How Heart Disease Can Be Controlled By Healthy Dieting

Knowing and understanding how heart disease can be controlled by healthy dieting can reduce the risk of heart attack and other complications. Healthy eating can lower blood pressure, decrease body fat and aid in the prevention of other diseases and disorders. How can heart disease be controlled by maintaining a healthy diet? While many mechanisms are involved, there are a few in particular that may play an important role in controlling heart disease.

MAINTAINING A HEALTHY WEIGHT A healthy diet helps control heart disease by keeping weight in check. Those that carry excess weight, particularly in the abdomen, are deemed higher risk for complications associated with heart disease. Whether the goal is to reduce weight or maintain current weight, this is possible with healthy changes in food selection, preparation and portion control. While regular exercise is recommended for optimum benefits, controlling heart disease by healthy dieting can make a significant impact.

TAKING CONTROL OF CHOLESTEROL Another way that healthy dieting can help control heart disease is by controlling cholesterol. Healthy food choices can lower LDL, or bad cholesterol, while increasing HDLs, or good cholesterol. This decreases the risk of clotting or buildup in the arteries that are often responsible for complications that plague those with heart disease, such as stroke. Even a slight reduction of bad cholesterol can make a serious difference in risk factors, sometimes cutting risks almost in half for some individuals.

BLOOD PRESSURE AND BLOOD SUGAR Keeping blood pressure and blood sugar within normal limits can be achieved through healthy dieting and can be important when it comes to controlling heart disease. Statistics indicate that those suffering from heart disease are more likely to have diabetes and high blood pressure, which can more than double these individuals' risks for complications.

A healthy diet can not only control heart disease, but may often help in prevention efforts. However, for some patients, a change in diet alone is not sufficient. Exercise, abstaining from smoking and medications may be needed in combination with healthy diet.

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February is American Heart Month

Heart Disease Risk Factors