Essential Nutrients for Heart Health

Maintaining heart health is a must for anyone who wants a long life, because heart disease is often the cause of death. Of foods with essential nutrients for heart health, we need to realize and improved. In addition to requiring significant makronutien such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, the body also needs micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals in order to function optimally. One of the important minerals that are often overlooked and not even considered its existence in the daily diet is potassium.

Nutritional benefits of potassium for heart

The team of researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, led by Susanna C. Larsson says that, for every increase of 1,000 mg of potassium in the daily diet, may reduce the risk of stroke by 11 percent for the next 5-14 years. The benefits for heart is to suppress high blood pressure and maintain body fluid system by pulling excess water under the skin to flow to the muscles and organs of the body.

And if your potassium levels drop then stroke and heart disease will also be lurking. So be careful. Consider your daily eating habits and see if you are getting enough potassium in your diet.

Potassium-rich foods

Getting the potassium intake is easy. Potassium can be obtained from natural food sources around us such as, pumpkin, root crops, banana, papaya, avocado, and much more. While the group of vegetable and animal-based foods, potassium can be obtained from, carrots, spinach, nonfat yogurt, peas, salmon, tuna and many more. Here are some foods rich in potassium and their potassium in each serving.

• Potatoes, 1 fruit contains about 900 mg of potassium. Should be consumed in a way cooked with the skin
• Raisins, ½ cup contains about 600 mg of potassium
• Orange juice, 1 cup medium (180ml), 450 mg of potassium
• Spinach, ½ cup cooked, 420 mg of potassium
• Tomatoes, 1, 290 mg of potassium
• Bananas, 1, 420 mg of potassium
• Sunflower seeds, 1 ounce, 241 mg of potassium
• Almonds, 1 ounce, 200 mg potassium