What is arrhythmia? Cardiologist explains
29 September 2026
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Cardiovascular disease is the leading global cause of mortality, accounting for nearly 18
million deaths annually. The good news is that many cases of heart disease are preventable
through dietary and lifestyle changes. A diet for heart health, when combined with exercise
and stress management, forms a powerful strategy to protect your heart health. By focusing
on heart-healthy foods, you can effectively reduce risk factors such as high cholesterol, high
blood pressure, obesity, and chronic inflammation.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore a wide array of foods, which incorporates diet for
heart for health. We explain the science behind the benefits of foods for healthy heart, and
provide practical tips on how to incorporate for instance cholesterol-lowering foods into your
meals. Additionally, we'll highlight recent research and evidence supporting the best diet for
heart. Whether you are looking to prevent heart disease or manage existing conditions, this
guide will help you navigate toward a healthier lifestyle.
A heart-healthy diet is designed to promote optimal cardiovascular function while reducing
the risks associated with heart disease. Here are key principles that define the best diet for
heart health:
1. Rich in Nutrient-Dense Foods: Emphasizes foods high in vitamins, minerals, fiber,
and healthy fats.
2. Low in Saturated Fats: Prioritizes unsaturated fats while reducing intake of red
meat, butter, and full-fat dairy.
3. Reduced Sodium and Added Sugars: Minimizes processed foods to maintain
healthy blood pressure and glucose levels.
4. Increased Plant-Based Foods: Encourages fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes,
and nuts for their heart-protective properties.
By following these principles, you can enjoy a sustainable, varied, and delicious diet that
supports long-term cardiovascular health.
Although fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines was recommended until recently, this
has now changed. The guidance no longer advises consuming two to four portions of oily fish per
week solely to prevent a second heart attack. Similarly, it does not endorse the use of omega-3 fatty acid capsules or fortified foods for this purpose. More about this in the link below:
https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/heart-matters-magazine/nutrition/oily-fish
Walnuts, almonds, and pistachios are nutrient-dense and contain healthy fats, plant-based
protein, and fiber. When it comes to energy and fat content, most nuts are quite similar.
Peanuts, technically legumes but nutritionally comparable to nuts, have the fewest
calories—though they remain calorie-dense—while macadamia nuts have the highest calorie
count. Nuts are predominantly a source of unsaturated fats, with varying amounts of saturated
fats.
Brazil nuts contain the highest levels of saturated fat, while almonds and hazelnuts have the
lowest. Including a variety of nuts in your diet ensures you benefit from the diverse array of
nutrients each type offers.
According to a research article published in JACC in 2018 Greater consumption of nuts, both
overall and specific types, was linked to a lower risk of total cardiovascular disease and coronary
heart disease.
( https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5762129/ )
Although this type of study cannot definitively confirm that the nuts were the cause of the observed effect.
Blueberries, strawberries, and blackberries are antioxidant powerhouses. Berries are rich in
polyphenols, particularly anthocyanins, as well as essential micronutrients and fiber.
Epidemiological and clinical studies have linked these components to improved
cardiovascular health. Human intervention studies involving chokeberries, cranberries,
blueberries, and strawberries—whether consumed fresh, as juice, freeze-dried, or in the form
of purified anthocyanin extracts—have shown significant improvements in LDL oxidation,
lipid peroxidation, total plasma antioxidant capacity, dyslipidemia, and glucose metabolism.
These benefits were observed in both healthy individuals and those with metabolic risk
factors.
The proposed mechanisms behind these positive effects include the upregulation of
endothelial nitric oxide synthase, reduced activity of carbohydrate-digestive enzymes,
decreased oxidative stress, and the inhibition of inflammatory gene expression and foam cell
formation. While research is still limited, the evidence supports including berries as a vital
component of a heart-healthy diet.
(https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3068482/)
Spinach, kale, and collard greens are considered leafy green vegetables. These vegetables are a
rich source of phytochemicals and essential micronutrients critical for maintaining good health. They provide folic acid, vitamins A, C, E, and K, along with significant amounts of calcium, iron,
potassium, phosphorus, and zinc. These nutrients are believed to have protective effects against
cardiovascular disease risk. According to a scientific article published in 2021 in the Cardiovascular
Journal of Africa: The consumption of green leafy vegetables has been linked to a reduced incidence of cardiovascular disease and may serve as an effective primary prevention strategy against CVD events.
(https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8756059/)
Whole grains like oats, quinoa, and brown rice are considered to be cardioprotective. Intact
whole grains also include barley, bulgar, millet and buckwheat. According to a study
published in 2021 in the Journal of Nutrition: For middle- to older-age adults, substituting refined
grains (RG) with whole grains (WG) may be an effective dietary adjustment to reduce abdominal fat, improve lipid profiles, and manage blood sugar levels over time, ultimately lowering the risk of
cardiometabolic diseases. This study included over 3000 participants and the follow up lasted 18
years.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022316622003480?via%3Dihub)
Legumes and pulses are not the same. Legumes are flowering plants belonging to the pea
family and include the plant's leaves, stems, and pods. With over 18,000 species, legumes
encompass a variety of foods such as beans, peas, peanuts, and soybeans. A pulse is the
edible seed of a legume plant, including beans, lentils, chickpeas, and peas. For instance, the
pea pod is a legume, but the pea inside the pod is the pulse. According to systematic review
and meta-analysis published in Advances in Nutrition in 2019: Current evidence suggests that
consuming dietary pulses, with or without other legumes, is associated with a reduced
incidence of cardiovascular disease with low certainty, and a reduced incidence of coronary
heart disease, hypertension, and obesity with very low certainty.
(https://advances.nutrition.org/article/S2161-8313(22)00219-8/fulltext)
Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats and potassium, which help reduce cardiovascular
risk. In two large prospective cohorts of U.S. men and women, higher avocado intake was linked to a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and coronary heart disease. Replacing certain fat-
containing foods with avocado may help lower the risk of CVD. This was a conclusion from a study
published in the Journal of the American Heart Association in 2022.
(https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.121.024014)
Dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa content is high in flavonoids. Bitter, dark chocolate provides endothelial protection in coronary arteries. In addition to this dark chocolate offers encouraging influence on blood pressure, insulin resistance and platelet function. However, milk chocolate especially, contains lots of sugar and fat and as a result a lot of calories.
(https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/42/44/4520/6409460?login=false)
Olive oil is the cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet, offering monounsaturated fats and polyphenols that protect the heart.
According to a study published in 2014 in Circulation, Mediterranean Diet enriched with Olive Oil
caused a significant reduction in the incidence of Atrial Fibrillation.
Interestingly, no similar effect was found when Mediterranean Diet was supplemented with Nuts.
It was a large study, which assigned randomly over 6k participants to one of 2 diets with a control
group, which followed a low-fat diet. The follow up lasted just under 5 years.
In addition to this, a more recent data presented at a 2024 Heart Rhythm Society showed that
Mediterranean Diet supplemented with Olive Oil was associated with a lower incidence of all Atrial Tachyarrhythmias in patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation.
The authors concluded of the 2014 study concluded: ‘In the absence of proven interventions for the primary prevention of atrial fibrillation, this post hoc analysis of the PREDIMED trial suggests that a lower incidence of atrial fibrillation was found after an intervention with extra virgin olive oil in the context of a Mediterranean dietary pattern’.
( https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/epub/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.113.006921)
Rich in catechins, green tea offers antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. There have
been suggestions that green tea can help lower cholesterol and blood pressure. A well-
regarded review from 2011 found that drinking green tea enriched with catechins led to a
modest reduction in cholesterol levels.
Similarly, a 2013 review of 11 studies indicated that consuming green or black tea
daily—whether as a drink or in capsule form—could help reduce cholesterol and blood
pressure. However, most of the clinical trials included in this review were short-term,
prompting the authors to recommend longer-term trials to confirm these findings.
A 2014 survey analysing data from previous studies found evidence of a slight reduction in
blood pressure among individuals with high blood pressure who consumed green tea.
However, it remains unclear whether this reduction is substantial enough to lower the risk of
heart disease or stroke.
Tomatoes help to reduce blood pressure according to a study published in European Journal of
Preventive Cardiology 2023.
It was a large prospective study, which included over 7000 individuals, of whom over 80% had a
diagnosis of HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.
Study participants were grouped into 4 different categories depending on the tomatoes eaten.
The risk of HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE was lower with > 110g/day consumption of Tomatoes as
compared to < 44g/day.
Of note 110 grams of Tomatoes is 10 small tomatoes, 2 average Roma tomatoes or 1 average
Beefsteak tomato.
The authors concluded: ‘Tomato consumption, including tomato-based products, is beneficial in
preventing and managing hypertension. Higher tomato intake reduces hypertension risk by 36%, and moderate consumption lowers blood pressure, especially grade 1 hypertension’.
(https://academic.oup.com/eurjpc/advance-article/doi/10.1093/eurjpc/zwad363/7450162?login=true)
Soy milk, tofu, and edamame contain plant-based protein and isoflavones that support heart health by lowering cholesterol. Soy is not only a source of protein but also provides significant amounts of phytochemicals, including isoflavones, phytosterols, lecithins, as well as soluble fiber, saponins, and polysaccharides. As a result, the effects of soy on cardiovascular disease) risk may not be solely due to its protein content or its cholesterol-lowering properties. In conclusion, recent evidence suggests an inverse (protective) relationship between soy consumption and cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes. However, most of the studies are prospective observational designs, and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are needed to confirm this association. The underlying cause of this relationship is likely multifactorial.
(https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6893684/)
Plant-Based Meat Alternatives (PBMA) are considered to be an ultraprocessed food and contain
protein from pea, soya, fungi and wheat.
However, according to this review article, published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology in June
2024, PBMA in some dietary trials improved Heart 
Disease risk factors including total cholestero and LDL cholesterol.
PBMA are, in general, lower in saturated fat and higher in polyunsaturated fat and dietary fibre.
At the same time, the authors acknowledge that there is a lack of of robust, randomised trials with
hard clinical endpoints.
They concluded: ‘replacing meat with PBMAs may be cardioprotective; however, long-term
randomised controlled trials and prospective cohort studies that evaluate CardioVascular events (eg, myocardial infarction, stroke) are essential to draw more definitive conclusions’.
(https://onlinecjc.ca/action/showPdf?pii=S0828-282X%2823%2901882-2)
Recently (April 2024) published meta-analysis showed that Salt Substitutes:
– may reduce risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality (low certainty)
– may cause slight reduction in Major Adverse Cardiovascular Events (very low certainty)
This data included 16 randomised controlled trials. Of which 8 reported mortality, major adverse
cardiovascular events and adverse events at 6 months or more. 7 out of 8 were done in China or
Taiwan and included participants with a mean age of 62 years old.
The authors concluded: ‘Salt substitution may reduce all-cause or cardiovascular mortality, but the
evidence for reducing cardiovascular events and for not increasing serious adverse events is uncertain, particularly for a Western population. The certainty if evidence is higher among populations at higher cardiovascular risk and/or following a Chinese diet’.
( https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/M23-2626 )
Not according to a study published in March 2024 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
This study assessed a causal relationship between processed meat and red meat (lamb, pork, beef) and risk of heart disease, including high blood pressure, stroke, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and ischaemic heart disease.
The authors concluded: ‘The study discerned no observable impact of red and processed meat
consumption on Coronary Artery Disease, Hypertension, Stroke, and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. The
findings of this study challenge the prevailing conventional perspective in the field’.
(https://academic.oup.com/eurjpc/advance-article/doi/10.1093/eurjpc/zwae117/7634478?login=false)
One week of low salt diet caused a decrease of 8mmHg in participants' Blood Pressure in comparison to high salt intake.
This is a similar effect to an Antihypertensive medication.
This was an American study, conducted between April 2021 and February 2023, published in JAMA in November 2023.
Over 200 participants, aged 50-75 years were included.
Interestingly, there was a wide variation in individuals enrolled in terms of underlying diagnoses, with 25% having normal blood pressure, 25% unteated hypertension, 20% controlled hypertension and just over 30% poorly controlled hypertension.
In this study, low-sodium diet = 500mg daily, high-sodium diet = 2200 mg daily.
The effect of low salt diet was seen in 75% of participants.
The Authors concluded: ‘Dietary sodium reduction significantly lowered BP in the majority of middle-aged to elderly adults. The decline in BP from a high- to low-sodium diet was independent of hypertension status and antihypertensive medication use, was generally consistent across subgroups, and did not result in excess adverse events’.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2811931
Eating Your FIRST Meal later than 9am and LAST Meal later than 9pm was linked to higher risk of
CARDIOVASCULAR disease, according to a study, published in December 2023 in Nature
communications journal.
The above timings were compared to having the FIRST Meal earlier than 8am and the LAST Meal earlier than 8pm.
This French study included 103,389 individuals, with mean age of 42.6 years, out if which 79% were
females.
The participants were followed up for a median of 7.2 years and 2036 incidents of CardioVascular disease were observed.
Delaying FIRST Meal of the day was linked to higher risk for overall CardioVascular disease, especially in female participants. (HR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.01-1.12; p=0.02)
Interestingly, delaying the LAST meal by each additional hour was associated with an 8% increased risk of CerebroVascular disease (HR=1.08, p=0.02).
The Authors concluded: ‘Our results suggest potential benefit of adopting earlier eating timing patterns, and coupling a longer nighttime fasting period with an early last meal, rather than breakfast skipping, in CVD prevention’.
(https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-43444-3.pdf)
A large meta-analysis, which consisted of nine studies and included 111594 individuals was published in June 2022 in American Journal of Hypertension.
According to this data, eating ULTRA-PROCESSED food resulted in significantly elevated Blood
Pressure (odds ratio: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.37; p=0.034).
ULTRA-PROCESSED foods include: pastries, cakes, pre-prepared pizza, burgers etc.
The meta-analysis included studies from Canada, Brazil, Spain, United States, Lebanon and Mexico.
(https://academic.oup.com/ajh/article/35/10/892/6617679)
Consumers of 3 cups of COFFEE or 200-300 mg/d of CAFFEINE had the lowest risk of new-onset
CardioMetabolic Multimorbidity, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical
Endocrinology and Metabolism in September 2024.
CardioMetabolic Multimorbidity was defined as at least two of Type 2 Diabetes, Stroke or Coronary
Heart Disease.
It was a huge study, which included over 170k (coffee) and over 180k (coffee and tea) participants
from the UK Biobank.
The authors concluded: ‘Habitual coffee or caffeine intake, especially at a moderate level, was
associated with a lower risk of new-onset CardioMetabolic Multimorbidity and could play important roles in almost all transition phases of CardioMetabolic Multimorbidity development. Future studies are warranted to validate the implicated metabolic biomarkers underlying the relation between coffee, tea, and caffeine intake and CardioMetabolic Multimorbidity’.
(https://academic.oup.com/jcem/advance-article-
abstract/doi/10.1210/clinem/dgae552/7754545?redirectedFrom=fulltext)
1. Cook at Home: Preparing meals at home allows you to control ingredients and
reduce sodium and unhealthy fats.
2. Plan Balanced Meals: Include a variety of heart-healthy foods in every meal for
optimal nutrient balance.
3. Practice Portion Control: Overeating—even healthy foods—can lead to weight gain,
which strains the heart.
4. Snack Wisely: Replace chips and cookies with nuts, seeds, or fruit.
5. Hydrate with Purpose: Choose water, green tea, or herbal teas over sugary drinks.
Transitioning to a diet for heart health doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By embracing heart-
healthy foods like nuts, berries, leafy greens, and whole grains, you can dramatically improve
your cardiovascular health and overall well-being. These foods not only reduce the risk of
heart disease but also support a vibrant, active life.
Start small by incorporating one or two new heart-friendly items each week and
experimenting with recipes that prioritize wholesome, nutrient-dense ingredients. Remember,
the journey to better heart health begins one meal at a time.
Consultant Interventional Cardiologist in Hampshire, UK.
Dr Bart Olechowski is an experienced Consultant Interventional Cardiologist based in Hampshire, UK. As a specialist in his field, Dr Olechowski leads with expertise, offering premier cardiovascular care.
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