Heart

Healthy
Foods
Gabrielle Cabacab
and Daphne Ribot

What Are Heart Problems

People Face?
There are multiple forms of heart problems, or cardiovascular disease, such
as heart valve problems, arrhythmia, heart attack, stroke, and heart failure.
- Heart Valve Problems: Valves are not open enough to allow necessary
blood flow
- Arrhythmia: Abnormal heart rhythm
- Heart Attack: Blood clots preventing flow
- Stroke: Blood clots preventing blood flow
through vessels that feed the brain
- Heart Failure: Heart doesnt pump blood
as well as it should be

What Causes Heart Problems?

Smoking
Hereditary
High amounts of certain
fats and cholesterol in
blood
High blood pressure (ie
hypertension)
High blood glucose levels
(i.e. insulin resistance or
diabetes)

Blood vessel
inflammation
High Sodium diets
Obesity
Lack of exercise
Alcohol abuse

All of which can cause damage to the coronary arteries. Plaque builds up at site of injury
in response. Once there, plaque can potentially block or rupture the artery and lead to
reduced flow of oxygen rich blood to the heart (causing angina i.e. chest pain/tightness).
Complete blockage results in a heart attack.

What is a Heart Healthy

Food?
Heart healthy foods contain:
Less saturated and trans fat
< 30% of calories from fats
< 10% of calories from saturated fats
Less cholesterol
20 mg or less per 100g
Less sodium
< 2,300 mg per day
More fiber rich, whole grain foods
Half of your grain intake
Wider variety of fruits and vegetables
More foods rich in Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Less added sugars
<10% of calories per day
All of which are claimed to help prevent cardiovascular disease.

Examples of Heart Healthy

Foods
-

Whole fruits and vegetables

Fresh, Frozen, or Canned (Make sure to look for low
sodium!)
Whole grain products
Bread
Pasta
Oatmeal
Brown rice, barley, bulgur
Fat-free or low-fat dairy products
Lean cuts of meat
Seafood rich in Omega- 3 Fatty Acids
Salmon, Tuna

Fish Protein Decreases Serum Cholesterol in Rats by Inhibition of

Cholesterol and Bile Acid Absorption
Journal of Food Science

Hosomi, R., Fukunaga, K., Arai, H., Kanda, S., Nishiyama, T. and Yoshida, M. (2011), Fish Protein Decreases Serum Cholesterol in Rats by Inhibition of
Cholesterol and Bile Acid Absorption. Journal of Food Science, vol. 6, no. 4, 2011, pp. H116-H121.

Regulation
The FDA currently regulates any food item that has health claims on labels that advertise as heart
healthy.
It must comply to the general health claim requirements.
To make the claim the food must be low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and fat.
Low Total Fat: 3 g or less per 100 g and not more than 30% of calories from fat
Low Saturated Fat:1 g or less per 100 g and less than 10% of calories from saturated fat
Low Cholesterol: 20 mg or less per 100 g
The label must include:
claim low in saturated fat and cholesterol
May or might reduce the risk of heart disease
Specify disease by coronary heart disease or heart disease
Nutrient Specification (i.e. Saturated fat & cholesterol; fiber; soy protein)
Coronary heart disease depends on many factors

Health Claims
Reduced risk of Heart Disease:
Low LDL-cholesterol and reduced risk of coronary
heart disease is associated with:
Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
High fiber diets from whole fruits,
vegetables, and grains.
Consumption of soy protein & plant sterols.
"Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol,
and as low as possible in trans fat, may
reduce the risk of heart disease."
- FDA, Requirements for Health Claims in
Labeling

Are There Any Potential Risks?

While there are no risks to a heart healthy diet overall, there are risks to the different aspects that
make up this diet. For example:
- A low to no fat diet can result in lack of absorption of Vitamins A, D, E, and K, otherwise known
as fat soluble vitamins.
The stronger effect of modified fat diets over reduced fat diets in reducing serum lipids may relate
to the apparently stronger effect of modified fat diets than reduced fat diets on cardiovascular
events
- A high intake of Omega-3 Fatty Acids are linked to an increased risk of prostate cancer
- A low to no sodium diet may result in acute hyponatremia which causes neurologic symptoms
including seizures, impaired mental status, coma, or death

Hooper, Lee, et al. Reduced or modified dietary fat for preventing cardiovascular disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 5. Art.
No.: CD002137., 2012, pp.1-212. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD002137.pub3/epdf. Accessed 24 Oct. 2016.

Did you know?

610,000 people per year die of heart
disease (1 in 4 deaths)

Kombucha can be recommended for

consumption by people suffering from

cardiovascular diseases as well as by
healthy individuals, on a daily basis.
-Journal of Food Science and Technology

Lobo, R.O. & Shenoy, C.K. J. Myocardial potency of Bio-tea against Isoproterenol induced myocardial damage in rats. Journal of Food Science and
Technology, vol.52, no.7, Jul. 2015, pp. 4491-4498. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13197-014-1492-6. Accessed 24 Oct. 2016.

What We Think
Pros:
-

Cons:
A heart healthy diet consists of whole fruits
and vegetables, which is at a national average
low in regards to consumption
Less saturated and trans fat, and cholesterol
will help decrease plaque buildup in the
coronary arteries, helping to prevent heart
disease
Whole grains and unrefined carbs have a lower
glycemic index, helping to reduce blood
glucose levels

Some people may misinterpret these

guidelines and cut out essential
macronutrients such as fats and carbohydrates
believing that it is healthier.
Not all people may understand how to read
nutrition labels which can cause them to
overeat/undereat the recommended amount
of fats and carbohydrates

With proper education and understanding on basic nutrition and how to read nutrition labels, we
recommend the heart healthy diet to the general public, whether they are at risk of heart disease or not.
The diet endorses consumption of whole fruits and vegetables, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and
a variety of lean proteins which encompasses an overall recommended diet.

References
"Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations." The American Heart Association. The American Heart Association, Aug. 2015. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.
"ECFR - Code of Federal Regulations." ECFR Code of Federal Regulations. U.S Government Publishing Office, Oct. 2016. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.
"Health Claim Notification for Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, and Trans Fat, and Reduced Risk of Heart Disease." Food Drug Administration, June 2015. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.
"Heart Disease Facts." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 10 Aug. 2015. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.
http://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm. Accessed 24 Oct. 2016.
"Heart Healthy Foods: Shopping List." Healthfinder.gov. U.S Department of Health and Human Services, Feb. 2016. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.
Hooper, Lee, et al. Reduced or modified dietary fat for preventing cardiovascular disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 5. Art. No.:
CD002137., 2012, pp.1-212. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD002137.pub3/epdf. Accessed 24 Oct. 2016.
Hosomi, R., Fukunaga, K., Arai, H., Kanda, S., Nishiyama, T. and Yoshida, M. (2011), Fish Protein Decreases Serum Cholesterol in Rats by Inhibition of Cholesterol
and Bile Acid Absorption. Journal of Food Science, vol. 6, no. 4, 2011, pp. H116-H121. Accessed 24 Oct. 2016.
Lobo, R.O. & Shenoy, C.K. J. Myocardial potency of Bio-tea against Isoproterenol induced myocardial damage in rats. Journal of Food Science and Technology,
vol.52, no.7, Jul. 2015, pp. 4491-4498. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13197-014-1492-6. Accessed 24 Oct. 2016.
"What Causes Heart Disease? - NHLBI, NIH." U.S National Library of Medicine. U.S. National Library of Medicine, Apr. 2014. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.
"What Is Cardiovascular Disease?" The American Heart Association. The American Heart Association, May 2015. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture.2015 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. 8th Edition. December 2015.