6 Heart-Healthy Foods for Green Smoothies
A daily smoothie is a great way to pack extra nutrients, antioxidants, and fiber into your diet. If you're keeping an eye on your heart health, here's a list of the best heart-healthy foods you can add to your daily green smoothie. We recommend adding at least one or two of these options to your smoothie blend to help keep your heart healthy1.
6 Heart-Healthy Foods for Green Smoothies
1. Oats: Naturally high in fiber, oats are like magnets for bad cholesterol, binding to it to help eliminate it from the body2. The fiber will also give you the sensation of feeling fuller longer, keeping hunger at bay.
2. Nuts: Not only are nuts super high in fiber, which supports digestive health, they also bind to and help eliminate bad cholesterol3. Almonds and pine nuts contain high amounts of Vitamin E, which helps protect arteries from oxidative stress. Nuts are also packed with omega fatty acids, which are excellent for heart health.
3. Flax Seeds: Flax seeds are rich in heart-healthy omega fatty acids4. Their tough shells are a great source of insoluble fiber, but are hard to break down in the digestive system. If you want to get the benefits of the omega fatty acids and nutrients, it's recommended to use ground flaxseeds in your smoothie.
4. Blueberries: Blueberries are high in flavonoids (antioxidants) that can help protect arteries and support healthy blood pressure. Researchers estimate that eating a cup of blueberries a day reduces the risk of any cardiovascular event by 13 percent5.
5. Citrus: Loaded with Vitamin C, citrus is great for heart health because of its antioxidant benefits6. Citrus fruits also contain folate, vitamin B6, vitamin A, potassium, magnesium, calcium, fiber, and flavonols, all of which are also very important for promoting good overall health.
6. Dark Chocolate: This not-so-guilty pleasure is nutritious and high in phenols, which can help prevent clogging arteries. Try adding some dark, unsweetened chocolate to your morning smoothie with at least 60-70% cocoa.
Fiber, omega fatty acids, and antioxidants can all help keep your heart healthy! NATURELO's Raw Greens Whole Food Powder harnesses the superpowers of organic green foods and herbal extracts to help keep your heart healthy with antioxidants, fiber, and nutrients. You can also increase your intake of heart-healthy omegas with our Omega-3 fish oil supplements or our plant-based Omega Gummies.
References:
1. Heart-healthy diet: 8 steps to prevent heart disease
2. Cholesterol-lowering effects of oat β-glucan: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, 2014 Dec;100(6):1413-21. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.114.086108. Epub 2014 Oct 15
3. Nut Consumption and Risk of Hypertension in US Male Physicians, 2008 Oct 2
4. Omega-3 in fish: How eating fish helps your heart
6. Vitamin C lowers blood pressure and alters vascular responsiveness in salt-induced hypertension, 2002 Dec;80(12):1199-202