Do you turn your nose up at pomegranate? Should we ask, how many of you have thought about this bright red fruit beyond using them in smoothies, salads or as toppings (seeds) on your favourite chaat? Apart from being juicy and delicious, the best thing about pomegranate is that it is versatile. Many would also agree that pomegranate is loaded with nutrients. It's rich in antioxidants, helps lower blood pressure and bad cholesterol and above all, works like magic for your heart health. Why are we discussing this? It's relevant at present because of increasing heart issues. In 2019, n estimated 17.9million people were affected with heart-related problems. Therefore, it's important to follow a healthy lifestyle and take care of your heart. Nutritionist Anjali Mukerjee suggested having three pomegranates a day to protect your arteries and thus, keep your heart healthy.
Anjali Mukherjee took to Instagram to share a post that reads, “So, eat three pomegranates a day if you want to improve your heart health. Other lifestyle corrections in diet and lifestyle need to be made to get its full benefits.”
Also Read: Health Benefits Of Pomegranate Peel: How To Make Pomegranate Peel Tea (Recipe Inside)
How Pomegrante Benefits Our Heart Health - Nutritionist Reveals:
Pomegranate is a powerful anti-atherogenic agent. It has antioxidants that cleans the arteries, reduces blood pressure, protects heart and prevents clogging of the blood vessels. For those who suffer from high blood pressure, it's good to consume three pomegranates a day for three months at least.
This practice will benefit cardiovascular health and also lower blood pressure, besides providing powerful antioxidant support. The nutritionist further mentions, a heart-healthy diet will help you lower cholesterol, and blood pressure, and decrease the risk of diabetes, along with maintaining a healthy weight.
9 Smart Tips On How To Switch To Heart-Healthy Diet:
1. Eat more fibre:
Replace white bread, pasta and refined flour with whole grain to include more fibre in your diet.
2. Include fruits and vegetables in your diet:
Every health expert stresses the importance of consuming fruits and vegetables. They are loaded with nutrients and benefit overall health.
3. Limit dietary cholesterol:
Wondering how can you do this? The health expert suggest reducing the consumption of whole milk, cheese, among other dairy food items.
4. Eat healthy fats:
Healthy fats including nuts, olive oil, avocado and other such ingredients help benefit your hear.
5. Avoid trans fats and saturated fats:
Avoid processed food and junk foods as much as possible to avoid excess calorie and trans fat intake.
6. Limit salt intake:
Try not to add too much salt to your food. High sodium in salt contributes to high blood pressure.
7. Limit alcohol intake:
Alcohol is loaded with calories and contributes to weight gain. Hence, it is suggested to quit alcohol completely to enjoy a healthy heart.
8. Quit smoking:
As we all know, smoking is injurious to health. Hence, it is always suggested to quit smoking for healthy heart.
Other supplements:
Anjali said, "Other supplements that can also help protect the heart, include white tea, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG, a major polyphenol found in green tea), grape seed extract, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries. However, one needs to incorporate a healthy diet along with the above-mentioned supplements to get the full benefit."
What are you waiting for? Go to the market and get some pomegranates for yourself and your family members.