Eat what your heart desires

What do you do to keep the most important muscle in your body fit? If you are a non-smoker, walk at least half an hour every day, and do sports twice a week, you have a good chance of keeping your heart healthy. If you eat extra balanced - even better. Only then can the fist-sized organ fulfill its vital task: pumping around five liters of blood per minute through the circulation, thus supplying all the cells of the organism with sufficient oxygen and nutrients.

Heart in danger

Cardiovascular disease is also the leading cause of death in women. Every year around 200,000 of these die in Germany as a result of a heart attack or stroke. Everyone can do a lot for their own heart health: According to studies, only with a corresponding diet, the risk of cardiovascular problems reduced by one-third. And that without elaborate calorie calculations or special menus. Also on the Sunday breakfast egg no one has to do without. A balanced mixed diet affects blood lipids such as cholesterol and triglycerides as well as the homocysteine value positively and counteracts obesity. The risk of hypertension and arteriosclerosis (constriction of the blood vessels) is reduced. Here are the key recommendations from experts on how to support your heart health.

Pay attention to weight and waist circumference

Heavy obesity increases the risk of heart failure. Being overweight people with a body mass index (BMI) over 25, as obese from 30. Even more risky for heart and blood vessels is the distribution of fat in the body. The problem is the? Visceral? Fat that collects in the abdomen. It is a metabolically active fat storage in which hormones and inflammation markers are produced. At risk are women with more than 80 centimeters waist circumference (men: more than 94 centimeters). This "central obesity? can also exist at normal weight (BMI 20 to 25).

Consume the right fats

In the past, it was generally recommended to eat as little fats as possible. Today, the doctors know that it is more important to consume the right fats than to live extremely low in fat. Not only do unsaturated fats lower cholesterol, they also protect the heart, in many ways. Especially omega-3 fatty acids are good for the heart and circulation. They prevent the danger of thrombosis, dilate the blood vessels, have an anti-inflammatory effect and can prevent cardiac arrhythmias.

Omega-3 fatty acids are particularly abundant in fatty fish species such as mackerel, salmon and herring. Therefore, fish should be on the menu at least twice a week. Olive, rapeseed and wheat germ oils as well as nuts, especially walnuts, also contain many unsaturated fatty acids. Thus, the need for linoleic acid as essential omega-6 fatty acid can be easily covered. A small amount of it is essential for our lives, and it also lowers LDL cholesterol, which causes arteriosclerosis. Rich in linoleic acid are also diet margarines.

Saturated fats, such as those contained in butter, cream and meat, on the other hand, should come as rarely as possible on the plate. The best thing to do without on trans fatty acids, which are found in many finished products, fat-baked and fried foods. They increase the dangerous LDL cholesterol and at the same time increase the blood clotting activity. This increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Have plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains

By contrast, the risk to the cardiovascular system is reduced by a diet that is rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, as numerous studies have shown. Many of the phytochemicals it contains have a beneficial effect. Carotenoids, the colorings in carrots, squash, kale, and apricots, lower cholesterol levels. This is also achieved by saponins, the bitter ingredients in chickpeas, soybeans, white and green beans, as well as glucosinolates, which are found in various types of cabbage and cress. Sulfides, the sulfur-containing substances found in garlic and onions, also reduce blood coagulation and blood pressure.

The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) recommends at least three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit every day as part of their "5-a-day" campaign. One serving is about a handful. Also, a high fiber diet of oatmeal and whole grains lowers the risk of coronary heart disease and may even lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Salt sparingly

Too much salt can increase blood pressure and damage tissues in the cardiovascular system. The German Heart Foundation therefore advises not to eat more than five grams of salt per day.

However, the average consumption in Germany is significantly higher: women eat an average of 6.5 grams of salt a day, men even nine grams. So you should prefer to use sparingly, and use lots of fresh herbs instead. Caution is advised when it comes to finished products: they often contain a lot of salt. Unfortunately, this also applies to organic and vegetarian ready meals. Whoever manages it, should therefore cook for himself, varied and full-fledged, preferably like our neighbors from the Mediterranean countries. Because Mediterranean food is proven to protect the vessels. This guarantees that the heart will get everything it desires.

Asked: Which dietary supplements are useful?

Vitamins, minerals, fatty acids: A wealth of nutritional supplements are offered to protect the heart and circulation. What really makes sense, says Professor Eberhard Windler from the Heart Center of the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf

ChroniquesDuVasteMonde WOMAN: When should women resort to nutritional supplements?

Eberhard Windler: Luckily, women do not expect to have heart problems much later than men, such as an infarct. But they can only be prevented by taking precautionary measures. Therefore, women should at least from the age of 40 years once a year to check with the doctor, if the blood pressure and blood lipids are in order and if they are sufficiently supplied with all the important nutrients. Dietary supplements are only necessary if there is a noticeable deficiency. This is especially true for such specific ingredients as potassium and magnesium, which can cause serious damage in case of overdose. Nevertheless, they can be very helpful in cardiac arrhythmias.

Which nutrients in dietary supplements make sense for your heart?

That is controversial. Some studies indicate that capsules containing omega-3 fatty acids - so-called fish capsules - have a positive effect on the heart, but only with regular and long-term use. Recent major research has come to the conclusion that they have no effect. That may be because the subjects were swallowed sober in the morning or only with a small breakfast. However, as we know, it is absorbed by the body ten times as much as the capsule when taken with fat as part of a larger meal. In this respect, we have not come to a final conclusion in the evaluation.

In order to avoid high blood pressure, preparations containing arginine - a protein building block - should help. What do you make of it?

Arginine reaches effective levels only by taking capsules. It has been shown to have a moderate hypotensive effect by dilating the blood vessels. Together with a lot of fruits and vegetables as well as low-fat dairy products you can even expect a significant reduction in blood pressure. However, some supplements contain additives that are superfluous with regard to the heart. Thus, vitamin B12 or folic acid have no proven beneficial effect on the heart. It is reassuring that products offered generally contain relatively moderate doses of such additives, so that they can not harm either.