6 Foods That are Surprisingly Bad for Your Heart
Many foods are bad for your heart. They can contribute to heart disease, leading to chest pain, a heart attack, or stroke. People who may have problems with their heart can decrease if they eat healthily. Eating heart healthy foods plays a beneficial role in keeping your heart staying in good shape, without the risk of getting heart disease. To keep your heart healthy, try eating food such as dark berries, dark leafy greens, whole grains, beans, walnuts or cashews, avocados, and dark chocolate.
However, certain foods can also increase your risk of heart disease, such as:
1. Diet soda
People who drink large amounts of diet soda affect your heart. Diet beverage drinks can lead to heart issues. When you put a lot of sugar like sweeteners inside your body, insulin increases, which adds heart problems. Drinking more than several sweetened drinks every day increases:
- Risk of strokes
- Heart attacks for people over the age of fifty
- Diabetes
2. Deli and processed meats
It is no secret that eating deli meats like sausage and bacon adds to heart disease risk. People who eat a high intake of unprocessed red meat like pork or beef increase high sodium in your diet, which in turn can lead to the development of heart disease, high blood pressure, and heart attack and stroke over time. High intake of salt and fat deli meats only increase the risk of heart disease and sodium. Too much salt only increases heart disease.
3. Red meat
Meat can have high amounts of protein, zinc, and iron. But, red meat increases health risks when overeating. According to health officials, high intake of red meats increases the risk of multiple health conditions including cardiovascular disease. People who love meat should eat it as a side dish instead of the main course for dinner.
4. Boxed pasta
When it comes to your heart, it can be challenging for people to know what kinds of pasta are right for them. Boxed pasta is easy to prepare for dinner. Pasta inboxes can be bad for your heart because they contain processed carbohydrates, and surprisingly high amounts of sugar. Processed carbohydrates like pasta can rise to dangerous amounts affecting your heart. A good substitute is whole grain pasta because they are high in fiber.
5. Energy bars
A few variations of energy bars are healthy. However, that is not always the case, especially for your heart. These bars have added sugar like corn syrup. Too much sugar only increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. These bars are processed, which also increases damage to your heart. Try to eat a whole grain granola bar, instead, containing real ingredients and raw sugars like honey and maple syrup.
6. Fruit cocktail juices
Many people believe that if they drink processed fruit juices over soda, it is healthier. That is not always the case. Fruit juice cocktails are actually often as high in sugar as sodas. Processed fruit juice increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, and metabolic syndromes (i.e., diabetes). Juices need to be limited in moderation, but fruit juice may only increase your risk of illness when drinking it in acces