Herbs and spices are a great substitute for salt and are far more beneficial for your heart.
And when you use them correctly, they offer so much more flavor than salt.
A healthy heart means a healthy life. Eating the right foods can keep your heart strong and your arteries clear of plaque that typically comes from unhealthy foods, like fatty or salty foods.
Selecting the right foods for your diet is a key to your heart health, but so can the ingredients you select to flavor your meals. With the right herbs and spices for your heart, you can enhance both the flavor and the health of your meals.
The Best Herbs and Spices for Your Heart
1. Cinnamon
Cinnamon is often used in desserts, commonly accompanied by sugar. But for this article, we’ll steer clear of those and stick to some healthier options when it comes to using cinnamon.
Adding cinnamon to your oatmeal, cider or yogurt is an easy and tasty way to add more cinnamon to your daily meals.
Why add cinnamon? Cinnamon is rated as one of the best spices for your heart because of its ability to lower blood sugar levels and help with insulin function. This spice also works as an incredible antioxidant in the blood. The National Institutes of Health called it one of the best healing herbs and spices because of the benefits it offers.
2. Rosemary
Rosemary is a great addition to any savory food, like potatoes or meats and can help with memory and brain function. Antioxidants in rosemary also fight to keep free radicals at bay and away from the heart.
Because rosemary helps with memory and mental well-being, the heart also benefits since brain function and heart function are closely related.
3. Onion
Yes, they may bring you to tears, but don’t let that deter you from cooking with onions or onion powder. Onions can help lower blood pressure and help prevent clots from forming that could cause high blood pressure or heart failure.
Onions contain quercetin and studies indicate quercetin helps to lower blood pressure, especially in those whose blood pressure is caused by high sodium intake.
To reap the best benefits to their full potential, eating onions raw is the way to go to make sure the quercetin doesn’t burn out. Try adding chopped onions to a salad or sliced onions to a sandwich. You can also use powdered onion powder in soups, savory dishes and sides to add flavor in a healthy way.
4. Garlic
Onion’s close cousin, garlic is also known for its strong aroma and flavor. Garlic is one of the best spices for your heart because it acts as an antioxidant that protects your body and heart from free radicals.
Garlic has proven to lower triglyceride levels and LDL cholesterol. High levels of bad cholesterol can lead to heart disease if left unchecked.
One of the most important heart healthy aspects of garlic is that it helps to lower blood pressure, even as much as some prescribed medicines over a 3-6 month period.
5. Parsley
One of the most used spices to add to savory dishes, parsley has plenty of benefits for your heart. Parsley is packed with antioxidants and can help boost your immune system to fight off infections, germs, and reduce swelling.
Parsley contains vitamins like vitamin K, which promotes cardiovascular health. It also acts as a natural diuretic and can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Add a little parsley to your next homemade meal to feel even more healthy!
Cooking at home is a great way to add herbs and spices for your heart health without sacrificing flavor and without adding sodium and unhealthy fats to your meal. Growing your own herbs and spices can make it even more fun and motivating to use them to improve the health of your heart, lower your cholesterol and reduce your blood pressure.
Resources
http://www.k-vitamins.com/index.php?page=Cardiac
http://www.heart-health-guide.com/Heart-Healthy-Spices.html
http://www.drsinatra.com/dr-sinatras-top-healing-herbs-and-spices/