A cardiologist eats everything in moderation — but avoids 3 foods to keep her heart healthy
Image courtesy of Dr. Klodas/Tsvetomir Hristov Getty Images
- A cardiologist says that it can be hard for patients to stick to strict heart-healthy diets.
- It's okay to occasionally eat treats, she said, but going overboard can risk your health.
- She suggests completely staying away from saturated fat, fried food, and bacon.
It'll be no surprise to anyone that to maintain a healthy heart and avoid heart disease, we should be eating well.
Luckily, this doesn't mean completely cutting out pizza or sweet treats — but rather avoiding going overboard.
Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a John Hopkins-trained cardiologist and founder of a company that makes cholesterol-lowering foods, told Insider that she likes to occasionally eat ice cream and french fries like the rest of us.
There are, however, some foods that she has cut from her diet completely due the potential health risks. Here are the four main food types that she tries to avoid.
1. Butter and cheese
Klodas said some cardiologists tell their patients to avoid fat completely, but said this is very difficult to adhere to — although she supports any patient who wants to give it a go.
Saturated fats are the ones we should actively limit, she told Insider. These fats are solid at room temperature and come from animal sources, such as butter and cheese.
Klodas said that they can raise cholesterol, which is linked to heart disease.
Unsaturated fats, however, like those that come from plant-based sources such as olive oil, oils from seeds and nuts, fish oil, and avocado oil, are considered anti-inflammatory from a heart disease perspective, Klodas said. These types of fats can actually lower cholesterol.
Klodas added that you shouldn't, however, glug down a gallon of olive oil.
2. Deep-fried foods
Deep-fried foods tend to contain lots of saturated fat and salt, which can increase blood pressure.
"I try to stay away from deep-fried foods," Klodas said, though she can't resist the occasional fry.
Research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that consuming fried food increases the risk of heart failure.
The researchers said that it is unclear why this is the case, but suggested several possible reasons: That frying increases the levels of fat in some foods, and that frying increases the concentration of cholesterol oxidation which is also linked to heart disease.
3. Bacon and sausages
Klodas said she completely avoids processed meats including bacon and sausages.
These foods contain a lot of nitrates which are used as a preservative in processed meats and can sometimes turn into nitrosamines, which are linked to an increased risk of cancer. These foods can also contain high levels of salt which can pull water into the blood stream, increasing blood pressure levels. This can increase the risk of heart disease.
There's also a link between processed meats and cancer, she said, which is another reason why she avoids these foods. Research in The Lancet linked processed meats to stomach cancer and bowel cancer.