Why You Should Eat For Your Heart No Matter How Young You Are

If you're tempted to skip over this story because you're in your mid-20s or early 30s and you believe heart disease is only something of concern in later life, think carefully about scrolling past these pages. Heart disease isn't something that suddenly becomes relevant as soon as we reach a certain age threshold. We build the foundations for a healthy or unhealthy heart in our childhood, and we are starting to see the early signs of atherosclerosis (narrowed, inflamed arteries) in those as young as teenagers1. But rather than scaring you into booking a CT angiogram to determine the state of your vital organ, I want to show you how much control you have using your fork.

If you happen to have a family history of heart disease, you may be thinking that your genes are your destiny, and there isn't much you can do about your "dirty DNA." On the contrary: Studies have shown that we are more in control of our heart disease risk than previously thought. Our genetic blueprint is inherited from our parents; this information is stored in every cell of your body, and it is unchangeable. However, we can change the output of our genes by changing what we put into our system3. Once we begin to understand and believe in the power of environmental influences on the very foundations of our existence, it becomes clear why diet is one of the most technologically advanced treatments we have in our armory against disease. 

Beyond the nutrients necessary for contracting the muscular walls of our heart, this organ is vulnerable to "oxidative stress." High levels of inflammation have been shown in many animal and human models4 to be detrimental to the walls of arteries. Oxidative stress can be created by high blood pressure, smoking, as well as high-sugar diets that can lead to the creation of "advanced glycemic end products" (AGEs). 

Despite years of being told fat should be stripped out of our diets, sources of good-quality fat such as nuts, seeds, and extra-virgin olive oil feature heavily in Mediterranean diets, which are heart-healthy. Whole sources of fat such as pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, and minimally processed extra-virgin olive oil are fantastic additions to your diet from a heart-health perspective. Not only do they contain key minerals like selenium and magnesium, but they provide antioxidants such as vitamin E6, which can protect the heart from oxidative stress.

The mechanism by which different fats affect our health is more complicated than simply turning inflammation on and off. Fatty acids modify the blood's ability to clot and even influence gene expression of cells in our vessels. To put it simply, it's all about ratio, but rather than suggesting we all diligently calculate our omega-3 to omega-6 percentages, my advice would be to concentrate your fat sources on whole foods such as nuts and seeds. 

The fats to focus on are those from whole plant sources. These include walnuts, pistachios, almonds, oily fish, cold-pressed virgin oils (like avocado, rapeseed, and olive), and seeds.

Trust me on this one: Your heart will thank you for focusing on plentiful whole, largely plant-based fats and enjoying fats from animal products like meat and dairy on occasion.