Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in Germany.
You can prevent high blood pressure and heart attacks with the right diet.
A heart attack doesn't come out of nowhere.
Several factors must come together in order to trigger the life-threatening vascular occlusion in the heart.
It is usually arteriosclerosis, i.e. calcification of the vessels, that causes a heart attack.
The coronary artery narrows so much that myocardial cells die and the heart's pumping function is no longer guaranteed.
If the occlusion is not treated by a doctor as soon as possible, a heart attack is fatal.
Everyone can do a lot to prevent atherosclerosis as a precursor to a heart attack.
So the way of life plays a major role.
The internists on the net name four essential factors that have a decisive influence on the risk of arteriosclerosis.
These include:
Elevated cholesterol
Diabetes mellitus
high blood pressure
nicotine
The main culprit for the former three heart attack risk factors is usually
poor diet.
Too fat, too sugary, too often processed food: the list of dangerous eating habits is long.
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The Mediterranean cuisine is considered to be extremely healthy in the heart.
© Imago
Mediterranean cuisine prevents heart disease
A number of nutrition tips can help keep the heart healthy.
The German Heart Foundation recommends a Mediterranean diet to effectively prevent heart attacks
.
The kitchen is rich in vegetables, salad, fish and olive oil, which has been proven to prevent heart attacks, reports the Techniker Krankenkasse (TK).
The Techniker Krankenkasse recommends the following foods in the "Heart-healthy diet" guide:
lots of vegetables, fruits, lettuce and legumes like beans and peas
high fiber whole grain products
nuts
Dairy products
little meat and sausage
Fish once or twice a week
high quality vegetable oils such as olive, rapeseed and walnut oil
According to TK, those who also avoid drinks containing sugar and caffeine, consume little salt and alcohol and maintain a normal weight relieve the burden on the heart and metabolism.
In addition to olive oil, Mediterranean diet and salads, the German Heart Foundation sees
green tea as a real heart protector
because it lowers the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack and stroke, according to the Heart Foundation.
(jg)
List of rubric lists: © Imago