But can they be at risk, too?

I can tell you from personal experience that the answer is yes.

For most of my adult life, I assumed I was doing everything right for my cardiovascular health, steering clear of animal products and eating a diet low in processed foods and high in fiber and whole plants. So when a routine blood test in 2019 came back with an LDL of 170 mg/dL (4.4 mmol/L), I thought there must be a mistake. That doesn’t happen to me.

It wasn’t a mistake.

What followed was a fascinating, humbling, and occasionally maddening education in how cholesterol actually works, and it’s a big part of why I wanted to write this article. But more on my story in a moment.

In this article, we’ll explore the science of high cholesterol. You’ll see that while diet is a huge factor, it’s not the only one. And you’ll get practical tips and steps to support healthy cholesterol levels that go beyond what you include or exclude from your plate.

What Is Cholesterol and What Does It Do?

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that performs a number of vital functions in your body. It’s needed for the construction and repair of cell membranes and to make important hormones, including:

• Sex hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone
• Stress hormones such as cortisol
• Water and electrolyte-balance hormones like aldosterone
• Vitamin D, which your skin starts making from cholesterol when exposed to sunlight

Cholesterol is so vital that your body doesn’t take any chances; your liver produces all the cholesterol you need. You don’t need to get any cholesterol from food.

Cholesterol isn’t water-soluble, so it can’t dissolve in your bloodstream on its own. Your body deals with this by binding cholesterol to protein molecules that can travel through the blood. These combinations of fats and proteins are known as apolipoproteins (fun tongue-twister!). 

Simplifying a bit for our discussion, there are two apolipoproteins of note. One is apolipoprotein B (ApoB), the main protein of LDL cholesterol. This is the “delivery” form, responsible for getting cholesterol to the cells where it’s needed.

The second is apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1), the main protein in HDL cholesterol. It’s the “waste management” form, and its job is to help remove excess cholesterol from your bloodstream.

The difference between those two functions is why LDL is considered the “bad” cholesterol while HDL is thought of as the “good” one. Both are necessary for life, so “bad” and “good” are simplistic labels. But because our modern diet and lifestyle make us prone to high LDL cholesterol, and this condition is a known precursor to cardiovascular disease, it’s a useful way to think about it.

How bad is “bad” LDL cholesterol? It’s a major risk factor for some of our most common and deadly chronic diseases, including atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in arteries), coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease, and stroke.

What are Healthy Cholesterol Levels?

So, what is considered “high” cholesterol? And what are normal levels? The answers come from decades of studies that have correlated cholesterol with health outcomes. 

For total cholesterol, a level below 200 mg/dL (5.2 mmol/L) —that’s “milligrams per deciliter,” or “millimoles per liter” if you’re outside the US— has long been considered desirable. More recent research has found that, in addition to the total number, the LDL-to-HDL ratio is also a risk factor for disease.

That’s one reason why total cholesterol can be a misleading number. It lumps together different types of cholesterol, including LDL and HDL. Someone with high total cholesterol might have excellent cardiovascular health if their HDL level is especially high. It’s kind of like labeling someone “obese” based on their body weight, even if most of their weight is coming from lean muscle, not fat. Without knowing the breakdown, the total number doesn’t tell the full story.

LDL cholesterol should ideally be less than 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L). That said, if you’re below 130 mg/dL (3.4 mmol/L), that’s pretty good. Between 130 and 160 mg/dL (3.4–4.1 mmol/L) is borderline high, while anything above 160 mg/dL (4.1 mmol/L) is considered high.

In contrast, higher HDL cholesterol levels are associated with better health. So HDL at 60 mg/dL (1.6 mmol/L) or higher is considered optimal, as it appears to offer protection against heart disease. For men, anything below 40 mg/dL (1.0 mmol/L) is considered a risk factor, while for women, that number rises to 50 mg/dL (1.3 mmol/L). 

There’s another blood lipid, triglycerides, that’s not part of the cholesterol family but is also important when assessing risk. For optimal health, your fasting triglycerides should be below 150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L).

A note on units: This table uses mg/dL, the standard in the US. If you’re in New Zealand, the UK, Australia, Canada, or elsewhere in Europe, your lab results are probably in mmol/L instead. To convert, divide the mg/dL number by 38.67 (so 200 mg/dL ≈ 5.2 mmol/L).

High LDL cholesterol and triglycerides are a problem. They’re strongly associated with increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and other forms of cardiovascular disease, which are the world’s leading killers. According to large-scale studies, every 39 mg/dL (1 mmol/L) decrease in LDL cholesterol is associated with about a 22% lower risk of cardiovascular events. Elevated triglycerides, especially when paired with low HDL, are also a key factor. They’ve been linked to a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality.

But what about when your cholesterol gets really low? Is there a point where that becomes dangerous?

Technically, yes. Extremely low LDL or total cholesterol levels (like, below 40 mg/dL (1.0 mmol/L) for LDL and 120 mg/dL (3.1 mmol/L) for total cholesterol) have been linked in some studies to hormonal imbalances, increased cancer risk, and hemorrhagic stroke. 

What about low HDL cholesterol? If it’s the good kind, don’t we want it to be as high as possible?

Not exactly. Remember, the job of HDL is to clear cholesterol from your bloodstream. If you’re eating a fully plant-based diet that’s low in saturated fats and devoid of cholesterol, you may well have low LDL and total cholesterol levels. In that case, you don’t need so much HDL. 

Joel Fuhrman, MD, puts it this way in his book Cholesterol Protection for Life: “Populations with the highest HDL levels have the highest rates of heart disease. In other words, when you do not have an atherosclerosis burden, you do not need a high HDL to remove stored lipids within the plaque. If there is no plaque, more HDL is not needed, and the body then keeps the levels low.”

So HDL is kind of like a city’s sanitation department. You want enough garbage trucks to pick up all the trash on a timely basis, but no more. And the less garbage you produce, the fewer trucks you need. 

There’s evidence for this. The EPIC-Oxford study found that vegans had lower total and LDL cholesterol levels than meat-eaters, with HDL levels slightly lower as well. However, the favorable LDL-to-HDL ratio in vegans was associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. 

If you haven’t had a lipid panel recently, or ever, it’s worth asking your doctor for one. Knowing your numbers is the essential first step, and many people are surprised by what they find. Many guidelines recommend testing every 4 to 6 years for adults with no known risk factors, and more frequently if you have a family history of heart disease, are over 40, or have other cardiovascular risk factors.

What Factors Influence Cholesterol Levels?

So let’s get back to our original question: Can plant-based eaters have high cholesterol even if they don’t eat any foods that contain it? Yes, and I know this from personal experience.

What My Own Numbers Taught Me

For most of my life, I assumed my cholesterol numbers were the least of my worries. I ate what I considered a cardiovascularly exemplary diet, complete with little or no animal products, minimal processed food, high in fiber, and whole plants. Then in 2019, my LDL came back at 170 mg/dL (4.4 mmol/L), and my Apolipoprotein B (ApoB) was high, too. I was stunned. And then I spent several confused years watching the number stay elevated while I kept eating what I thought was an optimally healthy diet.

During that time, I had a coronary calcium scan and was relieved to find a score of 0.0, which meant no atherosclerotic buildup had occurred. I started monitoring my blood pressure regularly, and thankfully, it seemed to always be in the normal range. That was reassuring. But the high LDL numbers were still bothering me, and by the summer of 2024, my doctor was beginning to raise the question of statins.

I wasn’t opposed to statins in principle. The research on them is real, and sometimes they can be the right call. But I wanted to know first whether I could move the needle with diet. My dad suggested I try eating as pristinely as possible for a month. For me, that meant cutting out plant cheese, plant butter, bread, sweets, and all flour products and essentially eliminating every category of food where saturated fat or refined carbohydrates might be sneaking in. I ate 100% whole foods. My only oils were olive, avocado, and flax.

On October 14, 2024, my LDL came back at 99 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L).

That was a revelation. It told me pretty clearly that my LDL is highly responsive to what I eat. I gradually loosened up again, with a bit of vegan cheese here, some dessert there, the occasional slice of bread, eating at restaurants, and sure enough, by June 2025, my LDL had climbed back to 176 mg/dL (4.6 mmol/L). I went strict again for 2 weeks and got it down to 132 mg/dL (3.4 mmol/L).

I’m still figuring this out. Honestly, I’d like to be able to enjoy a pat of vegan butter on my whole grain bread without it reading as a cardiovascular event. So more recently, I’ve been experimenting. Oatmeal most mornings. Daily amla extract, citrus bergamot, and ground flaxseed. (More on these supplements later.) The idea is to see whether targeted nutrition can give me a bit more room to maneuver. The jury is still out.

What I’ve learned is that the range of individual responses to diet is enormous. Some people can eat fairly freely, and their numbers barely move. Others, like me apparently, have LDL that tracks their diet almost in real time. As Dr. Dean Ornish puts it, “Genetics loads the gun, and lifestyle pulls the trigger.” But some people’s guns seem to fire on a hair trigger.

That’s why this article exists. Not to frighten you, but to give you the tools to understand your own numbers and to know what levers you can pull.

Now let’s look at the specific factors involved. We’ll start by looking at food and then consider other factors that could undermine even the cleanest diet.

1. How Diet Influences Cholesterol Levels

Your daily food choices directly influence your body’s cholesterol production and absorption. Every meal is an opportunity to either support healthy cholesterol levels or work against them. Here’s how to make your plate work in your favor.

Foods that Lower LDL Cholesterol 

Some foods do heavy lifting in lowering LDL cholesterol.

Oats and barley contain beta-glucan, a soluble fiber that acts like a sponge, binding to cholesterol in your digestive system and escorting it out of your body. Just one bowl of oatmeal daily may reduce LDL by 5–10%.

Legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas) are fiber powerhouses. Their combination of soluble fiber and plant protein makes them particularly effective in lowering LDL cholesterol. Aim for at least one serving daily.

Flaxseeds deserve special attention. Consuming a couple of tablespoons per day of ground or well-crushed flaxseeds has been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol. Grinding matters because whole flaxseeds can pass through undigested, so crushing them helps you absorb their omega-3s and lignans. The key is to eat flax as ground seeds (not oil), so their fiber and lignans stay intact and work together for maximum benefit. Interestingly, a 2012 study found that adding flaxseeds to drinks lowered cholesterol more than when the seeds were incorporated into baked goods. 

Plant sterols and stanols are especially plentiful in nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, and pistachios, and are also present in legumes, some fruits and vegetables, unrefined olive oil, and whole grains. They have similar molecular structures to cholesterol and compete for the same intestinal transport proteins. Practically speaking, this means they physically block some cholesterol-absorption sites and reduce the amount of cholesterol that enters your bloodstream.

Colorful fruits and vegetables provide antioxidants that prevent LDL oxidation, a process that makes cholesterol more harmful to arteries. Berries, apples, and leafy greens are especially rich in protective compounds.

Soy Foods like tofu, tempeh, and edamame contain isoflavones that modestly reduce cholesterol production. Include them a few times weekly for best results.

Beyond these broader food categories, a handful of specific foods have posted especially strong results in clinical trials — in some cases rivaling older cholesterol medications, at genuinely small daily doses.

Specific Foods With Measurable, Drug-Like Effects

Summer savory, a common culinary herb, may be one of the most potent. A double-blind randomized trial found that just 1/3 teaspoon of ground dried leaves daily dropped LDL cholesterol by 27 points in people with metabolic syndrome over 10 weeks. Try sprinkling it into soups, stews, or bean dishes.

Apples are an easy win: a randomized trial found that eating two medium apples daily reduced LDL cholesterol by 24% in postmenopausal women with elevated cholesterol, likely thanks to their pectin (soluble fiber) and polyphenol content.

Brazil nuts offer a fascinating case of “less is more.” A single dose of just 20 grams of Brazil nuts — about 4 whole kernels — dropped LDL cholesterol by 20% within 24 hours, an effect that persisted for a full month. Because Brazil nuts are extremely high in selenium, daily consumption isn’t recommended; four nuts once a month appears to be the sweet spot for benefit without risking selenium overload.

Artichoke hearts may help too. A meta-analysis of 14 studies found that artichoke supplementation lowered LDL cholesterol by 17–18 points. Most of this evidence comes from concentrated leaf extracts rather than the artichoke hearts you’d eat at dinner, so consider 1/2 cup of no-salt-added artichoke hearts daily a reasonable, food-based approximation rather than a directly tested equivalent.

Black soybeans are another strong contender. A randomized trial found that an anthocyanin-rich black soybean seed-coat extract (2.5 g/day) lowered LDL cholesterol by 14 points over 8 weeks. Whole cooked black soybeans likely offer a similar benefit, though the exact equivalent amount hasn’t been established in a peer-reviewed whole-food trial. A reasonable estimate is roughly 1 tablespoon of cooked black soybeans daily.

Lemon balm, a lemony herb in the mint family, showed a 13-point LDL reduction at a dose of about 1 teaspoon of the ground herb daily in a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of people with borderline high cholesterol. (Note: drinking lemon balm tea alone doesn’t appear to offer the same benefit — you want the ground herb itself.)

Sumac, the tangy purple spice common in Middle Eastern cooking, was shown in a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials to lower LDL cholesterol by about 9 points, with an effective dose of around 1.5 teaspoons daily. (Skip it if you have a cashew or mango allergy, since sumac is in the same plant family.)

Foods That Increase LDL Cholesterol

Added sugars — especially in sugary drinks — hit your bloodstream quickly, and when there’s more than your liver can use right away, it converts the excess into fat and VLDL particles that circulate as triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, raising cardiovascular risk over time. Refined carbohydrates like white bread and pastries pose a related but distinct concern: their rapid glucose/insulin spikes. 

Saturated fat makes it harder for your liver to remove LDL cholesterol from your blood by reducing the number of receptors in your liver that normally help clear it out. Some types of saturated fat can also increase the amount of fat your liver sends into your bloodstream. 

These fats are packaged into particles called VLDL (very-low-density lipoproteins), which the body gradually converts into LDL cholesterol through an intermediate step The result? More LDL cholesterol stays in your blood, especially the small, dense type. And these are the particles most closely linked to clogged arteries and heart disease.

While meat and dairy are the main sources of saturated fat in the modern diet, there are vegan sources as well. For texture and mouthfeel, tropical oils like coconut and palm oil are often added to packaged vegan items such as vegan butters and margarines, non-dairy creamers and cheeses, and baked goods like cookies and cakes.

Trans fats, found in some processed foods, raise LDL while lowering HDL. Check labels for partially hydrogenated oils. Although the U.S. Food and Drug Administration deemed them “unsafe to eat” in 2015, there are still loopholes that allow small amounts into food.

What About Dietary Cholesterol?

Dietary cholesterol is only found in animal products. There is none in any vegan foods. And many vegans think this makes them immune to concern about blood cholesterol levels. But the truth turns out to be more complicated.

For most people, eating cholesterol in food has only a modest impact on blood cholesterol levels, if any at all. That’s because your liver adjusts its cholesterol production based on how much you’re getting from food. That’s why eating eggs or shrimp (which are high in cholesterol but low in saturated fat) doesn’t typically raise heart disease risk for most people, especially when they’re part of a healthy, plant-rich diet. That said, the story might be different for people who are hyper-responders or who already have metabolic or cardiovascular disease.

Cholesterol-Lowering Diets

Plant-based approaches consistently produce lower cholesterol levels, with vegans doing better than vegetarians. A 2023 meta-analysis of 30 trials found that plant-based diets reduce LDL cholesterol by 10% and total cholesterol by 7%. Vegans show a 26% lower risk of heart disease compared to meat-eaters, and significantly lower cholesterol levels. But eating a vegan diet just means you don’t eat meat, dairy, or eggs. It doesn’t indicate what you DO eat. And unsurprisingly, that matters, too.

Two evidence-based approaches stand out for cholesterol management.

The Portfolio Diet combines consumption of four classes of cholesterol-lowering components (soluble fiber, soy protein, plant sterols, and nuts) with avoidance of foods high in saturated fat. A 2003 study found that people who followed it closely reduced their LDL cholesterol levels by up to 30%, which is comparable to the effects of some older cholesterol-lowering medications. A more recent 2025 cohort study found that, adherents to the Portfolio Diet had about a 16% lower risk of dying from heart problems compared to those who followed it the least.

Joel Fuhrman’s Nutritarian Diet is a plant-rich, nutrient-dense eating plan focused on maximizing health and longevity by prioritizing foods with the highest nutrient-to-calorie ratio. It was designed to support weight loss, reverse chronic disease, and reduce dependence on medication, especially for conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

In a study published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, more than 2,200 people who adopted a nutritarian eating pattern saw dramatic health improvements. Among 328 participants not using cholesterol-lowering medications, LDL cholesterol dropped by an average of 42 points (from about 171 to 128 mg/dL or 4.4 to 3.3 mmol/L) in just 1 year. Those already taking statins saw an even greater average drop of 48 points in LDL, suggesting that even when medication is already actively lowering cholesterol, a whole food, plant-rich diet can drive substantial additional improvement. 

Many also experienced significant weight loss, lower blood pressure, and reduced triglycerides. Some even reversed symptoms of advanced heart disease — without drugs or surgery. While this was a survey-based study rather than a randomized trial, the findings add powerful evidence that a whole food, plant-forward diet can profoundly improve cardiovascular health.

2. Genetic Factors

Some people are born with conditions that lead to high cholesterol levels, regardless of diet. 

One of these is familial hypercholesterolemia (FH), which is a fancy way of saying “high cholesterol that runs in families.” It’s a genetic disorder that causes high LDL cholesterol levels from birth, more than 400–500 mg/dL (10.3–12.9 mmol/L) in children and 300 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L) in adults.

FH affects about 1 in 200–500 people and greatly increases the risk of early cardiovascular disease. Elevated lipoprotein(a) — Lp(a) to its friends — is another genetically determined condition that increases heart disease risk and is not directly influenced by diet. Lp(a) is a different case from the cholesterol numbers we’ve covered so far: it’s measured in either milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or nanomoles per liter (nmol/L), not mmol/L. Unfortunately, these units are not directly interchangeable, for reasons that might require both of us to have PhDs in molecular biochemistry for me to explain and for you to understand.

Fortunately, I can provide a table of commonly accepted thresholds.

While FH is treatable with lifestyle changes and medication, there is currently no specific medication approved to reduce Lp(a). If your Lp(a) is elevated, your best bet is to focus on lowering your overall cardiovascular risk through lifestyle management. 

3. Lifestyle

In addition to what you put into your mouth, the way you live your day-to-day life can have a significant impact on your cholesterol levels. For example, physical inactivity, stress, poor sleep, smoking, and alcohol consumption can all raise LDL cholesterol. 

Exercise

Exercise is one of the most powerful levers you can pull to improve your cholesterol levels. Especially when combined with weight loss, physical activity can reduce LDL cholesterol and support healthy HDL levels. 

Stress

Stress can ramp up cholesterol in your body in several ways. First, there are direct links, which are primarily hormonal. When you’re stressed, your body releases cortisol. Chronically high levels of this stress hormone can signal your liver to increase its production of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.

Another stress hormone, adrenaline, floods your bloodstream with triglycerides and fatty acids, mobilizing them as a source of quick energy. If they aren’t used up by running away or fighting (the original dual-purpose repertoire of the stress response), they stick around and raise circulating lipid levels.

Stress can also undermine other lifestyle strategies, like diet and exercise. Let’s put it this way: It’s more common to stress-eat cake than salad. And stress also predisposes you to sit on the couch and doomscroll through an infinite feed of social media posts rather than hit the gym, the mat, or the park.

Fortunately, various forms of stress management, including yoga and meditation, can positively affect cholesterol levels. A 2022 meta-analysis of over 50 randomized controlled trials, including more than 13,000 participants, found that yoga lowered LDL cholesterol and triglycerides by an average of 9 mg/dL (0.2 mmol/L) and 13 mg/dL (0.1 mmol/L), respectively. And practicing yoga slightly boosted HDL cholesterol, so win-win-win.

Meditation may be even more powerful. A 2024 meta-analysis of 16 clinical studies, including more than 1,000 participants, found that various forms of sitting meditation lowered cholesterol by an average of about 14 mg/dL (0.4 mmol/L) and triglycerides by about 33 mg/dL (0.4 mmol/L).

Sleep

We’ve known for a while that poor sleep is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, and recently, researchers have been identifying how they’re connected. Sleep deprivation has been shown in animal studies to cause imbalances in cholesterol levels, which suppresses the conversion of cholesterol into other compounds. This leads to excess cholesterol accumulating in the body.

Smoking

Smoking is linked to many chronic diseases, including those of the cardiovascular system. One of the paradoxes of smoking is that people often gain weight after they quit, which you would think would predispose them to more cardiovascular risk.

However, it turns out that the risks of weight gain are more than offset by improvements in cholesterol levels, particularly the increases in two different forms of HDL.

Alcohol

Heavy or frequent alcohol use raises triglycerides and may raise LDL cholesterol in some people, especially if they also indulge in diets high in fat or sugar. Chronic alcohol use can harm the liver, impairing how your body handles fat and cholesterol.

A 2011 meta-analysis found that moderate drinking (defined as one drink per day for women and up to two for men) increased HDL cholesterol and one of its key components, apolipoprotein A1. But the same meta-analysis found that moderate drinking may elevate triglyceride levels. Putting this together, the American Heart Association tells us that while moderate alcohol intake may increase HDL, the risks of alcohol outweigh the potential benefits for most people.

4. Metabolic and Hormonal Factors

If you’ve never touched an animal product in your life, your cholesterol levels could still be off the charts, thanks to the cholesterol factory in your liver. Certain metabolic conditions disrupt this assembly line.

Take diabetes, for instance. When insulin resistance sets in, your liver goes into overdrive, pumping out more cholesterol-rich particles while simultaneously struggling to clear them from your bloodstream. It’s like having a factory that’s ramped up production, but the loading docks aren’t working, so packages just keep piling up.

Thyroid dysfunction can also dramatically alter this delicate balance. An underactive thyroid essentially slows down your body’s cholesterol recycling program, leading to a build-up even if you’re eating a squeaky-clean diet.

Then there’s non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. When your liver accumulates excess fat, it disrupts the dance of cholesterol production and metabolism, often resulting in elevated levels regardless of dietary choices.

We’ve seen that cholesterol is a building block for hormones. In turn, those hormones affect how cholesterol is processed in the body.

Estrogen increases HDL and lowers LDL cholesterol. That’s why LDL levels typically rise following menopause. 

Diet can come to the rescue here, at least partially. A 2021 study found that a low-fat vegan diet, which included soybeans, significantly reduced severe hot flashes and improved lipid profiles in menopausal women.

Low levels of testosterone correlate with higher cholesterol, which is why testosterone therapy has been found to lower total cholesterol, too. 

(For more on how to balance hormones with diet and lifestyle, see our article here.)

5. Environmental Factors

Many chemicals in our air, soil, and water can also raise cholesterol levels. Research shows that prolonged exposure to air pollution can negatively affect your cholesterol balance.

The worst offenders are the tiniest particles, the ones smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. Known as PM_2.5, these particles are generated by combustion from car engines, fossil-fuel-burning power plants, industrial facilities, and wood-burning sources, as well as natural sources such as wildfires, dust storms, and volcanic eruptions. 

Breathing in PM_2.5 particles has been linked to higher levels of total and LDL cholesterol, as well as triglycerides, and lower levels of protective HDL cholesterol. This is yet another reason that an indoor air filter could be helpful if you can afford it. (For more on indoor air pollution and filtration options, see our article here.)

Similarly, exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) can also impact your cholesterol. They’re ominously called “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down naturally in the environment or the human body. Instead, they persist for years, decades, even centuries, accumulating in soil, water, animals, and people.

A 2023 study found that, among its many potential harms, PFAS exposure can notably increase cholesterol in certain lipoprotein particles. 

Statins: Helpful or Harmful?

Statins are the main class of cholesterol-lowering drugs. Among the most well-known are Lipitor (atorvastatin), Crestor (rosuvastatin), and Pravachol (pravastatin).

Say you’ve been eating a healthy vegan diet for many years and are physically active, but your cholesterol remains high. Should you take a statin?

For most people, they work well, typically lowering LDL cholesterol by 30–50%, which can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular events.

And they’re generally safe, though some people experience side effects like muscle pain, digestive issues, and changes in liver enzymes. 

The problem with statins is that some people rely on them as a “free pass” and skip over the lifestyle changes that address the root of the problem. While statins can effectively lower LDL cholesterol (which, as we’ve seen, is a key risk factor for heart disease), they only address part of the picture. 

They don’t address obesity, insulin resistance, high blood pressure, or the damage to blood vessels caused by a poor diet, smoking, lack of sleep, chronic stress, and a sedentary lifestyle. And they won’t protect against other diet-related conditions like type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, or certain cancers.

Whether to take a statin is a personal decision that should take into account your overall health, cholesterol levels, and individual risk of cardiovascular disease. Tools like the 10-year ASCVD risk calculator can help you and your healthcare provider make an informed choice.

One more thing worth asking your doctor about: ApoB. Earlier in this article, we mentioned apolipoprotein B (ApoB), the protein that carries LDL cholesterol through the bloodstream. Standard lipid panels measure LDL cholesterol concentration, but ApoB measures the actual number of cholesterol-carrying particles, and research increasingly suggests it’s a more accurate predictor of cardiovascular risk than LDL alone. My own elevated ApoB was part of what made my cholesterol picture more concerning than LDL alone might have suggested. Not all doctors routinely order this test, but it’s worth requesting, especially if you have a family history of heart disease or your LDL is borderline.

Can Supplements Help?

There are several supplements suitable for vegans that can help keep high cholesterol in check. 

Psyllium husk is a soluble fiber that lowers LDL. 

Red yeast rice contains monacolin K, a compound that’s chemically identical to lovastatin, one of the original prescription cholesterol-lowering statin drugs. It can be effective, but it also comes with the same risk profile as pharmaceutical statins, including potential muscle pain, liver stress, and drug interactions. The added complication is that the amount of monacolin K in red yeast rice varies considerably from product to product and even batch to batch, making it difficult to know how much of the active compound you’re actually getting. For this reason, it’s worth approaching red yeast rice with respect and caution, and having a conversation with your doctor before starting.

Amla powder, derived from the fruit of the Indian gooseberry plant, contains tannins, vitamin C, flavonoids, phenolics, phytosterols, and saponins — all of which can help manage cholesterol. Supplementation with amla has been shown in some studies to decrease LDL by 15–30% and reduce total cholesterol and triglycerides, while increasing HDL. 

For more on the remarkable health benefits of amla berries and the brand that I take daily, see our article here. 

Chokeberries (aronia) owe their cholesterol-lowering and cardioprotective effects to a rich array of phytochemicals, especially polyphenols. A 2020 meta-analysis found that daily chokeberry supplementation not only significantly reduced total cholesterol but also lowered systolic blood pressure.

Dr. Fuhman’s LDL Biotect contains a blend of plant sterols, including organic pomegranate extract, organic chokeberry, and organic amla. This exact formulation has not yet been tested in a clinical trial, but each component has demonstrated cholesterol-lowering and antioxidant effects.

Citrus bergamot appears to work as a natural statin, reducing the body’s cholesterol production. Clinical studies have found that it can lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol by 15% to 30%. While this is a step below prescription statins, which typically achieve a 30% to 50% reduction, bergamot has a much lower side-effect profile, entirely avoiding the muscle pain and fatigue often associated with pharmaceutical options. This makes it a promising option for people who can’t tolerate statins or want a natural alternative.

Typical clinical trials use 500 to 1,000 mg of a standardized extract daily. A premier choice at this dosage level is Double Wood Citrus Bergamot Extract, which provides 1,000 mg per 2-capsule serving (ideally, you want to take two 500 mg capsules at different times in the day). It uses Bergamonte®, a gold-standard trademarked extract derived directly from Citrus bergamia Risso in Calabria, Italy, to deliver a full-spectrum extract containing all the essential active compounds required to mimic the “statin-like” effect. If you try other products, look for a standardized extract. The active compounds are brutieridin and melitidin, and not all products contain meaningful amounts of them.

Importantly, citrus bergamot doesn’t have to do the heavy lifting alone. When it’s combined with amla (Indian gooseberry), oatmeal, flax meal, and other healthy lifestyle factors, research and clinical experience suggest the effect on your LDL cholesterol levels can be quite powerful. However, because it’s highly bioactive and can interact with certain medications, you should consult your healthcare provider before adding it to your regimen.ody’s cholesterol production. This makes it a promising option for people who can’t tolerate statins or want a natural alternative. 

Cholesterol-Friendly Recipes

Looking for delicious ways to support healthy cholesterol levels without sacrificing flavor? These cholesterol-friendly recipes are packed with fiber, plant-based protein, and heart-smart fats to help nourish your body naturally. From a vibrant breakfast bowl to a creamy slaw and a hearty lentil loaf, each dish is crafted with whole food ingredients that are as satisfying as they are supportive.

1. Banana Berry Breakfast Bowl

The Banana Berry Breakfast Bowl is a heart-smart way to start your morning, combining fiber-rich oats, crunchy walnuts, almonds, pecans, and pumpkin seeds, all gently sweetened with maple syrup and cinnamon. Layered with bananas, blueberries, and a splash of plant-based milk, this bowl offers a balanced mix of soluble fiber and healthy fats to help support healthy cholesterol levels and keep you feeling full and energized.

2. Easy Creamy Apple Slaw 

Fresh, tangy, and delightfully creamy, the Easy Creamy Apple Slaw combines crunchy red cabbage, crisp apples, carrots, and slivered almonds in a silky, silken tofu dressing. With apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and mustard adding flavor without cholesterol or saturated fat, this slaw is a vibrant, nutrient-rich side that pairs beautifully with any plant-based meal.

3. Lentil Flax Loaf

The Lentil Flax Loaf is a satisfying, savory main dish made with lentils, oats, and flax for a triple boost of plant-based protein, fiber, and omega-3s. Packed with vegetables and seasoned with warming spices, it’s topped with a zesty tomato glaze for extra flavor. This loaf is a comforting and nourishing option for anyone looking to support heart health without compromising on taste.

Final Takeaway

Yes, vegans can have high cholesterol. But a fiber-rich, whole food, plant-based diet remains one of the most effective tools we have for supporting cardiovascular health, especially when combined with regular movement, restful sleep, and stress management.

If your numbers still need support after optimizing your diet and lifestyle, there are supplements like amla berry, citrus bergamot, chokeberry, and psyllium husk that could make a real difference. And, when appropriate, there are medications that can meaningfully help. None of this has to be all-or-nothing.

I’ll be honest: I’m still working on this myself. My cholesterol story isn’t over. I’m still experimenting, still testing, still trying to find the right balance between eating in a way that’s sustainable and enjoyable and keeping my numbers where I want them. What I’ve learned is that staying curious and proactive matters more than being perfect. Your body will give you feedback if you pay attention to it. Get your numbers tested. Ask your doctor about ApoB. Try the oatmeal. Add the flax. See what moves the needle for you.

The real takeaway is that cardiovascular health isn’t a fixed protocol; it’s a practice. I’m still working on mine. And the levers are there. It’s just a matter of learning which ones to pull.

Tell us in the comments:

• What is your experience with diet and cholesterol?

Read Next:

• Omega-3s: Why Are They Important — And What Are the Best Sources for Your Health?

The post Can Vegans Have High Cholesterol? appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

What’s more, science is catching up to these traditions, discovering in amla many powerful compounds that mimic (and sometimes outperform) modern prescription drugs — minus the unwanted side effects. In the last few decades, amla has been put to the test for its ability to mitigate symptoms of metabolic syndrome, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, prediabetes, and diabetes. 

In this article, we’ll explore the increasingly popular amla berry. We’ll explore the latest evidence about how amla might benefit your health. And we’ll look at ways to consume it safely, both in fresh and powdered form, ending with three amazing amla recipes to add to your healthy cooking rotation. 

What is Amla?

Amla is a plant with many names. Amla is the Hindu shortening of the Sanskrit amalaki, meaning “sour.” Tibetans say rasa, while English speakers call it Indian gooseberry. And botanists worldwide know it as Phyllanthus emblica — that last word being the Latinization of amalaki.

Regardless of the name, there’s widespread agreement about its health-boosting properties. In Ayurvedic and Tibetan medicine, amla has long been prescribed for conditions ranging from digestive and liver disorders to respiratory ailments, inflammation, fever, and infections.

Botanists, biotechnologists, and phytochemists around the world have been touting its broad range of therapeutic uses. And lately, science has joined the cheering section, as studies are confirming more and more of its traditional and ethnomedical uses.

Amla Nutrition

Before we look at these studies, let’s peek under the hood, chemically speaking, to see what’s in the amla fruit that makes it such a health powerhouse. 

Amla contains a variety of phytochemicals with powerful anti-inflammatory properties, including flavonoids, tannins, and polyphenols. It’s also a good source of gallic acid and ellagic acid, both of which inhibit the production of cytokines — inflammatory compounds that, produced in excess, can lead to tissue damage, metabolic problems, and even degenerative diseases.

Amla is recognized as one of the richest natural sources of vitamin C. Adding to that good news is the fact that the vitamin C in amla remains remarkably stable, even after prolonged cold storage or drying. 

Vitamin C isn’t alone here; other lettered vitamins found in amla include A, B1, and E. And amla is no slouch (that’s a technical nutrition term) in the calcium and iron departments either. 

Health Benefits of Amla

As we’ve seen, amla may be helpful in a huge range of health conditions. So far, the best scientific evidence is for its cardiovascular and blood sugar benefits, so that’s what we’ll focus on here. 

Cardiovascular Benefits

One of the most promising uses of amla is to help patients lower their LDL cholesterol, also known as “bad” cholesterol, because elevated LDL cholesterol is a significant risk factor for heart disease. Higher LDL contributes to plaque accumulation in the arteries, which makes the heart work harder to pump blood and increases the likelihood of blockages and heart attacks.

How does amla compare with standard-of-care cholesterol-lowering drugs? In 2013, researchers in India randomly assigned adults with mild-to-moderate diabetes to take either amla, a low dose of the statin drug atorvastatin (brand name Lipitor), or a placebo daily for 12 weeks. They measured endothelial function specifically (how well small blood vessels dilated to promote proper blood flow) and checked markers of oxidative stress, inflammation, and cholesterol.

By the end of the study, the people who were given amla and the people taking atorvastatin both fared significantly better than the control group, with less oxidative stress, lower markers of inflammation, and improved cholesterol levels. In the amla group, specifically, total cholesterol plummeted from 193 to 164 mg/dL (that’s milligrams per deciliter), “bad” LDL cholesterol dropped from 124 to 93 mg/dL, and triglycerides fell (I’m running out of synonyms here) from 165 to 124 mg/dL. What’s more, “good” HDL cholesterol actually rose slightly, from 42 to 48 mg/dL.

And notably absent were the unwanted risks and side effects of atorvastatin (and other similar drugs in the statin family), like muscle weakness, liver problems, headaches, and nausea.

(Note: this same study also looked at markers related to diabetes and blood sugar management; we’ll examine those results in the next section.)

A 2023 meta-analysis crunched the numbers for 9 randomized controlled trials that included a total of 535 adults, which also explored how amla might impact markers for cardiovascular health. 

The researchers found that taking amla consistently led to reductions in “bad” blood fats and inflammation, including “bad” LDL cholesterol by 15 mg/dL, VLDL cholesterol by 5 mg/dL, and triglycerides by a whopping 23 mg/dL. Amla also cooled inflammation, as was evidenced by a drop in levels of high-sensitivity C‑reactive protein (which is present when there’s inflammation in the body).

Glycemic (Blood Sugar) Benefits

Amla also shows great promise as a supplement to help people avoid or manage prediabetes and diabetes. 

A 2013 study explored whether eating one fresh amla (Indian gooseberry) a day helped people with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar and improve their blood fat levels. Researchers recruited 60 people with type 2 diabetes and split them into two groups of 30: a control group that kept their usual diet and medicines, and an experimental group that ate one medium-sized raw amla berry (about 35 grams, or roughly the weight of a small bar of hotel soap, which I don’t recommend that you eat) each morning before breakfast for 6 months. 

The researchers measured a bunch of things, among them diabetes-related numbers like fasting blood sugar, after-meal (“post-prandial,” if you’re looking to impress) blood sugar, and HbA1c (a long-term measure of blood sugar). 

After six months, the amla group showed clear improvements while the control group did not. Among those taking amla, average fasting blood sugar fell from about 175 to 141 mg/dL, post‑prandial glucose from about 292 to 240 mg/dL, and HbA1c from about 8.39% to 7.51%. What’s more, those in the amla group lost a small amount of weight and had slightly improved waist and body fat measures compared to those taking a placebo. 

That’s fine if you can get fresh amla berries. But what about amla extract? Can it also help with blood sugar control? Well, the 2013 study from India that we already looked at regarding cardiovascular effects also assessed bloodwork related to diabetes.ork related to diabetes.

The researchers took a group of 80 people with type 2 diabetes, all of whom had been taking the standard diabetes drug metformin for at least 8 weeks. Half of the patients, the control group, continued taking metformin, and they saw no change in their HbA1c levels during the study. The other half continued taking metformin, while adding amla extract. Those who took 500 mg of amla extract twice a day saw their HbA1c drop from 7.56% to 7.09%. Even the lower dose of 250 mg twice daily led to a decrease from 7.79% to 7.57%. This suggests that amla extract could improve the results of standard diabetes treatment.

Amla also plays very well with its Ayurvedic friends, belleric (also known as bibhitaki and Terminalia bellirica) and harra (aka haritaki and Terminalia chebula). The combination of these three fruits is a much-beloved remedy known as triphala (meaning “three fruits” in Sanskrit). As each fruit is known for helping with digestion and possibly combating diabetes, Indian researchers wondered how much the combination might improve people’s blood sugar levels.

The results, published in 2008, were very encouraging. In the study, 60 people with type 2 diabetes were randomized into two groups. One group received 5 grams of triphala powder daily for 45 days, and the other half got a placebo. Those consuming triphala experienced a big drop in blood sugar levels by the end of the trial — both fasting and post-prandial — while the control group didn’t improve at all. 

What’s a “big drop,” you wonder. I’m so glad you asked! The average reduction in fasting blood glucose was 44 mg/dL, and that of after-meal blood glucose was 33 mg/dL. 

Where to Find Amla

While amla berries have yet to become staples in grocery stores in the industrialized world, you can sometimes find them in South Asian grocery stores and farmers markets in regions with Indian communities. If you’re lucky, you may occasionally find them in mainstream supermarkets during the harvest season of autumn to winter. 

Look for pale green fruit; the taste when ripe is sour, bitter, and astringent, followed by a subtly sweet aftertaste.

More readily available are dried, powdered, capsule, and juice forms, which you can buy in natural foods stores, Ayurvedic shops, and from online retailers. Look for organic, non-GMO, and third-party tested products to ensure purity and avoid contamination with heavy metals or pesticides.

One of the organizations that tests supplements for safety and effectiveness is ConsumerLab. Recently, they published an article evaluating eight popular amla products. 

I was particularly curious about their rating of one of the products, Amla Green Classic, because it’s made by my friend, Food Revolution Summit speaker and Mastering Diabetes co-author Cyrus Khambatta, PhD. 

I can’t share the full article because it’s behind a paywall, but basically, only two of the eight products received ConsumerLab’s seal of approval, while Amla Green received a rating of “uncertain.” Obviously, I was concerned, since I’ve been recommending Amla Green for blood glucose control for a while now.

It turns out that the “uncertain” rating has nothing to do with the quality of the product — in fact, Amla Green ended up having the highest polyphenol content of any of the products tested, and the second lowest lead contamination. The problem was that ConsumerLab could not directly attribute the high polyphenol content to the amla berries because Amla Green contains other ingredients besides amla that also contribute to its antioxidant properties. And so its quality was rated as “uncertain.” 

How Much Amla Should You Take?

Amla shows such promise in managing cardiovascular and glycemic health that you might be tempted to shovel down the stuff. But as with just about everything, there’s a range that’s associated with benefit, and there’s such a thing as too much. 

When we’re talking about powders, extracts, and other supplemental forms of amla, the sweet spot appears to be around 1,000 mg (or 1 gram) per day. This amount consistently demonstrates significant positive impacts on a range of cardiovascular risk factors, including good lipid numbers (total cholesterol, LDL, VLDL, HDL, and triglycerides), improved endothelial function (that’s the lining of blood vessels that we looked at earlier), and reduced systemic inflammation. 

A gram a day is also associated with less oxidative stress (ie, cell damage), lower blood pressure, and less blood platelet clumping (which reduces the risk of stroke).

A daily dose of 1 gram has also been shown to be effective in lowering fasting and post-meal blood glucose, as well as long-term HbA1c levels. Someone with prediabetes or diabetes might benefit from higher doses of 2 or even 3 grams of amla powder per day, which can promote larger decreases in blood glucose.

Amla Side Effects and Safety Profile

Research and studies show that amla supplements are generally safe, with no reported side effects. Amla is well-tolerated — no patient in any of the published randomized controlled trials reported an adverse reaction serious enough to end the study prematurely. Very rarely, people taking amla have reported mild symptoms such as abdominal discomfort, indigestion, headache, or low-grade fever. These cases are so rare and occur with about equal frequency in placebo groups that it’s unclear if any of these were truly related to amla.

Amla Recipes from Amla Green

1. Golden Milk Latte Cozy up with this golden cup of goodness! Turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon swirl together with Amla Green Pumpkin Spice powder for a warming hug in a mug. Black pepper helps unlock turmeric’s magic, while vanilla and just a hint of maple bring a touch of sweet comfort. A creamy almond milk base makes this latte the perfect way to sip your way to calm and nourish your body.
2. Chocolate Strawberry Truffles Decadent meets nourishing in these dreamy little bites! Sweet strawberries and caramel-like medjool dates blend with rich cacao, almond butter, and a scoop of Amla Green for a burst of plant-powered goodness. Rolled into soft, chocolatey truffles and dusted with cocoa, they’re the perfect no-bake treat when you want something indulgent that still loves your body back. Enjoy them with a cozy cup of tea or pop a few into a jar for a sweet homemade gift. 
3. Amla-Infused Pumpkin Spice Soup This nourishing bowl is fall comfort at its finest! Pumpkin, sweet potato, and carrot simmer together with onion, garlic, and a hint of ginger, then get a creamy swirl of almond milk and a boost from Amla Green Pumpkin Spice. The result is velvety, warming, and packed with plant-powered goodness. Garnish with fresh herbs and curl up with a spoonful of autumn bliss in every bite.

Conclusion

Amla, or Indian gooseberry, offers a powerful natural way to improve metabolic health, backed by both centuries of traditional use and a growing body of scientific evidence. Amla’s exceptional polyphenol content, benefits for cardiovascular health (including reduced LDL cholesterol, blood pressure, triglycerides, and inflammation), and its proven ability to regulate fasting blood glucose, post-prandial blood glucose, and A1c, make it a valuable addition to a health-conscious lifestyle.

Whether consumed fresh, powdered, or as an extract, amla seems to be extremely safe and highly effective. It is particularly beneficial for people managing or seeking to prevent conditions like hyperlipidemia, hypertension, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes.

As research continues to emerge, incorporating this “antioxidant king” into your daily routine could be a significant step towards improved metabolic health.

Read Next:

• • Are Blueberries Really As Healthy As They’re Claimed to Be?

The post Amla for Blood Sugar and Heart Health: What Research Says appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

They’ve had mixed success, as shown in the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released by the USDA in early January 2025. US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy, Jr., presented the guidelines to the press by proclaiming, “We are ending the war on saturated fats.”

The key visual — an inverted pyramid — appears to make good on that promise by prominently featuring a raw steak, a hunk of cheese, a pan of ground beef, and a carton of whole milk at the top left. 

At the same time, the document text features the exact same guideline as before: “In general, saturated fat consumption should not exceed 10% of total daily calories.” The only wiggle room comes in the form of uncertainty: “More high-quality research is needed to determine which types of dietary fats best support long-term health.”

And nutrition experts have pointed out that if you follow the recommended daily servings supplement, you’re going to be consuming a lot more than 10% of your calories from saturated fat. 

The inconsistencies remind me of the days of billboard ads for cigarettes that featured beautiful and healthy people next to warnings of disease, disability, and premature death. Confusion is a key strategy employed by those peddling harmful products — and the letter introducing the guidelines makes it clear in whose interests they were crafted: “We are realigning our food system to support American farmers, ranchers, and companies who grow and produce real food…”

With so much noise, it’s no wonder many people feel stuck between the warnings and the hype. So let’s slow down, ignore the pundits, proselytizers, and policymakers, and look at what seven decades of science actually show.

Let’s start by understanding what saturated fat is, and how it differs from other kinds of fat (and how various types of saturated fat differ from each other). Next, we’ll explore how saturated fat affects the body, summarizing the strongest and most reliable research regarding health risks and benefits. 

We’ll see that the story is more complex than just “saturated fat is bad” vs “saturated fat is good.” The health effects depend in part on the source (whole food vs ultra-processed) and the context (what it’s served with). That is, your body will respond differently to the saturated fat in lard-fried donut burgers, compared to the saturated fat in a blueberry coconut chia pudding.

We’ll close by tying the research to your diet, showing you where saturated fat is found in food (including some surprising “stealth” sources), and sharing tips on shifting your diet toward healthier fats in a way that supports both your heart and the planet.

You’ll walk away knowing how to keep saturated fat in a healthy range without obsessing, which fats to prioritize instead, and how to put that knowledge into practice through simple and delicious everyday meals (plus three amazing recipes).

Saturated Fat 101: What It Is (and Isn’t)

First, let’s clear up a common point of confusion: Saturated fat isn’t just one thing — it’s a category that includes several types of fatty acids that are “saturated” with hydrogen atoms, meaning they contain no double bonds. This structure typically renders them solid at room temperature, as with coconut oil, lard, and beef tallow. In contrast, unsaturated fats — like those in olive oil, flax, walnuts, and avocados — have one or more double bonds, are usually liquid at room temperature, and have been shown to support healthier cholesterol levels when they replace saturated fats in the diet.

Types of Saturated Fat

Saturated fatty acids come in different lengths, and that makes a big difference in how they behave in the body. Short-chain fatty acids are mainly produced when gut microbes ferment fiber in the colon, though small amounts are found in fermented foods like yogurt and kefir. You get medium- and long-chain saturated fats directly from food. 

Medium-chain fats are digested and absorbed differently from long-chain fats, which has sparked considerable interest, especially in infant and clinical nutrition. They’re even found in breast milk, supporting infants’ rapid growth and brain development. Some research suggests that medium-chain triglycerides (a form of medium-chain fatty acid that can be distilled into MCT oil) may help with weight management, blood sugar regulation, and neurological health, although the evidence is mixed. 

Sadly for coconut oil fans, there’s no good evidence, so far, showing that coconut oil consumption improves heart risk markers compared with unsaturated oils. While purified MCT oil shows some promise in clinical settings, coconut oil itself raises LDL cholesterol similar to other saturated fats and lacks evidence of cardiovascular benefit. 

We do know that high intakes of certain long-chain saturated fats, such as palmitic acid, have been linked to metabolic problems, including gestational diabetes.

What Saturated Fat Does in Your Body

Your body requires fat to be healthy — but not specifically saturated fat. While some fats, particularly omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fats, are essential and must come from food, your body can make all the saturated fatty acids it needs on its own, which is why saturated fat is not considered an essential nutrient.

Fat plays essential roles in building cell membranes, producing hormones and other signaling molecules, and providing a concentrated source of energy. Like all fats, saturated fat contains 9 calories per gram, which is more than double the energy density of carbohydrates and protein.

Saturated fat affects blood lipids, including amounts and ratios of cholesterol. Specifically, it raises LDL (“bad”) cholesterol by decreasing LDL receptor activity in the liver. Some saturated fats also raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol, but the increase in LDL is more strongly tied to increased cardiovascular disease risk than HDL is tied to risk reduction. 

And excess intake of saturated fat, particularly from ultra-processed foods, can contribute to insulin resistance and increase chronic inflammation. 

Digestion & Absorption: Why Saturated Fat Doesn’t Act the Same in Every Food

We’ve already seen that chain length matters. Here’s why: short- and medium-chain saturated fats are absorbed more directly and oxidized faster; long-chain fats need bile salts and micelles (tiny, spherical structures that ferry fatty substances from your digestive tract into the absorptive cells lining your small intestines).

The composition of the meal containing the saturated fat also affects how the fat is metabolized by the body. Fiber-rich foods can reduce fat absorption and blunt lipid spikes; refined carbs alongside saturated fat may worsen lipid/insulin responses. 

How you prepare the food — or how it was prepared before it got to your kitchen — also makes a difference. Ultra-processing can increase how rapidly your body digests and absorbs saturated fat. And reusing oil, or cranking up the heat for deep-frying, breaks down saturated fats and creates nasty byproducts like trans fats and inflammatory compounds. These altered molecules make saturated fats even harder on your heart by driving up LDL cholesterol and speeding up the buildup of plaque in your arteries.

There are also individual factors that influence how saturated fat affects your body. These include your unique gut microbiome, ability to produce bile, genetics (especially the genes that determine how your body deals with dietary lipids), and your overall metabolic health.

Is Saturated Fat Harmful? The Science in Plain English

The nuanced answer is: Yes for most people in most contexts, but the degree of harm depends on the type, source, and what replaces it in your diet.

Some saturated fats in whole foods don’t appear to harm cardiometabolic health. For example, some observational studies suggest fermented dairy (mainly yogurt) may have neutral or slightly beneficial associations compared with other high-saturated-fat foods, though the mechanisms remain unclear and may relate to other components like probiotics or the food matrix rather than the saturated fat itself.

And certain types, like the medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) found in coconut oil, are metabolized differently than the long-chain saturated fats common in animal and ultra-processed foods. Purified MCT oil may even have some benefits for weight, brain, and metabolic health, but the evidence for coconut oil itself is mixed — and it’s not generally considered beneficial. So while not all saturated fat is equally harmful, most people benefit from cutting back, especially on the kinds found in processed and animal-based foods.

A growing body of leading medical and public health organizations now tells us that saturated fat should be limited in the diet and replaced with unsaturated fats (especially polyunsaturated fats) to reduce cardiovascular risk. The Health Organizations’ Recommendations on Saturated Fat (2025) compiles current guidance from a veritable “who’s who” of authoritative health organizations, including the American Heart Association (AHA), World Health Organization (WHO), American College of Cardiology, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, American Diabetes Association, American Cancer Society, and American Medical Association, among others.

What’s the evidence upon which these various organizations based their recommendations? It’s a broad range of randomized trials, observational studies, and official policy statements, all pointing toward similar conclusions. 

Bottom line, the consensus is that reducing saturated fat and replacing it with unsaturated fats is associated with lower LDL cholesterol and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. 

What do they mean by “reducing”? To what level, exactly? Many organizations, including the WHO and AHA, recommend saturated fat intake remain below 10% of total calories, with even lower limits (around 6%) for greater cardiovascular benefit.

For example, on a 2,000-calorie diet, no more than about 6–10% of calories should come from saturated fat. That equals roughly 120–200 calories per day, or about 13–22 grams of saturated fat, since fat provides 9 calories per gram. The alignment across cardiology, oncology, pediatrics, and global health communities underscores a shared message: keep saturated fat intake low and prioritize nutrient-dense, plant-based sources of unsaturated fat for improved health outcomes.

Can you find studies that come to other conclusions? Absolutely. As we’ve already seen, the type of saturated fat matters. And so does what it comes with and what it replaces. But the overwhelming preponderance of data, from thousands of studies published over many decades, is clear. People who eat less saturated fat, and especially if they replace it with polyunsaturated fats, tend to have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. They also tend to live longer and be healthier. 

For more on the health impact of seed oils and a comparison to beef tallow, see our article here.

Where Saturated Fat Shows Up in the Diet

To understand how to keep saturated fat in a healthy range, we need to know where it is most commonly found. In many modern diets, the highest contributors are animal sources, including red and processed meats, poultry skin, butter, cheese, whole-fat milk, cream, and ice cream. 

As we’ve seen, not all saturated fat is animal-derived; notable plant-based exceptions include coconut and coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil, cocoa butter, and the vegan butters, cheeses, and pastries made with these tropical fats. 

Finally, and perhaps most concerningly, processed and packaged foods — like pizza, burgers, cookies, chips, fast foods, and many frozen meals — often contribute heavily to diet-related disease due to a combo of saturated fat and high concentrations of refined starch and/or sugar. 

To round out the picture, be aware of where saturated fat often hides: in seemingly harmless items like coffee drinks, creamy sauces, snack bars, and nondairy creamers that use coconut or palm oils.

Beyond Personal Health: Environmental and Ethical Costs of Animal-Based Saturated Fat

So far, we’ve been looking at the local effects of saturated fat; that is, what happens to the body that consumes it. But since most saturated fat comes from animal agriculture, it makes sense to look at the bigger picture, both from the perspective of planetary health and the ethics of how animals are raised for food. 

Environmental Impacts of Large-Scale Animal Agriculture

Animal agriculture, especially ruminant livestock like cattle, produces significant greenhouse gases, particularly methane, and is a major driver of the food system’s climate impact. Beef and dairy are among the highest-carbon-emitting foods on a per-calorie or per-gram-of-protein basis.

Beef, for example, generates 10 times more emissions than pork or poultry and more than 100 times those of plant-based, protein-rich foods such as lentils or beans. What’s more, grazing animals and feed crops like soy and corn require large areas of land. This contributes to habitat loss and biodiversity decline, including deforestation in some regions. Transitioning to a plant-based diet could reduce agricultural land use by more than 75%, thereby freeing land for reforestation and allowing ecosystems to begin repairing themselves. Such efforts could sequester an estimated 226 billion metric tons of carbon, one-third of the excess emissions since industrialization.

For more on the public and environmental health effects of animal agriculture, see my paper published in the American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, here.

Ethical Impacts of Large-Scale Animal Agriculture

As we’ve seen, much of the saturated fat in modern diets comes from industrially raised animals (both meat and dairy). Common welfare issues include overcrowding, confinement systems, painful procedures, and shortened lifespans. 

An area where ethics and public health overlap in industrial animal agriculture is the use (I’d say irresponsible overuse) of antibiotics for growth promotion and disease prevention. Not only does this allow animals to be raised under stressful, crowded conditions, but it also raises public-health concerns because it accelerates antibiotic resistance that affects humans and animals alike.

Additionally, animal agriculture undermines efforts to share food and other resources equitably across human populations. Cycling calories and protein through animals is less resource-efficient than producing them directly from plants. In a world where so many people go hungry, it’s hard to defend using finite land and water to feed livestock instead of directly nourishing people.

Since the largest dietary sources of saturated fat are animal-based foods, strategies that reduce saturated fat by shifting toward whole-plant fats and proteins can support both cardiometabolic health and planetary and ethical goals.

Practical Ways to Cut Back Without Feeling Deprived

If you want to adhere to the guidelines that recommend keeping your saturated fat intake below 10% of calories (and ideally, under 6%), one simple strategy is to replace those calories with unsaturated fats rather than refined carbs. 

Here are some practical swaps to do just that:

• Use olive, avocado, canola, or safflower oil instead of butter, ghee, coconut, or palm oils.
• Choose beans, lentils, tofu/tempeh, or (if it aligns with your ethics) fish in place of fatty red/processed meats.
• Pick nuts/seeds and nut butters as “fat sources,” not pastries or chips.
• Try plant-based dairy alternatives made from soy, hemp, oats, or almonds, without coconut/palm oil as the main fat.

And here’s a quick list of cooking and meal ideas:

• Achieve creamy textures without using cream by blending white beans, silken tofu, cashews, or cauliflower purée.
• Try a “roast and drizzle” approach: roast veggies with little or no oil, then finish with extra-virgin olive oil and lemon/herbs.
• Batch-create whole-food sauces (tomato-lentil, mushroom-walnut, tahini-lemon).
• Snack on crunchy baked chickpeas or kale chips in place of potato chips.
• Enjoy a plant-powered smoothie bowl made with frozen fruit and plant-based yogurt in place of ice cream.

Recipes

Get ready to dig into these three low-saturated-fat recipes that bring big flavor and satisfying textures to the table. From creamy, comforting spoonfuls to deeply roasted bites with irresistible crunch, each dish delivers richness without relying on heavy fats. These recipes show how thoughtful ingredients and simple techniques can turn lighter choices into exciting, crave-worthy favorites you’ll want to make again and again.

1. Smoky Chipotle Cheese Dip 

Smoky Chipotle Cheese Dip delivers everything you love about a classic queso-style dip with a lighter, more nourishing twist. Naturally sweet vegetables like winter squash, sweet potato, carrots, and onion create a smooth, velvety base that keeps saturated fat low while still feeling rich and creamy. Smoky chipotle, warm spices, and savory depth bring bold, cheesy flavor to every bite, making this dip perfect for sharing, scooping, or adding a flavorful kick to meals.

2. Creamy Asparagus Risotto

Creamy Asparagus Risotto is the kind of dish that turns an ordinary meal into something worth lingering over. Inspired by the richness of traditional risotto, this plant-forward version delivers silky creaminess and deep, savory flavor with just 1.9 grams of saturated fat per serving, far less than the butter- and cheese-heavy classic. Built on whole, nourishing ingredients, it offers a comforting, crave-worthy experience that feels both indulgent and energizing, making every spoonful deeply satisfying.

3. One-Sheet Pan Roasted Veggie Bowl

One-Sheet Roasted Veggie Bowl shows how bold, roasted flavor does not require heavy amounts of oil. Using just one teaspoon of oil for the entire recipe, and even that is optional, this bowl delivers crisp edges, tender centers, and deeply satisfying texture from the natural caramelization of vegetables. Sweet and Savory Pecans add crunch and richness with only a small amount of saturated fat per serving, proving that thoughtful ingredients and simple techniques can create a roasted vegetable bowl that feels hearty, flavorful, and deeply nourishing.

Bottom Line: What to Do with All This Information

Despite political pressure to muddy the waters, the science remains clear. Saturated fat isn’t a villain nutrient on its own, but high intake — especially from red/processed meats and ultra-processed foods — raises LDL cholesterol and heart risk. Don’t just “cut saturated fat”; replace it with unsaturated fats and whole-plant foods (not donuts and French fries). Small, consistent swaps can add up to a much healthier dietary pattern. 

You don’t need to choose between indulging in limitless saturated fat or fearing it. Instead, focus on the quality of your food and your consumption patterns. Your heart, the animals, and the planet will thank you for it. 

Tell us in the comments:

• What’s one thing you learned from this article that surprised you?
• What’s one swap you’ve made (or could try) to lower your saturated fat intake?
• Have you already made any dietary shifts that reflect your ethical concerns? What were they? 

Read Next:

• Coconut Oil Health Benefits: Is Coconut Good for You?
• Understanding Fat: What Types of Fat Are Good vs Bad for You?

The post Rethinking Saturated Fat: What Does the Evidence Really Say? appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

There are two things about high blood pressure that seriously frustrate medical and public health professionals. First, it’s a “silent killer,” meaning that many people who suffer from hypertension are totally unaware of it. (The World Health Organization estimates that close to half the people who have dangerously high blood pressure don’t know it.) 

Second, it’s “highly modifiable,” which is a fancy way of saying that you have a lot of control over your blood pressure. Of course, that’s actually good news; once you’re aware of both the need and the strategies you can use to bring down high blood pressure. 

Broadly speaking, there are two strategies for dealing with hypertension: pharmaceuticals and lifestyle (especially diet).

The pharmaceutical industry sells a wide range of antihypertensive medications, including ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, alpha-blockers, diuretics, calcium channel blockers, and ARBs, among others. These are among the most prescribed drugs in the US, but far from the most consumed. It’s estimated that only half of the Americans who are prescribed these drugs take them according to their doctor’s instructions.

It’s not hard to see why. Common side effects of blood pressure medications include cough, diarrhea or constipation, dizziness or lightheadedness, headache, skin rash, nausea or vomiting, nervous feelings, sexual problems, fatigue or weakness, and unwanted weight gain or loss. When a drug causes any of these symptoms, and not taking it doesn’t affect how you feel (at least in the short run), it’s easy to slack off and leave the meds inside the bottle.

Food and Blood Pressure

Fortunately, there’s another way to treat hypertension that doesn’t bring unpleasant side effects: food.

The best known diet prescribed for cardiac health is the DASH diet (don’t worry: it doesn’t make you run sprints between bites — DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension). It features vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and whole grains, and limits foods high in saturated fat, such as fatty meats, full-fat dairy products, and tropical oils (coconut, palm kernel, and palm oils), as well as sugar-sweetened beverages, sweets, and high-sodium foods.

Several studies have shown that the DASH diet can lower triglycerides, blood glucose levels, LDL cholesterol, and insulin resistance. 

A 2024 meta-analysis of 27 randomized trials, including more than 7,000 participants, found that DASH-style and Mediterranean-type heart-healthy eating patterns lowered systolic blood pressure by about 4 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by about 2 mm Hg. That may not sound like much, but across whole populations, that means a lot fewer heart attacks and strokes.

Another diet often recommended for high blood pressure is the MIND Diet (which just might win the “acronym stretching it” contest, if ever there was one — MIND stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay). The MIND diet is a Mediterranean-DASH mashup that includes foods common to both that are proven to benefit brain health and combat cognitive decline. In 2025, U.S. News & World Report ranked the vegan diet and the Ornish Diet (which is mostly plant-based) as highly effective for treating hypertension. Interestingly enough, all of these approaches feature a plant-forward approach. And of all the benefits of a plant-rich diet, its ability to lower blood pressure is one of the most studied. So let’s look at why a plant-based diet can help control blood pressure, and identify some of the best plant-based foods that naturally lower blood pressure.

Plant-Based Diets and Hypertension

Dean Ornish, MD, developer of the Ornish Diet that bears his name, is one of the pioneers in using diet and lifestyle to treat — and often halt or reverse the progression of — chronic disease. Much of his early work focused on heart disease, and as we’ve seen, high blood pressure both contributes to and results from that disease. 

In 2009, Ornish and colleagues published the results of a comprehensive lifestyle trial that included almost 3,000 patients from diverse locations and socioeconomic backgrounds. Patients were put on a program that included a low-fat, whole food, plant-based diet; daily walks; and an hour a day of a stress-management practice, such as yoga or meditation. By the end of 12 weeks, participants experienced significant improvements in body mass index, triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, hemoglobin A1C, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, depression, and functional capacity. Participants’ blood pressure dropped an average of 8–9%.

Joel Fuhrman, MD, also tested a plant-based diet to see whether it could lower high blood pressure. Seventy-five obese patients were asked to follow a Nutrient-Dense, Plant-Rich (NDPR) diet that allowed small amounts of animal products (fewer than 5% of total calories). After one year, those who complied with the protocol saw an average reduction in systolic blood pressure (the top number) of nearly 30 mm Hg (millimeters of mercury, a unit used to measure pressure, including blood pressure and barometric pressure).

Analysis of data from a large cohort of Seventh-day Adventists found that vegans had 37% the risk of high blood pressure compared to omnivores, even when adjusting for other variables. A 2019 review article identifies dozens of studies correlating a vegetarian or vegan diet with lower blood pressure.

So there’s a lot of evidence that a whole food, plant-based diet can significantly reduce the risk of hypertension. How might it achieve that feat? Let’s now turn to some of the biological mechanisms that connect food to blood pressure. 

Nitrates and Blood Pressure

There’s a big difference between the nitrates that occur naturally in some plant foods and the ones added to certain processed meats. The best advice I can offer is this: steer clear of the nitrates used as preservatives in processed meats, which are linked to serious health risks, and embrace the beneficial nitrates found in whole plant foods.

When you eat nitrate-rich veggies, the bacteria in your saliva convert those nitrates into nitrites as you chew. That nitrite-rich saliva travels to your gut, where it’s used to make nitric oxide (NO) — a compound that helps relax and dilate your blood vessels, supporting healthy blood flow and overall cardiovascular function.

For a deeper dive, check out our comprehensive article on nitrates and nitrites.

Does Fiber Lower Blood Pressure?

There appears to be a strong inverse relationship between hypertension and fiber intake, which is a fancy way of saying that more fiber generally means less high blood pressure. What’s more, the higher the blood pressure, the more adding fiber to your diet can help.

We’re not sure of the exact mechanism, but we do know that fiber can help protect against metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and high cholesterol, all of which are related to high blood pressure. Lower total and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol is associated with better dilation of the endothelium (the layer of cells that lines the inner wall of blood vessels), which lowers blood pressure by improving blood flow. 

Fiber also reduces oxidative stress, a process that can lead to cell and tissue damage that increases cardiovascular risk.

If you’re looking for dietary fiber, here’s a shortcut: eat unprocessed or minimally processed plant foods. (Fun fact: plants are naturally rich in fiber, while animal products have none. Unprocessed or lightly processed plant foods contain much more fiber than highly processed foods (such as baked goods), which tend to be high in white flour and white sugar.

For more on fiber, see our article here.

Potassium and Blood Pressure

People with high blood pressure are encouraged to cut way down on sodium. Part of that equation appears to be the potassium-to-sodium ratio, which in the standard modern diet is heavily — and unhealthfully — weighted toward sodium. When potassium intake increases to match that of sodium, your body can balance the electrolytes that regulate your nervous and cardiovascular systems.

Increasing dietary potassium may lower high blood pressure by inducing vasorelaxation, or the reduction of tension in blood vessel walls. Potassium affects the amount of fluid stored in your body and how much goes out in your urine. If your body is retaining water, you’ll have more fluid in your blood, which puts extra pressure on your blood vessel walls.

A 2013 study found that when participants supplemented with 2 grams of potassium, their blood pressure decreased by an average of 3 mm Hg systolic and 2 mm Hg diastolic. That may not sound like a big deal, but a drop of this magnitude in diastolic pressure across an entire population would reduce the incidence of stroke by 15% and of heart disease by 6%, saving more than a million lives per year worldwide.

The higher your blood pressure, the more benefit extra potassium will provide. The closer you are to already having normal blood pressure, the less impact each additional gram of potassium will have. In addition to getting potassium from supplements, you can also increase your intake by eating more of some amazingly delicious foods. Avocados, sweet potatoes, spinach, watermelon, coconut water, white beans, edamame, and, of course, bananas all contain high levels of potassium. Yum! 

For more on potassium, see our article here.

Does Magnesium Help Lower Blood Pressure?

The modern diet leaves many people deficient in magnesium, another mineral that plays a crucial role in modulating blood pressure. Like with potassium, magnesium achieves the greatest reduction in blood pressure in people with the most severe hypertension.

In some studies, magnesium intake of 500–1,000 mg per day reduced blood pressure by as much as 5.6 mm Hg systolic and 2.8 mm Hg diastolic. The most effective mineral treatment for hypertension appears to be a combination approach — increased magnesium and potassium, coupled with a reduction in sodium. This protocol often achieves the same result as a single antihypertensive drug, without negative side effects.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) actually allowed a qualified health claim about magnesium and blood pressure starting in 2022. One variation of the claim that food and supplement manufacturers can use in packaging and advertising goes as follows: “Inconsistent and inconclusive scientific evidence suggests that diets with adequate magnesium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension), a condition associated with many factors.” Not exactly a marketer’s dream, but far more than the FDA allows for most other nutrients and conditions.

Low Sodium Diet and Hypertension

Potassium and magnesium appear to work to regulate blood pressure largely because the modern diet is so high in sodium. That gives us another lever to pull; simply reducing salt intake can make a big difference in managing hypertension.

A whole food, plant-based diet is naturally low in sodium; the trick is to avoid adding sodium in its many forms (and disguises). These include straight-up salt — table salt, Himalayan pink salt, and Celtic sea salt — as well as soy sauce and its variations: tamari, shoyu, and liquid aminos. Sodium also appears in many sauces, dips, spreads, and other condiments, in addition to most packaged foods.

A version of whole food, plant-based eating called SOS-free (SOS stands for sugar, oil, and salt) is especially good for those whose blood pressure spikes when they ingest excess sodium.

How much is too much sodium for blood pressure? While the exact sodium threshold varies by individual and also depends on how much potassium and magnesium a person consumes, you generally want to keep your sodium intake to fewer than 2 grams per day (which, since salt is about 40% sodium and 60% chloride, comes to 5 grams of table salt, or seven-eighths of a teaspoon). Staying below that level has been shown to help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and heart attacks.

A large 2013 meta-analysis of 34 clinical trials showed that reducing salt intake may improve cardiovascular health, not only by lowering blood pressure but also by benefiting vascular and arterial function.

Too much salt, on the other hand, may cause water retention, leading to increased flow in arterial vessels. This can cause fluid to accumulate in the lower legs or abdomen, a condition known as edema.

Overall, reducing sodium intake has been identified as one of the most cost-effective measures countries can take to improve population health outcomes.

For a deeper dive into salt and sodium, here’s a comprehensive article for you: Is Salt Good for You? Sodium Facts You Need To Know About.

9 Best Foods for Lowering Blood Pressure

Now that you know the nutrients implicated in hypertension, as well as those that can help to normalize blood pressure, it’s time to get specific and actionable. Here are nine great foods to include in your diet to move toward or maintain healthy blood pressure. Since they’re all plant-based, they’re good sources of fiber. Some are rich in potassium and/or magnesium, and some deliver healthy nitrates that your body can turn into NO. After a brief introduction to each food, I’ll share a couple of fun and delicious recipes that will have you eager to add them to your blood pressure-lowering diet.

1. Garlic

Garlic may reduce blood pressure largely thanks to one of its most potent components, allicin. This organosulfur compound, which is responsible for the bulb’s strong odor, appears to mimic the effect of angiotensin-II inhibiting drugs, as well as acting as a powerful vasodilator. A 2021 randomized controlled trial of 110 participants with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease found that even garlic powder significantly reduced blood pressure compared to a placebo. (I’d love to know what the researchers used as fake garlic powder for the placebo group!) 

A 2025 meta-analysis pooling 108 randomized trials found that garlic not only improved cholesterol and blood sugar levels but also lowered systolic blood pressure by about 4 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by about 2 mm Hg. The biggest improvements occurred in people who started with the highest risk.

Here are two garlic recipes to lower blood pressure:

• Green Grain and Sprout Bowl with Garlic Sauce
• Sautéed Garlic Green Beans

2. Ginger

Ginger is another pungent spice that can help normalize high blood pressure. Compounds in ginger fight inflammation and oxidation, suppress platelet formation, and reduce serum cholesterol. One of these plant compounds, 6-gingerol, has been studied extensively by pharmaceutical researchers looking to formulate better hypertension drugs with fewer side effects.

A 2018 randomized controlled trial used powdered ginger capsules so that participants, all of whom had type 2 diabetes, couldn’t tell whether they were in the experimental or placebo group. After eight weeks, the group that received the ginger pills had significantly lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as lower scores on pulse pressure and mean arterial pressure. 

The former refers to the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure, an indicator of arterial suppleness, while the latter, a complex combination of systolic and diastolic, is thought to represent blood flow to various organs. So basically, ginger scores a winning 4-for-4 in lowering blood pressure.

A 2019 meta-analysis of multiple studies on the effects of powdered ginger on blood pressure showed that, on average, supplementing with ginger dropped systolic blood pressure by 6 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by 2 mm Hg.

A 2025 umbrella review of ginger meta-analyses found that ginger consistently showed modest but significant benefits for cardiovascular risk factors, including blood pressure, particularly in people with metabolic disease.

Here are two ginger recipes for hypertension:

• Blueberry Ginger Smoothie
• Ginger Stir-Fry Snow Peas and Carrots

3. Beets

Beets and beet greens are both rich sources of nitrates, which your body uses to make that all-important nitric oxide (which, as you may recall, we like to abbreviate as NO). (Wouldn’t it be great if someone made a series of public service announcements about beets with the tagline, “Just say NO?” On second thought, maybe that would just confuse people — I’m just workshopping here!)

Beets are also chock-full of antioxidants, as well as magnesium, potassium, and several other minerals. A 2019 study of healthy older adults who drank 70 milliliters of beet juice for a month found their systolic and diastolic blood pressure dropped by 6 and 4 mm Hg, respectively. 

A 2024 meta-analysis of people with hypertension concluded that beetroot juice reliably lowers systolic blood pressure, with a lower and less consistent effect on diastolic readings. 

A 2024 randomized trial in older adults found that nitrate-rich beet juice decreased systolic blood pressure by about 7 mm Hg and improved the oral microbiome — underscoring how nitrate-rich veggies like beets may support vascular health through our mouth bacteria as well as our arteries.

To test the benefits of beets for blood pressure, try out these recipes:

• The Unsweet Smoothie
• Purple Powered Lunch Bowl with Crispy Chickpeas

4. Spinach

Popeye ate spinach at his most stressful moments, which is fitting because spinach is another food that can combat hypertension. A 2015 study found that giving healthy adults a single serving of spinach soup per day significantly lowered both systolic and diastolic blood pressure after just seven days. If you’re wondering, the control group got similarly hued asparagus soup, which was extremely low in nitrates. They also experienced a drop in blood pressure, but not nearly as large as the spinach group. 

Recent reviews of dietary nitrate research conclude that nitrate-rich vegetables like spinach and beets modestly but significantly improve blood pressure and vascular function, particularly in people with elevated blood pressure.

To reap the benefits of spinach for blood pressure, give these recipes a go:

• Vitality Smoothie Bowl
• “Cheesy” Spinach Lasagna

5. Pomegranates

Pomegranates are another colorful food that can lower your blood pressure. Researchers have found that pomegranate juice can reduce hypertension by inhibiting serum ACE activity (just like the ACE inhibitor class of antihypertensive medications). A 2017 meta-analysis of eight randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials found that pomegranate juice lowered systolic blood pressure by an average of 5 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by around 2 mm Hg. Interestingly, it had similar effects regardless of trial length or the amount of pomegranate juice consumed.

To see the benefits of pomegranate for blood pressure, try making one of these recipes:

• Pomegranate Balsamic Dressing
• Spinach Jewelled Salad

6. Oats

Oats may lower blood pressure thanks to oodles (that’s a technical scientific term) of fiber. A small 2002 randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving 18 participants with mild to borderline hypertension found that adding whole oat cereal to the diet dropped systolic blood pressure by 7.5 mm Hg and diastolic blood pressure by 5.5 mm Hg in just 6 weeks.

A larger 2021 trial asked participants in the experimental group to add oat bran to their diets. Compared to controls, their blood pressure dropped so much that, on average, their prescriptions for antihypertensive drugs needed to be reduced.

To get oats working for you, try the recipes below:

• Omega Baked Oatmeal
• Kale and Mushroom Oat Groats

7. Watermelon

Watermelon is so yummy, I don’t even have to try to convince folks that it’s one of the healthiest foods around. But it’s earned inclusion, so here goes. Watermelon contains two signature amino acids, L-citrulline and L-arginine, which are both chemical precursors of that all-important NO. It’s also rich in antioxidant phytonutrients, such as polyphenols and carotenoids, which have been shown to support cardiovascular health.

To eat watermelon for blood pressure, try one of these recipes: 

• Grilled Pineapple Watermelon Skewers
• 2-Ingredient Watermelon Gelato

8. Blueberries

Blueberries are the cardiovascular stars of the fruit family, thanks to their impressive array of polyphenols. A 2010 study of obese adults with metabolic syndrome, for example, found that drinking a frozen blueberry juice drink significantly lowered blood pressure (7.8 mm Hg for systolic and 2.5 mm Hg for diastolic, representing 6% and 4% reductions, respectively). 

These benefits were replicated in a 2015 study of postmenopausal women with hypertension: consuming just 22 grams per day of freeze-dried blueberry powder lowered their average blood pressure by 7 mm Hg (systolic) and 5 mm Hg (diastolic) over eight weeks. The blueberry group also had more supple arteries and higher NO levels in their blood.

To see how blueberries and blood pressure work together, check out these recipes:

• Blueberry Lemon Cooler
• Blueberry Chia Oat Crumble

9. Flaxseed

So far, flaxseeds have achieved the highest documented reduction in blood pressure for any single food. A 2014 “gold standard” randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial found that 30 grams per day of ground flaxseed helped people with hypertension lower their systolic blood pressure by an average of 10 mm Hg and their diastolic blood pressure by 7 mm Hg. 

The following year, a meta-analysis of 11 studies found a similar trend, albeit with a smaller effect size. So it’s clear that flaxseeds can benefit people looking to control their blood pressure, possibly due to their high concentration of antioxidant lignan precursors.

Check out these yummy recipes to get some blood-pressure-lowering flaxseed into your diet:

• • Omega 3-Seedy Nut Butter
  • Lentil Flax Loaf

Eat for Your Heart!

High blood pressure or hypertension is a common disorder, and it’s directly linked to the number one cause of death on the planet — heart disease. It’s also highly treatable and, in many cases, preventable. While prescription drugs are the default medical approach, dietary interventions can help prevent and control high blood pressure, especially when those diets include particular nutrients that lower blood pressure.

Whether you have high blood pressure or not, by incorporating the plant-based foods mentioned above, you’ll have a totally natural way to improve your cardiovascular health. And your overall health, too — because unlike with most medications, the only side effects of a healthy diet are good ones!

Tell us in the comments:

• Have you found that your diet affects your blood pressure?
• What are your favorite antihypertensive foods?
• Which mouthwatering recipe from this article will you try next?

Feature Image: iStock.com/fcafotodigital

Read Next:

• The Incredible Power of Diet in Preventing and Reversing Heart Disease + 15 Heart Healthy Foods
• How to Improve Your Sex Life with Food (and Why Sexual Dysfunction Can Be An Early Sign of Heart Disease)

The post Plant-Based Diet for Hypertension + 9 Foods for Blood Pressure appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

Acid reflux and its main symptom, heartburn, are uncomfortable and often painful conditions. And like many an ill-fated relationship, they’re fairly common — though they don’t get nearly as much attention in popular music.

Acid reflux may affect up to 1 in 5 people in industrialized countries. It’s widespread in the US, where as many as 1 in 3 people experience it at least once a week.

Acid reflux is often treated with medications, which come in both over-the-counter and prescription formulations. And while these medications can provide temporary relief, they don’t address the root cause of the condition. And they often come with significant side effects, especially when used over time.

So if Alka-Seltzer, Maalox, and Tums — and prescription histamine blockers and proton pump inhibitors (more on these below) — don’t resolve the underlying issues, what does? And what exactly causes acid reflux?

It turns out that diet is a known influence here — capable of both causing the problem and making the symptoms worse. So what’s the link between diet and acid reflux? And what foods should you be eating and steering clear of to avoid that “here it comes again” feeling?

What Is Acid Reflux?

Before we talk about treatment and prevention, what exactly is acid reflux? Technically, it’s when stomach acid flows back into your esophagus (the tube that connects your mouth to your stomach). This is a problem because, unlike your stomach, your esophagus isn’t set up to handle extremely acidic substances. And when food reaches your stomach, it gets mixed with highly acidic gastric juices. So that bolus of food and gastric juices going the wrong way can irritate the lining of your esophagus.

Symptoms of acid reflux irritation can include a burning sensation in your chest (heartburn), regurgitation of food or sour liquid, and difficulty swallowing.

​When the condition becomes chronic and more severe over time, it’s known as GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease. A recent study indicates a potential link between GERD and increased cardiovascular risk factors, including elevated blood pressure and unfavorable lipid profiles. This association underscores the importance of comprehensive management of GERD to mitigate potential systemic health risks.

Most people can manage the occasional case of acid reflux with lifestyle changes and over-the-counter medications. In contrast, GERD flare-ups can be frequent and severe enough to require a more intensive medical intervention.

There are a few different types of GERD, each of which probably deserves its own country song. There’s the provocatively named NERD (non-erosive reflux disease), the most common type, which is characterized by reflux that hasn’t yet damaged the mucosal lining of the esophagus.

By contrast, in ERD (erosive reflux disease), the acidic contents of the stomach have eroded at least some of the esophageal lining.

LPR, or laryngopharyngeal reflux, happens when the acidic mixture makes it all the way into the throat, where it can wreak havoc on the glottis and vocal cords. Symptoms include hoarseness, chronic throat clearing, and “globus sensation,” or, as it’s more commonly known, having a lump in the throat.

The last kind I’ll mention is Barrett’s esophagus (BE). In BE, the body performs a clever adaptive trick: It replaces the sensitive esophageal lining with tissue that’s very similar to the lining of the intestines — that is, tissue that’s able to handle the acid reflux without erosion.

The problem is, BE is often a precursor to esophageal adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer of the esophagus that can be difficult to detect until late stages. And at that point, there’s not a lot that can be done about it.

How Are Acid Reflux and GERD Commonly Treated?

Drugs are the medical mainstream’s most commonly advised and prescribed treatments for acid reflux and GERD, even though there’s evidence that dietary and lifestyle adjustments can help manage both conditions (more on this below).

If you’re in the habit of watching pharmaceutical ads for heartburn on television, you may notice that one of the most common themes is, “If you take this drug, you can keep eating the stuff that’s been causing the problems.” But as you’ll see, that might not be the best long-term solution.

Over-the-Counter (OTC) Drugs

Antacids are the main OTC treatment for heartburn and acid reflux. And they provide temporary relief. But in some cases, over time, they can have some serious downsides. In 2022, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a warning that antacids that contain aspirin can cause stomach and intestinal bleeding.

Common side effects of the main kind of antacid, those containing calcium carbonate (like Tums), include abdominal pain, constipation, nausea, vomiting, and flatulence — as well as a nasty turn of events known as “acid rebound.” This is when the stomach notices that its acid levels have dropped, and ramps up the production of acid to compensate.

There’s evidence that taking antacids for a long time can compromise your heart health, too. The main component of many antacids, calcium carbonate, can bring excess calcium into the bloodstream and lead to the formation of plaque. One study found that adults who use antacids are more likely to experience a heart attack than people who don’t use antacid drugs.

Prescription Medications for Acid Reflux and GERD

The two commonly prescribed classes of medication for reflux and GERD are histamine type 2 (H2) receptor blockers and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs).

They’re more powerful than the OTC formulations, which unfortunately increases the likelihood and severity of unwanted side effects. A 2021 review of the scientific literature offered this laundry list of risks: “… kidney, liver, and cardiovascular disease, dementia, enteroendocrine tumors of the gastrointestinal tract, susceptibility to respiratory and gastrointestinal infections, and impaired absorption of nutrients.” And a 2024 study found long-term use of PPIs has been associated with decreased bone mineral density and an increased risk of fractures, particularly in men.

But wait, there’s more!

By lowering stomach acid, PPIs can compromise gut health and actually increase the risk of foodborne infections. That’s because one of the body’s lines of defense against pathogens in food is a highly acidic digestive system. And reducing acid production can create an environment where nasty little critters can thrive and reproduce. They can also make the body more susceptible to airborne diseases such as pneumonia.

But wait, there’s even more! (This is starting to feel like the world’s worst infomercial!) A 2024 study found an association between antacids, migraines, and severe headaches. These included both OTC and prescription formulations: Prilosec, Prevacid, Nexium, Pepcid AC, Zantac 360, Tums, and Alka-Seltzer.

Vonoprazen, a new medication, is a potassium-competitive acid blocker (PCAB), which claims to offer faster and longer-lasting relief for GERD symptoms compared to traditional proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). However, long-term use of vonoprazan (over a year) may increase the risk of developing stomach growths called fundic gland polyps.

The acid reflux drugs can also become less effective in managing symptoms over time, at which point medical professionals may recommend stronger medication or even surgery for GERD.

The Link Between Diet and Acid Reflux

The trouble with most acid reflux medications is that they focus on making the stomach environment less acidic. This can help with short-term symptoms — but as we’ve seen, over time, it can also cause problems.

While stomach acid can be excessive, the core problem that causes acid reflux, heartburn, and GERD is when the stomach’s natural acidity backwashes into the esophagus.

So what causes partially digested food and gastric juices to go in the wrong direction?

In general, relaxation is good, but there are some exceptions. One of those exceptions applies to a muscle called LES, the lower esophageal sphincter. Sphincters are one-way valves, or at least they’re supposed to be. And your LES is there to prevent the contents of your stomach from refluxing back up into the esophagus.

If the LES gets too relaxed, it can’t do its job, and acid reflux can result. Certain foods are frequent culprits that tend to over-relax the LES. These include alcohol, fatty foods, and chocolate.

There’s also an LES dysfunction caused by an overly distended stomach. When stretched too much by food or even air (from carbonated beverages, for example), the LES can spontaneously relax, and that one-way street can become a very chaotic two-way boulevard.

The triple threat for esophageal acid exposure is a meal high in calories, high in fat, and high in volume. And certain foods are more likely to cause excess stomach acid secretion in susceptible people. These can include “spicy food, citrus fruits, tomatoes, onions, garlic, chocolate, mint, caffeinated beverages, alcohol, and carbonated drinks,” according to one scientific article on GERD. Timing matters as well — eating close to bedtime can also contribute to acid oversecretion.

On a population level, unhealthy dietary patterns high in fat, sugar, salt, and cholesterol are contributing to the increasing incidence of chronic diseases like GERD.

What to Avoid with Acid Reflux

If you suffer from acid reflux, a good place to start addressing it is to reduce your sugar and fat intake. Here are some specific classes of foods that you may want to decrease or eliminate:

Meat and Eggs

A study from Ireland found that people who consumed the most red meat, processed meat, and saturated fat had the highest rates of acid reflux. The top fifth of red meat eaters had roughly three times the risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma (the type of cancer mentioned earlier).

A survey of over 1,000 Italians found that vegans were half as likely to experience GERD as non-vegans. Non-vegan foods such as meat, fish, poultry, and eggs all contributed to the difference in outcomes.

Other research also points to foods of animal origin as being particularly problematic. A 2021 review of the scientific literature on food and GERD found that vegetarian diets produced less GERD, while consumption of meat, eggs, and fish increased the risk.

Fatty and Fried Foods

Fat contributes to acid reflux because it slows down the emptying of the stomach, which can cause stomach acid to build up and back up into the esophagus. Additionally, fatty foods can relax the lower esophageal sphincter, making it easier for acid to escape from the stomach. Given that they’re high in fat, it’s no surprise that fried foods tend to be among the worst offenders. This has been shown to be true in a variety of regions, including Korea, Saudi Arabia, and the US.

Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners

A 2021 study found that “free sugar” consumption among Chinese adolescents predicted laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR), with the highest sugar consumers 65% more likely to experience reflux.

Other studies suggest that all sugars, including artificial ones, are associated with reflux and GERD. A 2017 study found a correlation between sugar consumption and BE, with those eating the most sugar at 70–80% higher risk of the disease.

Caffeine and Carbonated Beverages

The huge Nurses’ Health Study II has followed the health and diets of almost 50,000 US nurses for an average of over 5 years. In 2020, researchers published findings that coffee, tea, and fizzy drinks were associated with a roughly 30% increased risk of GERD.

For coffee and tea, statistical analysis suggested that it was specifically the caffeine in these beverages that was associated with reflux. The carbonated beverage mechanism was the phenomenon we saw earlier. The gasses in those drinks can reduce LES pressure and increase relaxation, which can allow highly acidic stomach contents to bubble back up into the esophagus. Of course, if carbonated beverages are sugary soft drinks, then that might make them something of a twofer, but in a very unpleasant way.

If you have reflux issues and can’t bear the thought of giving up your morning (or noon, afternoon, or evening) cup of joe, some studies have found that dewaxed coffee produces less heartburn than waxed coffee.

When I looked up the difference between waxed and dewaxed coffee, I found, to my relief, that it had nothing to do with leg hair removal. Instead, dewaxing is a process that removes the coffee bean’s waxy outer layer, which many people find difficult to digest anyway.

Although dewaxed coffee is considered low-acid, all low-acid coffee is not dewaxed. Look for brands that say dewaxed on the label or “caffe decerato” on Italian coffee brands. Two brands that sell dewaxed coffee are Lavazza and Carraro.

Spicy Food

If there’s a poster child for heartburn, it’s the “spicy food” group. And while many spices can deliver significant health benefits, it could be that people who frequently suffer from heartburn should consider keeping their spice levels low.

Capsaicin is a chemical compound that makes food taste spicy. It appears that it also activates TRPV1 receptors in the esophagus, producing a burning sensation.

A small Mexican study looked at what happened when 31 people who’d been diagnosed with GERD were given capsaicin; 28 of them reported symptoms such as heartburn and chest pain.

A 2020 study from Iran found that men who ate lots of spicy food (“lots” defined as 10 or more times per week) had about 2.5 times the heartburn compared to men who avoided spicy foods. Interestingly, no such pattern emerged in women.

Can a Plant-Based Diet Help?

Given that many processed and animal-sourced foods appear to worsen GERD, you might expect that reducing or eliminating them would make things better. And that’s exactly what some research shows.

Two 2023 studies from Italy, each surveying over 1,000 adults, found that vegans had roughly half the rate of GERD as non-vegans. These studies are particularly noteworthy because the researchers went out of their way to include lots of vegans — over 400 of them, actually — which gave them enough statistical power to find meaningful differences between vegans and non-vegans.

The differences between animal and vegetable protein may explain at least some of these findings. A 2018 study looked at how the bodies of people with heartburn reacted differently to meals containing animal versus vegetable protein in the hour after consumption. They had less reflux and less esophageal exposure to stomach acid following the vegetable protein meal compared to the animal protein one.

There’s a lot of evidence that it’s not just what you don’t eat that can make a difference in reflux frequency and severity; foods sourced from plants that are unprocessed or lightly processed have been shown to both prevent GERD and reduce symptom production.

A 2017 study of almost 4,000 adults showed that people who ate the most fruits and vegetables had a 33% lower risk of developing GERD than those who ate the fewest.

One of the things in fruits and vegetables that helps with reflux and GERD is fiber. A diet rich in fiber has been shown to increase LES resting pressure, reduce the amount of reflux, and decrease the incidence of heartburn.

Fiber also has a positive impact on the gut microbiome. This is important because damage to the microbiome may be one of the causes of reflux.

Key Plant-Powered Foods and Drinks That May Help with Acid Reflux

Bananas

Bananas can help reduce reflux through their ability to neutralize stomach acid.

Green Vegetables

Green vegetables have been shown to reduce reflux during pregnancy.

Oats

Oats have lots of fiber, which we’ve seen helps reduce heartburn. And oatmeal can have a soothing effect on the lining of your stomach.

Chamomile Tea

Chamomile tea is also calming to the digestive system, as well as anti-inflammatory.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes have been used for centuries to relieve digestive ailments. A 2021 study found that drinking sweet potato juice significantly reduced heartburn, as well as the unpleasant sensations behind the breastbone that can be caused by GERD.

Fermented Soy

Fermented soy products may decrease reflux. A 2020 study found that fermented soy supplements may reduce the frequency of heartburn over time.  And if you prefer actual food to supplements, miso soup is a form of fermented soy that has, specifically, also been shown to lessen GERD symptoms.

Fenugreek

Fenugreek is another traditional digestive remedy that’s been shown to decrease heartburn frequency and severity.

Other Lifestyle Changes to Consider

In addition to the dietary approach, several lifestyle upgrades can help prevent and manage reflux and GERD.

People who are obese are at increased risk of GERD. In addition to eating more plant-based foods and fewer foods of animal origin, weight management strategies can include avoiding soft drinks, fast foods, and large portions.

Stress can also contribute to GERD, so stress management strategies can help prevent or reduce incidents of reflux.

Quitting smoking can also help, as smokers tend to have chronically low pressure in their LES, and reflux events increase during periods of smoking. A 2023 study found that the risk of reflux esophagitis is roughly 2.5 times greater for current smokers than nonsmokers.

Drinking alcohol can damage the mucous membranes of the esophagus and increase symptoms of GERD. A 2022 study found that alcohol consumption of more than 70 grams a week for men and more than 140 grams a week for women increased the risk of developing erosive esophagitis.

In addition to what you eat, how and when you eat can also affect reflux symptoms. Eating and drinking between meals and eating close to bedtime are both associated with more GERD.

One more tip: You can reduce the occurrence of GERD and improve digestion by utilizing the “left lateral decubitus” sleeping position. Translation: Sleep on your left side with your legs slightly curled. And resist the urge to lie down right after eating.

Recipes to Help Combat Acid Reflux

Discover the healing powers of plants with these simple and tasty plant-based recipes crafted to help alleviate acid reflux. Each dish offers ingredients that are gentle on the digestive system. From hearty vegetable bowls to soothing tea, these recipes are not only designed to ease symptoms but delight the palate. Whether you’re seeking a nourishing breakfast, a light lunch, or a comforting dinner, these meals offer delicious and effective solutions for maintaining digestive health naturally and enjoyably.

1. Soothing Chamomile Ginger Tea

Soothe your stomach with a cup of Chamomile Ginger Tea, a calming and aromatic blend that aids in managing acid reflux. This tea combines chamomile, known for its soothing properties on the digestive system, with ginger, which helps reduce inflammation and promote digestion. Dried fennel seeds are added to reduce stomach acidity and improve overall digestive health, while a hint of lemon not only enhances the flavor but also provides vitamin C and antioxidants. Enjoy this tea after meals or whenever you need relief from digestive discomfort — it’s a natural and gentle solution to support a happy tummy.

2. Baked Carrot Cake Oatmeal

Baked Carrot Cake Oatmeal is a comforting and nutritious breakfast that may help ease acid reflux symptoms. A delicious blend of organic rolled oats and buckwheat flour with anti-inflammatory spices like cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric helps soothe the digestive system. Chia seeds and walnuts add healthy fats and fiber for improved digestion, while carrots provide natural sweetness and extra fiber. The use of plant-based milk and yogurt creates a creamy texture without the acidity of dairy, ideal for those with acid reflux. Sweetened lightly with maple syrup and vanilla extract, this oatmeal is a delicious and gentle way to start your day.

3. Sweet Potato Lentil Bowl with Green Tahini Sauce

Dive into this Sweet Potato Lentil Bowl topped with Green Tahini Sauce, a comforting meal perfect for those looking to ease digestion and manage acid reflux. The hearty lentils and sweet potatoes not only fill you up but also help neutralize stomach acid thanks to their fiber content and alkaline nature. Packed with vegetables like spinach, beets, and carrots, this bowl is loaded with nutrients that promote good digestion. The creamy Green Tahini Sauce adds a delicious richness without heavy fats, making it gentle on your stomach. Sprinkled with aromatic Dukkah Seasoning for a bit of crunch, this bowl is as tasty as it is beneficial for your digestive health.

Attention to Diet and Lifestyle Is Essential for Acid Reflux

Acid reflux and GERD are common and often uncomfortable. Medical interventions are sometimes helpful but may come with dangerous side effects. Fortunately, dietary adjustments and lifestyle changes can help, and may even prevent or reverse these conditions.

Certain foods and eating habits play a crucial role in exacerbating or alleviating the symptoms of acid reflux. Incorporating more plant-based foods and reducing triggers such as fatty meats, caffeine, and spicy foods can significantly mitigate symptoms and improve quality of life. Lifestyle adjustments such as quitting smoking, reducing alcohol consumption, and optimizing meal timing and sleep posture can further improve your digestive health.

Ultimately, understanding and adapting your diet and lifestyle in response to acid reflux and GERD may not only alleviate symptoms but also contribute to a healthier, more vibrant life.

Tell us in the comments:

• What will you change about your diet now that you know its impact on acid reflux?

Featured Image: iStock.com/Tharakorn

Read Next:

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome: What Causes IBS, & How to Deal with It
• Are Tomatoes Good for You?

The post Easing Heartburn with Diet: What to Eat and Avoid for Acid Reflux appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

An exhaustive Google search confirmed what I had long suspected: There are no popular songs about livers or kidneys. Celine Dion never penned the immortal lyric, “My gallbladder will go on.” The Bee Gees and Al Green chose not to wonder, “How can you mend a broken appendix?” And Neil Young didn’t lament about his search for a spleen of gold.

When it comes to love songs, it’s the heart, the whole heart, and nothing but the heart. (I said love, not lust.)

So why is that? What’s the link between the bright red emoji and the complicated four-chambered organ in the middle of your chest? Why have millennia of poets and musicians from around the globe associated that little blood pump with intense feelings of connection and desire?

Could there be actual scientific truth, and cardiovascular significance, to the metaphors?

From Physical to Emotional Hearts

This viewpoint of the heart as a purely physical organ has determined the shape of modern cardiology. Medical professionals measure heart health via blood pressure, cholesterol and triglycerides, and heart rhythm via EKGs. And when there are problems, they’re described and treated in material terms via medications and physical interventions like surgeries.

I’m not saying there’s no merit to this approach. On the contrary, modern cardiac medicine saves lives on a daily basis. Improvements in cardiac care, including new drugs and innovations in heart implant technology, have lowered the mortality rate from heart disease in the industrialized world — saving millions of lives.

At the same time, modern science is rediscovering what many traditional cultures have known since time immemorial: that the heart is much more than a physical pump. While we know that lifestyle, especially diet, has a major impact on the physical aspects of heart health, there’s another factor related to heart health that’s not talked about as often as it deserves to be: your emotions.

However, in 2004, researchers conducted the first large-scale trial looking at emotions and the heart. The INTERHEART study enrolled over 25,000 participants in 52 countries and clearly identified several emotional stressors as key risk factors for heart disease. And continuing research is filling in the picture, as well as creating protocols for healing “broken hearts” on both the emotional and physical levels.

In this article, we’re going to look at the emotional side of the heart, how your feelings (both pleasant and unpleasant) can impact your heart, and how to take care of your emotional heart.

Can Your Heart Think or Feel?

For a long time, Western science assumed that the brain was the only part of the body that “thinks.” All the other organs and systems were, in this view, mindless automata just carrying out instructions from the brain. This theory was turned on its head by the discovery that the gut also has something of a “brain,” in the form of what’s known as the enteric nervous system.

And more recently, researchers are coming to recognize another kind of “brain” within the heart as well — a discovery that helped spawn the field of neurocardiology.

Wait a second, though. What does it mean to say there’s a “brain” in the gut or the heart? Are we literally talking about a cauliflower-shaped lump of gray squishy stuff in there?

No, “brain” here is a metaphor, referring to particular functions: the ability to sense the environment, make decisions based on that information, and communicate those decisions throughout the body. And by those criteria, the heart does indeed have a brain, which trades information back and forth with the head brain.

The Heart’s “Little Brain”

Renowned cardiologist and FRN’s Healthy Heart Course partner, Dr. Mimi Guarneri, calls it the body’s “little brain,” since it has, in her words, “its own intelligence, emotions, nervous system, and decision-making power.”

We now know that the heart includes the hardware to run all this brain-like software. In fact, the heart has its own nervous system, called the intrinsic cardiac nervous system (ICNS). The ICNS can manufacture and secrete hormones and operates similarly to the brain’s nervous system via an intricate network of nerve clusters, neurotransmitters, proteins, and other cells.

All this circuitry enables the heart to act independently of the brain. The heart can feel and sense your internal world (and aspects of the external world) directly and can learn, store memories, and make decisions. And what the heart feels turns out to have a direct impact on how well it functions and how long it lasts.

In short, as Dr. Guarneri puts it, your heart is a “mental, emotional, and spiritual organ with many complex connections that go well beyond pumping blood.”

How Pleasant Feelings Impact the Heart

In healing traditions throughout the world, the heart is seen as the emotional center of the body. In Indian Ayurvedic texts as well as Greek and Roman literature, the emotion most closely associated with the heart is love. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it’s joy.

Many people report feeling the sensations of love, caring, and joy emanating from the heart or chest area. And it’s not just cultural mythology; the heart actually is a sensory organ, capable of feelings. In fact, one of the hormones that the heart manufactures is oxytocin, the so-called “cuddle” or “love” hormone that activates when we feel close to another person, a companion animal, or something greater than ourselves.

Pleasant emotions make you feel good, which is reason enough to want to feel them on a regular basis. But here’s another reason: they also provide protection for your heart.

Loving Touch

Love is a potent cardioprotective emotion. Hugging and other forms of loving touch can lower blood pressure and heart rate. Oxytocin triggers vasodilation or the widening of the arteries. When that happens, more blood can flow through the arteries, lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Laughter and Heart Health

Laughter also puts a smile on your heart as well as your face. The act of laughing releases chemicals called beta-endorphins, part of that feel-good family of endorphins. These beta-endorphins coax receptors on the vascular endothelium to release nitric oxide, a molecule that protects the cardiovascular system in many ways. When you laugh on a regular basis, you’re at lower risk of heart attack and stroke than your more dour counterparts. And laughter reduces stiffness and damage to blood vessels as you age.

Gratitude and Heart Health

Gratitude also helps your heart function at its healthiest. In Dr. Guarneri’s words:

“An attitude of gratitude is not just a mental tool, it can also be good for your physical health — especially your heart… Research has shown that individuals who practice gratitude are healthier, exercise more, have fewer physical ailments, and feel better overall. Clinical trials have proven that ritual gratitude can even lower your blood pressure and increase your immune function — having dramatic, and lasting effects on your health.”

Gratitude can begin to heal your heart even after significant damage. A 2016 study looked at the benefits of keeping a gratitude journal for older patients (average age was mid-60s) with Stage B heart failure. The participants who journaled regularly for eight weeks saw their inflammatory biomarkers go down significantly compared to non-journaling controls. While journaling, their heart rate variability (HRV) improved as well.

And in other studies, regular expressions of gratitude and optimism have been correlated with both lower heart rate and blood pressure.

How Unpleasant Feelings Impact the Heart

While agreeable emotions like love, gratitude, and hopefulness can protect the heart, unpleasant emotions can have the opposite effect. Four well-studied (and for most of us, very familiar) “negative” emotions include depression, grief, stress, and anger. Let’s take a look at each of these now — and then we’ll look at what can help you (and your heart) feel better.

Depression and Heart Disease

Someone with depression now is at increased risk of heart disease in the future. (And the relationship goes in both directions, as many cardiac patients develop depression in response to their diagnosis.)

In Dr. Guarneri’s words:

“While about one in twenty American adults experience major depression in a given year, that number jumps to about one in three for people who have survived a heart attack. And, the risk of having a heart attack is four times greater in people with heart disease who also suffer from depression when compared to those who are not depressed.”

The American Heart Association reported in a 2015 scientific statement that even teens with depressive disorder were at greater subsequent risk for heart disease. While the exact mechanisms aren’t yet known, one promising theory links depression to heart disease via lower HRV. That’s because, the theory goes, depression disturbs the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.

That could explain why coexisting anxiety can also increase cardiac risk; anxiety represents a constant drain on the autonomic nervous system, which can further depress HRV.

Grief’s Impact on the Heart

When people say they have a “broken heart,” they aren’t just speaking in metaphor. It turns out the phrase has a sound physiological basis. Grief — an intense emotional response to loss — can damage the heart and leave it vulnerable to acute and chronic injury.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, also called broken heart syndrome, can cause heart attacks without the presence of an arterial blockage. The disease gets its name from the shape the affected heart takes, which resembles Japanese ceramic vases used as pots to catch octopi (“tako tsubo”).

A person who has recently lost a spouse is at a significantly elevated risk of developing and dying from heart disease. While part of this may be due to changes in lifestyle (eating poorly or not getting out as much, for example), there are also direct biochemical pathways.

Bereavement can lead to elevated catecholamines, which are stress hormones, and higher blood pressure. Both of these are effects of great sympathetic nervous system activity.

But it’s not just the loss of a spouse that can trigger such heartrending grief. Those who lose a parent or a child also face an increased risk of a cardiac event.

Stress and the Heart

Psychosocial stress (a fancy way of saying that there’s a gap between the demands of your life and your capacity to meet those demands) may be as bad for your heart as an unhealthy diet or even smoking, according to recent research.

And while eating poorly or smoking may be within an individual’s control, the “social” in psychosocial indicates that external stressors may be difficult or impossible to avoid or mitigate. Things like job stress, racism, poverty, and chronic stress conditions like PTSD are all associated with a higher risk of hypertension.

While stress can damage the cardiovascular system at any age, it’s most strongly associated with early onset (prior to age 50) cardiovascular disease (CVD). Think of an engine that’s constantly revving too fast and too hot. The sustained sympathetic nervous system activity characterized by chronic stress has been shown to do a number on the cardiovascular system. Mechanisms of damage include arrhythmias, platelet aggregation, acute coronary syndromes, and heart failure.

Anger and Heart Health

If depression is about shutting down, then anger is about lashing out. Those prone to angry outbursts have been found to be at greater risk of CVD, stroke, and heart failure.

In Dr. Guarneri’s words:

“Emerging research on how anger can affect your body is quite disturbing: being angry can increase your risk of a heart attack by as much as 230%! Stress and anger can trigger more than 1,400 chemical reactions in your body. These oftentimes lead to measurable physical changes in your cardiovascular system.”

Anger doesn’t occur in a vacuum but rather in an existing environment, and it may be the case that the more stressful that environment, the more corrosive the effects of an individual’s anger on their heart health. One study found a positive association between anger expression and the risk of CVD among urban residents but not rural residents. Researchers hypothesized that the more stressful city atmosphere enhanced the association between anger and CVD.

Another study found anger may contribute to the development of specific cardiovascular diseases and CVD mortality, especially heart failure in men and in those with diabetes.

How to Take Care of Your Emotional Heart

Just as depression, grief, stress, and anger can have a negative impact on your heart health, it turns out that cultivating positive and pleasant emotions can protect and even heal your heart.

Experience Love

Social connection and love are powerful antidotes to loneliness, which, as we’ve seen, can lead to the development of CVD. Spending time with loved ones, even over the phone or via video call, can stimulate the production of oxytocin and other pro-social and heart-friendly neurotransmitters.

Socializing at any age provides long-term health benefits to your heart. A fascinating 2018 study found that teen boys whose parents reported them spending more time with friends grew — 20 years later! — into men with lower blood pressure and healthier body mass index — both of which are predictors of heart health.

An action step here is to work on increasing the expression and experience of love in your life. The more quality time you spend with friends and loved ones, the greater your production of oxytocin.

Cultivate Inner Peace

Inner peace is an antidote to rampant and overwhelming stress, and can also moderate your angry responses. Activities like yoga, prayer, meditation, and other spiritual or contemplative practices have all been shown to improve biomarkers of cardiovascular risk.

Mindfulness helps you practice nonjudgmental awareness of your feelings and surroundings, which gives you the space to choose your response rather than just reacting with emotions and expressions that can compound your stress.

And tai chi, a gentle martial art based on principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, has been shown to help suppress inflammation and lift depression.

Relaxing lifestyle activities can all improve your parasympathetic tone, strengthening your ability to maintain a healthy blood pressure and heart rate in the face of life’s inevitable stressors.

Cultivate Positivity

When it comes to heart health, thinking positively can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. A 2019 meta-analysis of studies of almost 230,000 people found that those who were more optimistic had a lower risk of CVD.

Positive well-being, which refers to having positive feelings and a sense of optimism, is also associated with less mental stress and more resilience. Making an effort to experience positive emotions daily can counteract the influence of negative emotions on systolic blood pressure.

I’m not suggesting that you try to banish all unpleasant emotions or aggressively recite positive affirmations every time you feel sad or angry or afraid. These so-called “negative” emotions can serve a valuable purpose. Grief when confronted with loss is totally natural, and not something that I’d recommend you try to bypass or “get over” just to lower your blood pressure.

Instead, I’m talking about seeking balance. The world that most of us live in doesn’t actively afford us multiple daily opportunities to relax, slow down enough to appreciate our lives, or connect with friends, neighbors, and loved ones. That means we need to be deliberate and proactive about making sure we build these heart-healthy — and life-affirming — practices into our days.

Curious about gratitude? Discover the neuroscience of gratitude, and specific practices that have been proven to improve health as well as happiness.

What You Feel Impacts Your Heart

The heart is not just a physical organ. It’s also an emotional one with its own nervous system. What you feel can have a direct impact on the health of your heart. When you cultivate more love, peace, and gratitude, things don’t just feel better. They also support your health, which makes them get better, too.

Tell us in the comments:

• Have you ever experienced the effects of emotions — pleasant or unpleasant — on your health?
• What are your favorite strategies and practices for cultivating positive emotions?
• What’s one thing you could build into your day that would afford you greater joy and resilience?

Featured image: iStock.com/fizkes

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• Good Food = Good Mood: The Nutrition and Mental Health Connection
• The 4 Scientifically Proven Pillars of Heart Health

The post The Emotional Heart: How What You Feel Impacts Heart Health appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

Science supports that the optimal diet for improving heart health and reducing the risk of chronic disease is whole food and plant-centric. These findings are no surprise considering cardiovascular disease is virtually nonexistent in parts of the world where people thrive on whole plant-based foods, like those living in the Blue Zone areas, such as Okinawa, Japan; Nicoya, Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, California.

The beautiful rainbow of colors found in the plant kingdom isn’t just candy for the eyes. These colors are manifested through phytochemicals, compounds specific only to plants, that protect them from their environment. Scientists have identified over 10,000 phytochemicals, many of which offer individual health benefits. For example, the natural pigments of your everyday fruits and veggies have associations with various antioxidants — such as carotenoids, flavonoids, and anthocyanidins — that help prevent cell damage from free radicals and reduce chronic disease risk.

And among all of those potent phytochemicals, it just so happens that red-hued plant-based foods are among the best for heart health!

Why Red Foods?

Naturally occurring red foods such as tomatoes, grapefruit, apricots, and watermelons contain red pigments called carotenoids (lycopene, specifically), anthocyanins, and betacyanins that contain antioxidant properties beneficial for heart health. In addition, some red foods like beetroot, radishes, and red grapes contain polyphenols which produce nitric oxide in your body, a molecule that may help to dilate blood vessels and reduce blood pressure.

So a colorful, heart-healthy diet just wouldn’t be complete without the inclusion of red foods. And, thankfully, there are many from which to choose! Below, you’ll find some of our favorite red foods that provide boatloads of nutrition — especially heart-healthy antioxidants — to support overall well-being. We’ll also share some red-inspired tasty recipes to get you busy in the kitchen preparing delicious dishes to keep your heart healthy, mind vibrant, and body active.

Red Foods for Heart Health

1. Beets/Beetroot

When you think of natural red foods, beets might spring to mind first. This root veggie contains vitamins, minerals, and nitrates, substances that your body converts into nitric oxide. Nitric oxide promotes blood vessel dilation, which may improve blood pressure and cardiovascular health. Important note: The intense red color of beets may change the color of your urine and stool to a shade of red, so don’t be alarmed if you notice this at your post-beet bathroom visit!

To boost your beet consumption, add Pickled Beets or My Heart Beets Dressing to your next salad.

2. Pomegranate

Besides being juicy and scrumptious, the tiny but mighty pomegranate aril is supercharged with nutritional value. Pomegranates contain a plethora of antioxidants, such as tannins, anthocyanins, ascorbic acid, and flavonoids, that (you guessed it!) protect your cells against free radical damage. They’re highly anti-inflammatory, making them a fantastic food for disease prevention. In addition, other preparations made from pomegranate (including its juice and extract) help prevent several health conditions, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. In terms of cardiovascular health, pomegranate has been found to protect against the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, which helps prevent atherosclerosis development and reduce the risk of cardiovascular events.

If you think your plate could use a little pomegranate love, give Pomegranate Cranberry Sauce or Pomegranate Balsamic Dressing a try.

3. Red Onion

Red onions get their bright hue from a group of flavonoids known as flavonols (anthocyanins, specifically). Over 25 different anthocyanins have been reported from red onions. They’re one of the best sources of quercetin, an antioxidant flavonol known to help maintain normal blood pressure.

In addition, red onions are loaded with the heart-healthy phytochemical allicin. There is something to be said for that strong aroma and flavor, other than that chopping onions can bring tears to your eyes. That same phytochemical is also responsible for many health-promoting effects that can impact nearly every cell in the body. For example, allicin protects the cardiovascular system by enhancing antioxidant activity, lowering the level of reactive oxygen species, and stimulating glutathione production. Also, allicin may help to reduce high blood pressure and LDL cholesterol.

And, last but not least, onions are a rich source of dietary fiber, which studies have shown may lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.

It’s fairly simple to add red onion to just about everything from stir-fries to bean burgers to avocado toast. But, if you’re looking for more inspiration, try Beet Burger with Smashed Avocado and Pickled Red Onion or Dry Roasted Red Onions with Balsamic Vinaigrette.

4. Tomatoes

With thousands of varieties of tomatoes, there’s no shortage of ways to enjoy this healthy diet and garden staple. Tomatoes are a wildly popular and widely consumed fruit around the world. Similar to other red fruits and veggies, the bright red coloring of tomatoes is a result of the heart-protective carotenoid lycopene. This powerful antioxidant is beneficial for heart health because it can protect against free radical damage, lower the risks of stroke and heart attack, reduce LDL cholesterol, and help prevent blood clots. To get the biggest lycopene boost out of these juicy beauties, consider cooking some of your tomatoes instead of always eating them raw. While cooking tomatoes enhances the absorbability of lycopene, it can destroy water-soluble nutrients, like vitamin C, so mix it up for optimal overall nutrition.

Make Roasted Balsamic Basil Tomatoes and Lemony Braised Kale and Tomatoes for tasty ways to enjoy tomatoes.

5. Tart Cherries

Who doesn’t love a big bowl of freshly picked cherries on a hot summer day? In addition to their plump texture and delicious flavor, sweet and tart cherries are rich in polyphenols and vitamin C, which help protect against cardiovascular disease due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Tart cherries are also rich in anthocyanins, another antioxidant that combats heart disease and supports muscle health and cell structures, including the heart. Additionally, regular consumption of tart cherry juice contributes to reduced cardiovascular disease risk factors by helping to lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol.

Though cherries are delightful on their own, try including cherries in plant-based dishes like Cherry Waldorf Salad or Toasted Pistachio and Cherry Overnight Oats.

6. Grapefruit

Grapefruit is beneficial for healthy weight management, which supports a healthy heart. Research also shows that consuming grapefruit regularly can help regulate high blood pressure and cholesterol levels in the blood. Plus, grapefruit is an excellent source of dietary fiber and potassium, two essential nutrients for heart health. Low potassium intake has been associated with elevated blood pressure and risk of stroke, while adequate consumption may protect against these cardiometabolic risk factors and improve cardiovascular health.

Whether you’re craving grapefruit in a meal, snack, or beverage, we’ve got you covered. Try Summer Citrus Salad or Minty Grapefruit Tea.

7. Red Kidney Beans

Beans, beans, the magical fruit, the more you eat, the more you boost your heart health! Legumes are excellent sources of insoluble and soluble fiber, which have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol, increase HDL cholesterol, manage blood sugar, and promote a healthy weight. The high fiber content of beans makes them an ideal red food for your heart. High dietary fiber intake has repeatedly been shown to reduce cholesterol and blood pressure, promoting a healthy heart. In addition, research shows that beans, like red kidney beans, may reduce your risk of cardiometabolic disease, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease — the leading cause of death worldwide.

To incorporate red kidney beans onto your plate, try this Red Bean Gumbo with Okra or Fragrant Kidney Bean Lentil Dal.

Red Food Recipes

So many red plant foods are bursting with eye-catching hues, mouthwatering sweet and savory flavors, and plenty of cardiovascular-supporting nutrients that it was tough to choose just seven (hence our additions above)! Our collection of red foods for a healthy heart is a great way to expose yourself to the vibrant world of colorful plants or introduce your palate to the endless possibilities that fruits and veg can offer. Whether you’re trying these foods for the first time or they’re among your tried-and-true favorites, we hope you (and your heart) love these recipes as much as we do!

1. Dark Cherry Smoothie Bowl

Rich in anthocyanins, tart cherries are a heart-healthy, anti-inflammatory powerhouse! If you ever wondered if you could “have your cake and eat it, too,” this creamy Dark Cherry Smoothie Bowl might be your answer. There is something almost magical about the combination of tart dark cherries and creamy plant-based yogurt — not to mention all of the crunchy toppings that your heart desires (literally)!

2. Pomegranate Pepper Spread

If you love pomegranates but aren’t sure how to use them to their fullest potential, then this gorgeous fruit spread is for you! Pomegranate Pepper Spread brings together slightly sweet pomegranate with spicy jalapeño — and the flavor combination is out of this world! Not a spice fan? No problem! Bell peppers also work well. Bonus that pomegranates are an anti-inflammatory super fruit, making them a great addition to a heart-healthy diet.

3. Strawberry Spinach Salad

Let’s see: a mouthwatering combination of fresh spinach, juicy strawberries, delectably crunchy pecans, and umami red onion, drizzled with a unique beet balsamic vinaigrette. Do you know what that sounds like to us? A salad packed with vibrantly hued, heart-healthy foods that is sure to be a plant-based win!

4. Pressure Cooker Monday Red Beans and Rice

Not only do Pressure Cooker Monday Red Beans and Rice make a delicious weekday (or any day) meal, but red kidney beans also have the ability to help heal your heart! Legumes reduce your risk of cardiometabolic disease with their high fiber content. Red beans also contain anthocyanins, a powerful antioxidant that keeps your heart (and other organs) in tip-top shape. So get your heart health on, and share the wealth with your family and friends — this delicious pot of beans is meant for a crowd!

5. All American Bean and Beet Burger

Beets are the main component of this satisfyingly juicy burger that is big on taste and health-promoting nutrients. And, thanks to them, this is a red-hued burger that is actually good for your heart! Beets contain nitric oxide, which promotes blood vessel dilation to lower blood pressure, support heart function, and improve oxygen use — all critical functions for a healthy heart. This hearty plant burger is also loaded with healthy amounts of iron, vitamin A, B vitamins, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids. Enjoy these tasty veggie patties grill-side and relish in the fact that your heart is as happy as your belly.

6. Lentil and Quinoa Stuffed Red Peppers

Lentil and Quinoa Stuffed Peppers are chock-full of heart-healthy foods including lentils, tomatoes, quinoa, onions, and bell pepper. Red peppers contain the same bright red carotenoid, lycopene, as tomatoes, which can protect against free radical damage and lower the risk of stroke and heart disease. What’s more, these delicious beauties are filling, tasty, and nourishing in more ways than one!

7. Caramelized Cinnamon Grapefruit

If you typically give grapefruit a pass, we’re hoping that trying grapefruit caramelized with cinnamon and maple syrup will turn you into a grapefruit lover! While sweetness and cinnamon might not be flavors you associate with the fruit, the combination is — dare we say it — delightful. And grapefruit is also a winner in our book because (in addition to its concentration of vitamin C) it is an excellent source of dietary fiber and potassium, two essential nutrients for heart health!

Red, Red, It’s Good for Your Heart!

One of the best ways to support your heart is with what you eat. The phytochemicals and antioxidants, as well as other nutrients found in colorful fruits and vegetables, promote longevity by helping to improve heart health and prevent other chronic diseases. Specifically, red fruits and veggies contain certain pigments that protect against heart disease (the number one killer globally) and other heart-related issues, such as high blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, atherosclerosis, and stroke. Adding more red foods to your plate with these nutritious, whole-food plant-based recipes can help to protect your heart and add healthy years to your life.

Tell us in the comments:

• Which red food on this list is your favorite?
• What other red foods would you add that are not included on this list?
• Which red food recipe are you most excited to try first?

Featured Image: iStock.com/manyakotic

Read Next:

• Eat the Rainbow: Why Is it Important to Eat a Colorful Variety of Fruits and Vegetables?
• What Are Antioxidants? And Why Are They So Good For You?

The post 7 Heart-Healthy Red Foods to Help You Thrive appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

The most likely reason most of our loved ones will die is heart disease. It’s up to each of us to make our own decisions about what to eat and how to live, but we should make these choices consciously by educating ourselves about the predictable consequences of our actions.

Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, begins in childhood. The arteries of nearly all kids raised on the standard American diet already have fatty streaks — marking the first stage of the disease — by the time they are ten years old. After that, the plaques start forming in our 20s, get worse in our 30s, and then can start killing us off. In our heart, it’s called a heart attack, and in our brain, it can manifest as a stroke. So for anyone reading this who is older than ten years old, the choice isn’t whether or not to eat healthfully to prevent heart disease — it’s whether or not you want to reverse the heart disease you likely already have.

Is that even possible? When researchers took people with heart disease and put them on the kind of plant-based diet followed by populations who did not get epidemic heart disease, their hope was that it might slow down the disease process or maybe even stop it. Instead, something miraculous happened. The disease actually started to reverse. It started to get better. As I show in my video “How Not to Die from Heart Disease,” as soon as patients stopped eating artery-clogging diets, their bodies were able to start dissolving away some of the plaque, opening up arteries without drugs and surgery. This suggests their bodies wanted to heal all along but were just never given a chance. That improvement in blood flow to the heart muscle itself was after only three weeks of eating healthfully.

Your Body Can Heal Itself

Let me share with you what’s been called the best-kept secret in medicine: Sometimes, given the right conditions, the body can heal itself. Take, for instance, what happens when you accidentally whack your shin really hard on a coffee table. It gets red, hot, painful, swollen, and inflamed, but it’ll heal naturally if you just stand back and let your body work its magic. What would happen, though, if you kept whacking your shin in the same place, day after day, or three times a day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)? It would never heal! You might turn to your doctor, complaining of shin pain, and would probably limp out of the office with a prescription for painkillers. You’d still be whacking your shin three times a day, but the pain would be a little duller — thanks to those pills you’d be popping.

It’s similar to people taking nitroglycerine for crushing chest pain. They may get tremendous relief, but they’re not doing anything to treat the underlying cause. Our body wants to come back to health if we let it, but if we keep re-damaging ourselves three times a day, we may never heal.

Take Action Now to Reverse the Damage

One of the most amazing things I learned in all my medical training was that within about 15 years after you stop smoking, your lung cancer risk approaches that of a lifelong nonsmoker. Isn’t that amazing? Your lungs can clear out all that tar, and, eventually, it’s almost as if you never smoked at all. Just think, every morning of your smoking life, your body started on that path to healing until… wham!… you inhaled on that first cigarette of the day, reinjuring your lungs with every puff. In the same way, we can reinjure our arteries with every bite. But, all we have to do, all along — the miracle cure — is just stand back, get out of the way, stop re-damaging ourselves, and let our body’s natural healing processes bring us back towards health. The human body is a self-healing machine.

Sure, you could choose moderation and hit yourself with a smaller hammer, but why beat yourself up at all? I don’t tell my smoking patients to cut down to half-a-pack a day. I tell them to quit. Sure, smoking a half pack is better than two packs, but we should try to put only healthy things into our mouths.

Choosing a Plant-Based Diet for Your Health

We’ve known about this for decades. Take the case of Mr. F.W., for example, as published in 1977 in the American Heart Journal. He had such bad heart disease, he couldn’t even make it to the mailbox without crushing chest pain. But he started eating strictly plant-based, and a few months later, he was climbing mountains without pain.

There are fancy new anti-angina drugs out now. They cost thousands of dollars a year, but at the highest dose, they may only be able to prolong exercise duration for as long as… 33.5 seconds. It doesn’t seem as though patients choosing the drug route will be climbing mountains anytime soon.

Plant-based diets aren’t just safer and cheaper. They can work better because they let us treat the actual cause of the disease.

90% of heart disease can be prevented, and even reversed.

Discover the research-backed and all-natural ways you can stop heart disease from stopping you in the FREE

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Tell us in the comments:

• Do you, or does someone you love, have heart disease?
• What do you think of these heart disease facts?
• What steps can you take right now to reverse heart disease in your life?

Featured Image: iStock.com/anilakkus

Read Next:

• The 4 Scientifically Proven Pillars of Heart Health

The post How Not to Die from Heart Disease: The Facts appeared first on Food Revolution Network.

Amidst the world’s sorrow watching Hurricane Dorian pound the Bahamas, headlines started appearing in the media with almost the same force reporting that vegetarian and vegan diets may increase stroke risk. Some of the headlines were more responsible than others in reflecting the actual published data, but the debate for steak or sprouts was fueled once again. What was the reason for this turmoil, and what were some of the nuances headlines do not reveal?

1) The EPIC-Oxford Study

The study was summarized in the British Medical Journal below:

“The EPIC-Oxford study, a cohort in the United Kingdom with a large proportion of non-meat eaters, recruited across the country between 1993 and 2001.

48,188 participants with no history of ischaemic heart disease, stroke, or angina (or cardiovascular disease) were classified into three distinct diet groups: meat-eaters (participants who consumed meat, regardless of whether they consumed fish, dairy, or eggs; n=24,428), fish-eaters (consumed fish but no meat; n=7,506), and vegetarians, including vegans (n=16,254), based on dietary information collected at baseline, and subsequently around 2010 (n=28,364).

The main outcome measures incident cases of ischaemic heart disease and stroke (including ischaemic and hemorrhagic types) identified through record linkage until 2016.

Results over 18.1 years of follow-up, 2,820 cases of ischaemic heart disease, and 1,072 cases of total stroke (519 ischaemic stroke and 300 hemorrhagic stroke) were recorded. After adjusting for sociodemographic and lifestyle confounders, fish-eaters and vegetarians had 13% (hazard ratio 0.87, 95% confidence interval 0.77 to 0.99) and 22% (0.78, 0.70 to 0.87) lower rates of ischaemic heart disease than meat-eaters, respectively (P<0.001 for heterogeneity). This difference was equivalent to 10 fewer cases of ischaemic heart disease (95% confidence interval 6.7 to 13.1 fewer) in vegetarians than in meat-eaters per 1,000 population over 10 years. The associations for ischaemic heart disease were partly attenuated after adjustment for self-reported high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, and body mass index (hazard ratio 0.90, 95% confidence interval 0.81 to 1.00 in vegetarians with all adjustments). By contrast, vegetarians had 20% higher rates of total stroke (hazard ratio 1.20, 95% confidence interval 1.02 to 1.40) than meat-eaters, equivalent to three more cases of total stroke (95% confidence interval 0.8 to 5.4 more) per 1,000 population over 10 years, mostly due to a higher rate of hemorrhagic stroke. The associations for stroke did not attenuate after further adjustment of disease risk factors.

Conclusions in this prospective cohort in the U.K. fish-eaters and vegetarians had lower rates of ischaemic heart disease than meat-eaters, although vegetarians had higher rates of hemorrhagic and total stroke.”

As can be seen, a combined group of vegetarians and vegans experienced a drop in heart attacks and other manifestations of ischemic heart disease compared with meat-eaters that was offset by a smaller rise in a particular type of stroke — hemorrhagic or bleeding — that still favored the health benefits of the vegetarian and vegan diet group.

2) The Data Acquisition

The participants filled out a 130-question survey on their diet, on entry, between 1993 and 2001. And again, repeated the same survey in 2010. An interesting finding reported in the study was that only 28,364 of the original 48,188 filled out both surveys 14 years apart on average. Of those respondents, 96% of the meat-eaters remained meat-eaters, but only 57% of fish-eaters remained fish-eaters, and 73% of vegetarians remained vegetarians. It was not reported which group they moved to.

3) Were Vegan and Vegetarian Diets Similar?

One has to go to the supplement attached by link to the article to identify how many vegetarians and vegans were lumped together in the 16,254 members of that group. There were 1,832 vegans and 14,422 vegetarians. Their diet was very different, as was outlined on page three of the supplement, with a much higher saturated fat intake as a % of calories in the vegetarians, and surprisingly low fiber intake in both of the plant groups that was not much higher than the meat-eaters.

4) How Many Hemorrhagic Strokes vs. Heart Attacks Actually Occurred in Vegans?

The supplement to the study also holds the fact that there were only eight hemorrhagic strokes in the vegans. While always tragic, this is the number that is generating the headlines but not being reported. If there were seven, would it reach statistical significance? Or six? And this is compared to the thousands of cases overall of heart attacks and ischemic heart disease events that were significantly less frequent in the vegans.

5) What Can We Conclude from the EPIC-Oxford Study?

• Vegetarian and vegan diets have become increasingly popular in recent years, but the potential benefits and hazards of these diets are not fully understood. This study showed that fish-eaters and vegetarians (including vegans) had lower risks of ischaemic heart disease than meat-eaters.
• Although this study showed vegetarians (including vegans) had higher risks of hemorrhagic and total stroke than meat-eaters, previous studies have reported that vegetarians have lower risks of total ischaemic heart disease than non-vegetarians.
• However, no evidence has been reported of a difference in the risk of mortality from stroke, possibly because of limited available data and lack of available evidence on stroke subtypes. Further research is needed to replicate these results in other populations and to identify mediators that might contribute to the observed associations.

The Takeaway

Nutrition science is difficult, and the EPIC-Oxford Research Study involves a respected group of scientists. However, headlines, and even more complete media articles, generally provide a superficial understanding of the data and even promote inflammatory responses with irresponsible headlines (e.g., ignoring the cardiac benefits of the plant diets). Ultimately, a healthy diet should be very high in fiber and naturally very low in calories from saturated fats. My recommendation is to continue to load your plate with fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains for your health and the health of the planet.

Tell us in the comments:

• Do you eat differently with your heart in mind?
• What do you think of the EPIC-Oxford study results?

Featured Image: iStock.com/marilyna

Read Next:

• Two Doctors Discuss the Science on How Diet Can Reverse Heart Disease

The post Heart Attacks and Strokes in Vegetarians and Vegans: Thoughts on the EPIC-Oxford Study appeared first on Food Revolution Network.