In a world where easy eating and heart failure seem to go hand-in-hand, making sure that your body has the right nutrients and sustenance has never been a more ever-present thought that we need to keep track of.
As unhealthy food and drink are easier and cheaper to get a hold of now more than ever, it has only gotten more difficult in the last 20 to 30 years.
Generally speaking, the best thing you can do for your heart’s health is to make sure that you’re eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, that you’re staying away from saturated fats and foods with high sugar, and getting a lot of fiber in your diet, and, of course, drinking the right stuff too!
Of course, that all sounds well and good on paper. But it is another thing entirely to do that in practice.
That is especially true in today’s world, where having fruit-flavored or themed drinks that pack in tons of unhealthy sugars is all the rage.
With marketing shoving these kinds of products down our throats all the time, it pays to know which drinks exactly are best for your heart and your general wellbeing.
Well, that’s what we’re going to cover in this article! We’re going to give you a run-down of the best drinks that you should be having regularly to help promote a healthy heart.
We’re also going to cover some of the drinks that you should try to avoid for the most part too, especially if you find yourself drinking them often.
Drinks That Can Help Your Heart’s Health
Water
What list of the best drinks for your heart would forget to add good old-fashioned H2O?
Generally speaking, when it comes to both your heart and your general health, nothing is as good for you as just plain water.
Hydration is the key to making sure that all your bodily functions have enough water to sustain them, and that includes your heart’s ability to pump blood around the body.
Not only that. But with there being next to none if any, additives to most drinking water sources, you don’t have to worry about the adverse effects of drinking too much of it (outside needing to go to the bathroom more often!).
This is the fluid that you should be drinking most of in your day-to-day life, so make sure you stay stopped on this stuff!
Tea
Tea drinking has been a popular pastime for thousands of years at this point, and it isn’t hard to see why!
Many types of tea, whether they are hot or cold beverages, are packed full of healthy compounds that are perfect for helping your body combat inflammation in your heart and arteries.
Studies on individuals who regularly drink green or black tea have shown that people that incorporate this drink into their lives have a lower chance of developing heart conditions and disease, as well as reducing the likelihood of strokes occurring, as well as great for blood vessels in the short term.
Tea is a drink that you should try and have more of in your diet if you want a beverage that actively improves your heart’s health.
Orange Juice
Orange juice is a great source of antioxidants, making it a great drink to help keep your heart’s strength up.
The only thing that can be a concern with drinking citrus drinks like orange juice is the effect it can have on your tooth enamel.
If you are drinking large amounts of orange juice, you may find that your tooth enamel will wear down much more quickly than it otherwise should, leading to weakening your teeth, thanks to the natural sugars in it.
If you do plan on adding fruit juice to your diet to help your heart, make sure that you have it in moderation with other drinks, as well as maintain a good oral hygiene routine.
Coffee
Coffee is the go-to drink for many people who are looking to start their day off strong or to help keep it strong in that lull that often comes around midday.
It may also surprise people to know that coffee is pretty good for your heart as well!
Whilst the details are still being researched, there have been enough studies that have shown that drinking coffee is also associated with a lower risk of developing heart issues.
Make sure that you drink it in moderation, however. As we will see, too much caffeine can have a pretty negative effect on your heart too.
Drinks That Can Hamper Your Heart’s Health
Energy Drinks
Remember how we mentioned that too much caffeine can be bad for you? Well, energy drinks are a prime example of that concern.
Whilst the exact amount of caffeine varies from brand to brand, a large amount of caffeine found in virtually all brands, as well as the extra stimulants in it, are found to increase blood pressure.
This can have pretty nasty effects if you have been drinking them for a large chunk of your life, and particularly if you are drinking them over a certain age, as they increase the chance of having a heart attack
Soda
In the same way that too much orange or fruit juice has a lot of sugar, sodas have that same problem, only dialed up to eleven!
Drinking large amounts of soda has been shown to have catastrophic effects on your heart.
In the most severe cases, it can make you almost 20% more likely to experience a heart attack in men. In women, the result was twice that!
Final Thoughts
These are the drinks you should keep an eye out for, for better or for worse.
Make sure that you’re drinking plenty of water, and you’re drinking your sodas and coffees in moderation, and you’ll be on the path to a healthier you!
- Simple Healthy Skin Habits for Radiant Skin - December 6, 2024
- Unlocking the Connection Between Nutrition and Mental Health - December 3, 2024
- Why Sleep and Your Immune System Are Inseparably Linked - November 20, 2024