Heart-healthy Foods: 8 Natural Drinks For Your Heart

We all have heard a lot about heart-healthy foods. But did you know, in addition to heart-healthy foods, a sufficient amount of natural drinks can improve cardiovascular health?

Regularly consuming enough liquids in the form of water and other healthy beverages keeps your body hydrated and lowers your risk of heart failure. Let us dive deeper into this topic.

Importance of hydration

Hydration is linked to a reduced risk of several health conditions like urinary tract infections, hypertension, fatal coronary heart disease, venous thromboembolism, and cerebral infarction.

Being hydrated helps maintain the body’s water balance. The health of many bodily systems, including the neurological system, reproductive, digestive, and cardiovascular systems, depends on proper hydration.

Our bodies need to be adequately hydrated for peak performance. How does hydration benefit heart health?

Hydration and heart health

Maintaining proper hydration is beneficial for your heart. Water makes up more than 70% of the heart. The heart pumps blood more effectively when the body is well-hydrated thus reducing the pressure on our muscles.

Ever wonder if there is a connection between water and heart health? Well, there is. About 2,000 liters of blood are pumped in your body each day by your beating heart. Being dehydrated can rapidly impact your heart rate.

Your heart can work more efficiently if you maintain proper hydration. This means consuming more water than you are losing. Your body can function even better when your heart pumps blood more efficiently. So keep that water flowing through your body!

Water: the ideal beverage

Researchers showed that adults between the ages of 45-66 with high levels of sodium had a higher risk of getting heart failure later in life.

Drinking 6 to 8 glasses of water every day for maintaining can help maintain the electrolyte balance in your body. Water is the only beverage that gives 100% hydration. Other than being vital for overall health, and research has shown that being hydrated lowers the chance of developing heart failure.

Ways to consume more fluids

Here are some tips for increasing fluid intake for a heart-healthy lifestyle.

• Zest up your water by adding fresh fruit, vegetable, and herbs.
• Each meal should be preceded by a glass of water.
• Carry a water bottle with you at all times.
• Eat plenty of water-rich fruits and veggies.

8 beverages to boost heart health

There are numerous beverages available, however, it can be tough to pick a heart-healthy drink. Here are some beverages that boost your heart health.

1. Coffee

As a habit, you probably start your day with a cup of coffee every morning, but have you ever considered that coffee may actually be good for your heart health?

• Regular coffee consumption is related to a 10-15% decreased risk of cardiovascular (CV) death and a number of negative CV outcomes, such as coronary heart disease (CHD), congestive heart failure (HF), and stroke.
• Espresso, caffeinated, instant, and brewed types of coffee drinks found to reduce the risk of various health conditions.

Two cups of coffee each day are helpful and safe.

2. Pomegranate Juice

The pomegranate fruit contains 80% juice and 20% seeds, and is referred to as a ‘heart-healthy’ fruit.

• Pomegranate’s polyphenols and micronutrients have anti-inflammatory, blood pressure-lowering, and circulation-stimulating properties.
• Drinking pomegranate juice on a daily basis provides broad protection against cardiovascular disease, due to its inhibitory effect on oxidative stress and serum ACE activity.

3. Tomato Juice

According to studies, people with the highest plasma levels of lycopene had a 26% and 37% decreased risk of death from MI and CVD, respectively.

• If you’re wondering how tomato juice might be beneficial, then understand that the main bioactive substance in tomato fruits is lycopene which is full of antioxidant effects.
• Tomatoes are useful in preventing CVD, lowering LDL cholesterol, and preventing platelet aggravation.

4. Turmeric Latte

When you read the phrase ‘turmeric latte’, you probably thought of milk coffee brewed with a few shots of espresso and a dash of turmeric. However, a true turmeric latte is made of turmeric milk with milk foam and contains no coffee.

• Now it must be a little tough for you to drink, but adding sweeteners, maple syrup, a pinch of cinnamon/cardamom, coconut milk, or almond milk can improve the flavor and may help you care for your heart and manage a variety of chronic illnesses.
• Turmeric is used to prevent and treat CVD in a number of situations, such as atherosclerosis, MI, stroke, cardiac hypertrophy, and diabetic cardiovascular issues.

5. Smoothies

Smoothies are an easy way to include fruits, vegetables, and other healthy components into your diet to keep you nourished and healthy.

• Smoothies, when made with the appropriate ingredients, can be heart-healthy beverages.
• Smoothies with berries, bananas, grapes, oranges, and avocados can be a good option for people with cardiac conditions.
• Add some cardamom, chia seeds, almonds, walnuts, and sugar to enhance the flavor of the smoothie.

One smoothie with the above ingredients for breakfast helps you stay hydrated, nourish, and makes your heart happy!

6. Vegetable Juice

Many people may not think of vegetable juice as a beverage. But in reality, drinking a glass of any vegetable juice has positive health effects.

• The polyphenols, vitamins, and minerals found in vegetables are good for a healthy heart diet and circulatory system.
• The desire to drink natural juice can be increased by combining fruits and vegetables with honey or another sweetener for a healthy heart.
• Spinach, broccoli, green beans, carrots, and squash are some vegetables that help the cardiovascular system.

7. Red Wine

Red wine and grape juice both contain polyphenols that are linked to a lower risk of developing ischemic heart disease and CVD.

• Flavonoids, which have antioxidant characteristics, are the most active polyphenol in red wine. The polyphenols, resveratrol, and quercetin have cardioprotective effects.
• Moderate wine drinking (15.5-31 g alcohol/day) protects against both vascular and nonvascular illnesses.

8. Tea

Tea is the most consumed beverage worldwide after water. However, you may not be aware that tea is also a healthy beverage.

• When looking for tea, there are a plethora of choices, like green tea, black tea, mint tea, ginger tea, etc. Some of these options offer us energy, soothing, lower cholesterol and excellent for the heart.
• There are many phytochemicals in tea that may have biological effects. According to studies, black and green tea may lower the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke by 10 to 20%. Three or more cups of black or green tea per day may reduce the incidence of CVD and MI.

Conclusion

A healthy heart is vital to overall wellness, and a key factor in maintaining cardiovascular health is consuming the right nutrients. While food is an important source of these nutrients, beverages also play a significant role in our diets. In fact, studies have shown that around 80% of the liquid intake for most people comes from drinking water and other beverages, while the remaining 20% is obtained from food.

Water is essential for maintaining proper hydration, which is important for the heart and the body as a whole. Dehydration can cause the blood to become thicker, increasing the risk of blood clots and ultimately leading to heart disease. Therefore, it's essential to ensure that you drink enough water throughout the day to keep your body properly hydrated.

But water isn’t the only beverage that can benefit your heart health. Many natural drinks can provide important nutrients that support heart function, such as antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. For example, green tea has been shown to lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease. Similarly, pomegranate juice is rich in antioxidants and has been linked to improved blood flow and reduced arterial plaque.

In summary, while water is crucial for maintaining hydration and heart health, incorporating natural drinks with heart-healthy nutrients into your daily routine can provide additional benefits. By avoiding sugary drinks and opting for healthier beverage choices, you can help lower your risk of heart disease and promote a longer, healthier life.