Current nutritional recommendations have shown that a heart-healthy diet is plant-based and high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts. Legumes such as beans, chickpeas, lentils, peas, and soybeans have shown good results in successfully improving blood glucose and reducing coronary heart diseases.
Drinks such as coffee and tea (without added sugar or sweetener) have also shown to have positive effects on heart health as they improve cardiovascular health and reduce the excess LDL cholesterol. Some other foods with purported heart benefits includes seaweed and fermented foods. Plant based diets low in fat, and without added sugars or processed foods have proven to be the best suited food for heart a healthy heart.
Ingredients that have proven to be crucial for heart health includes the likes of phytosterols, omega-3s, beta-glucan and soy proteins. Numerous clinical trials have been undertaken to test the beneficial effects of these ingredients. Newer forms of these ingredients are being tested which could be used in instant beverages or ready to drink functional beverages. With food regulatory bodies becoming stricter and people being increasingly aware of the ingredients in the food which they are consuming, heart-based diseases can be controlled.
