They like these fruits berry much.
Fruits — and vegetables! — are rich in vitamins and antioxidants that can reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease, the leading cause of death in the US. The American Heart Association recommends consuming 4½ cups of fruit every day.
Fruits “provide cardiovascular benefits such as a reduction in high blood pressure and reduction in atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries,” Dr. Deepak Vivek, a cardiologist at Orlando Health in Florida, told Parade last week.
Since fruits have different nutritional values and health benefits, Vivek and other cardiologists are revealing their favorites to eat to boost heart health.
Vivek said he apple-solutely adores apples because they are a good source of antioxidants, fiber, vitamin C, and potassium — and they are also low-glycemic, so they help lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes.
He added that he slices an apple for salads or eats it whole as a snack, especially before playing pickleball.
“I find it helps give me the necessary energy to play and also prevents muscle cramping,” Vivek explained.
Dr. Sushant Khaire, a cardiologist at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare in Memphis, Tennessee, told Parade that he goes bananas for bananas because they are rich in dietary fiber, vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, magnesium, and antioxidants.
“Dietary fiber helps digestion, vitamin C boosts the immune system and vitamin B6 is important for the development of the brain and nerves,” Khaire noted.
Dr. Jennifer Mieres, professor of cardiology at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra Northwell in Hempstead, told Today.com last year that she always eats fruit — such as an apple, a pear, or cherries, “something with fiber” — as a mid-afternoon snack because it’s filling and helps protect against heart disease.
Fiber has been shown to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, two major risk markers for heart disease.
Dr. Satjit Bhusri, a cardiologist at Upper East Side Cardiology in Manhattan, has shared that unsalted nuts and dried fruit are his favorite snacks.
“Fruits like blueberries, raspberries, acai berries and goji berries have the highest levels of antioxidants, which are great for protecting your heart,” he said.
Berries are also the fruit that Dr. Joy Gelbman, a cardiologist at Weill Cornell Medicine, eats most often.
She praised their antioxidant properties and fiber content to Parade.
