may reduce your risk of developing certain cancers. Polyphenols have also been linked to a reduced risk for type 2 diabetes and other diseases of aging.

If you are not consuming 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables, you may not be getting the health benefits that these foods offer. This Valentine's Day do something good for your heart. Eat more colorful fruits and vegetables to boost your polyphenol intake and reduce your risk of heart disease.

Here are 10 foods to help you get started:

1. Apples
2. Red grapes
3. Cranberries
4. Pomegranate
5. Eggplant
6. Broccoli
7. Onion
8. Cocoa/Dark chocolate
9. Tea
10. Red wine

References

Agricultural Research Service

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
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If you have questions about diet and nutrition, consult a registered dietitian. You can find a registered dietitian by visiting the American Dietetic Association website at www.eatright.org or by searching online.
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Read today's Daily Diet Guide

Health Benefits of Resveratrol

Overview

Resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant that helps to prevent heart disease and may provide a number of other health benefits, as well. Red wine has a high concentration of resveratrol from grapes.

Health Benefits of Resveratrol

Studies show that resveratrol promotes health by protecting cells in your body from oxidative damage. The effects of resveratrol in protecting the heart and blood vessels is clear. On the other hand, the effect on cancer. obesity and other diseases is not so clear. 

• Heart disease. Resveratrol in red wine promotes heart health by reducing “LDL or ‘bad” cholesterol and increasing HDL or “good” cholesterol. Studies show that resveratrol may also work by reducing inflammation in the cells. Inflammation is a major cause of a number of chronic diseases, including heart disease and cancer.
• Cancer. Laboratory studies show that resveratrol can prevent the growth of cancer in cell culture and in some laboratory animals by interfering with the ability of cancer cells to multiply and grow. However, further investigations will be needed to determine if the same effects can be achieved with humans.
• Obesity. Resveratrol might help to prevent or treat obesity, based on studies in rats in which  resveratrol prevented fat cells from maturing. Resveratrol also appears to change the size and function of fat cells. However, researchers caution that more studies would be needed to determine the long-term effects of such treatment on humans.

Food Sources of Resveratrol

The most common food sources of resveratrol are red wine, grapes and purple grape juice. Other sources include berries, such as blueberries and cranberries.

A Word About Drinking

Red wine is a good source of resveratrol and offers real health benefits to people who drink responsibly. It is also an alcoholic beverage, which means it has the potential for abuse. Excessive drinking could lead to alcoholism, liver damage and other serious health problems. Recognizing these potential dangers, the American Heart Association and others caution against drinking too much. The recommended limit for those who drink is one drink (12 ounces of wine) per day for women and 2 drinks (24 ounces of wine) per day for men.

Resources

Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University
Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2003 - PubMed result

The Endocrine Society