Can Plant-Based Diet Cuts Heart Failure Risk?

People all over the world are embracing vegetarianism enthusiastically. A plant-based diet has innumerable benefits for your health. That is why it is becoming the trustable diet for all health-aware fitness maniacs. If you are considering whether a plant-based diet is ideal for you, here is another benefit that will convince you. A plant-based diet can cut down your risk of heart failure. Read on to know more.

What is Heart Failure?

The heart, like all other organs, needs oxygen to keep functioning. When there is a disruption in the supply of blood (which transports oxygen) to the heart for a sustained period, you are likely to suffer a heart attack or a heart failure.

What causes Heart Failure?

Heart failure is prompted by a lack of blood. Sometimes fats or plaque deposit along the walls of the arteries. This narrows the blood vessels and makes them rigid and inflexible. That is why only a reduced volume of blood can pass through the inelastic vessels. Moreover, the blood that does pass through them exerts immense pressure on the vessels because they have to force their way through. This results in high blood pressure. If high blood pressure is not checked, reduced blood flow will make muscles of the heart wither and die. This will trigger heart failure in future.

Red Meat Causes High Blood Pressure

A diet that is meat reliant is more likely to give you heart disorders. Red meat is loaded with saturated fats. These fats are known to raise levels of LDL or bad cholesterol. LDL causes plaque to accumulate along the blood vessels and prompt high blood pressure and eventually heart failure. In fact, if you eat red meat every day, it will multiply your risk of suffering a heart failure by three times.

Similarly, proteins from meat also increase your chances of heart failure. However, proteins from eggs and dairy products are safe.

Plant-based Diet to the Rescue

Research and studies have revealed that a diet comprising only fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds can actually reduce your risk of ever contracting heart failure by a stunning 40%.

So include lots of leafy greens – broccoli, spinach, and celery – and seasonal fruits like berries to your daily serving of breakfast, lunch or dinner. Healthy fats from fishes, and nuts and seeds like walnuts, almonds, chia seeds and flaxseeds should also make it to your diet chart.

The reason fruits and vegetable are good for a person’s health is that they contain plenty of anti-oxidants, which can shield you from disorders. The folates present in them also bring down levels of amino acid homocysteine, which is one of the factors responsible for heart disorders.

A plant-based diet reduced the possibility of hospitalization by 41%. If you want to live a long healthy life not plagued by heart diseases, adopt a plant-based diet and avoid red meat.