AMERICAN HEART MONTH

Best Red & Green Fruits With Veggies for Your Heart Health

At Resync, we thoroughly analyzed the composition and benefits of red & green vegetables + fruits so you can clearly understand what should be in your shopping cart next time you go grocery shopping.  

Top List of Red Fruits and Vegetables For Your Heart Health

We did the research for you so you can understand the nutrients and their benefits.

What’s In Red Fruits and Vegetables & How Does It Benefit Your Heart Health?

• Anthocyanin: Antioxidant and powerful anti-inflammatory properties for blood vessels, joints and for the entire body. Can protect the liver, improve eyesight and reduce blood pressure and inflammation.
• Lycopene: Contains antioxidants and anti-cancer properties- mostly found in tomatoes, and particularly when cooked. Improve vision, fight infection and protect against damage from tobacco smoke.
• Vitamins A & C: Important for health of skin, hair and nails, as well as immune system.
• Potassium: Heart healthy, key for balanced blood pressure and for hydration too.
  
• Rich in Ellagic acid, Quercetin and Hesperidin.
• Fight harmful free radicals, lowers blood pressure, and helps in pain alleviation. 
• Electrolytes: Potassium, magnesium and sodium found in red produce, and particularly beets that contain both sodium and potassium. Electrolytes are key for hydration and for healthy blood pressure regulation. 
• Red tomatoes and bell peppers may reduce the risk of diabetes, osteoporosis and high cholesterol according to research done by the Mayo Clinic.
• Red beet root is a good source of vitamin K, fiber, folates and nitrates. Nitrates have been demonstrated to improve blood flow, lower blood pressure, and boost athletic performance. Red beet root can also help the immune system.
• Red spinach leaves contain essential amino acids, nitrates, iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, vitamins C and E, phytoecdysteroids, and potassium.
• Raddichio is a good source of vitamins K, C and E, folate, copper, manganese and vitamin B6.
• Red chilies contain magnesium, copper, vitamin C and capsaicin. Capsaicin is clinically researched to reduce pain and inflammation.
• Red leafy lettuce contains vitamins A and K, and helps with staying hydrated.
• Red onion is rich in organosulfur compounds and it boosts immune system, reduce cholesterol and provides liver protection.
• Rhubarb is a good source of calcium, potassium and vitamin C.

Top List of Green Fruits and Vegetables For Your Heart Health

• High fiber content which supports all-around gut health, normalizes bowels.
• Rich in chlorophyll which can reduce harmful toxins.
• Rich in isothiocyanates like glucosinolates and sulforaphane.
• Rich in vitamin C which is a front-line antioxidant that scavenges free-radicals and is crucial for connective tissue health.
• Rich in Ellagic acid, Quercetin and Hesperidin.
• High in B-vitamins which are essential for DNA and RNA synthesis and amino acid production.
• Rich in natural folic acid which prevents neural tube defects during pregnancy and supports processes that require methylation (detoxification, immune response, epigenetic expression, and helps lower excessive homocysteine levels, important to heart health).
• Rich in Vitamin K which is important for blood clotting and bone health.
• Rich in beta-carotene and carotenoids.
• Rich in omega-3 fatty acids which promote cholesterol health, reduce high triglycerides, and serve key anti-inflammatory roles.
  
• Raddichio is a good source of vitamins K, C and E, folate, copper, manganese and vitamin B6.
• Rich in lutein and zeaxanthin. Lutein may prevent macular degeneration.
• High in potassium which helps to lower blood pressure and promotes kidney health.
• Rich in enzymes helpful for digestion (ie. proteases).

What's The Best Berry For your Heart Health?

I would never want to have only one choice of fruit for my heart health. However, if I had to make that decision. It would be Aronia.

You may think I am not objective here as it is part of the Resync proprietary blend. But my reasons are not personal, rather scientific and results-based.

What Is Aronia Berry (aka Chokeberry)& Why It's Good For Your Heart Health?

It is a top antioxidant in nature. Chokeberry may have the highest polyphenol content of any fruit, translating to many health benefits [Kratchanova et al. 2008].

I do not want to get too sciency here. However, to understand the value of this berry, I need to share the bioactive components of Chokeberry.

Procyanidins are the main class of polyphenol compounds found in the chokeberry fruit [Kulling et al. 2008]. These substances mainly form the sensory properties (astringent taste) found in fruit and products made from Chokeberry [Szajdek et al. 2008].

Anthocyanins are the second-largest group of phenolic compounds in Chokeberry. Their content in fruit ranges from 300mg to 630mg/100g of fruit, accounting for up to ¼ of the total polyphenol content found in Chokeberry [Wawer, 2008]. The content also depends on weather conditions Tolić et al. [2017]. The chokeberry fruit mainly contains the cyanidin glycosides: 3-O-galactoside (64,5%), 3-O-arabinoside (28,9%) , 3-O-xylozide (4,2) and 3-O-glucoside (2,4%) [Sapis et al. 1988].

Phenolic acids are derivatives of benzoic and cinnamic acids. The chlorogenic acid (caffeic and quinic acid depside) is the primary phenolic acid in chokeberry fruit. Together with neochlorogenic acid constitutes a significant part of the total polyphenol content [Szopa et al. 2017].

Recent research in Europe (Poland in particular) has shown that Aronia berries have significant benefits for cardiovascular health, glucose metabolism, cellular health, gastrointestinal support, and anti-inflammatory activity. In addition, recent research indicates that Aronia has vasodilatory properties and reduces acidification of the human body due to its high anthocyanins and other phytochemicals. That's why Aronia is considered the queen of the berries.  

What's The Best Veggie For Your Heart Health?

There is no way I could choose only one vegetable for heart health. Not possible. I care about plant-based nitrates that support nitric oxide, fiber, electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals - one veggie cannot deliver all of them. Of course, I have some of my favorites, and I am happy to share them with you and my reasons behind them.

Red Spinach is not a very well-known vegetable. Yet, a precious one that supports nitric oxide levels - essential for heart health. The eaves contain essential amino acids, nitrates, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, vitamins C and E, phytoecdysteroids, iron, and potassium. And it has been demonstrated to regulate blood sugar levels and improve cardiovascular health and endurance. Though research is in its early stages, the beneficial properties of red spinach are up-and-coming, as they likely include the positive effects of green spinach and other red leafy vegetables.

Red Peppers are some of the most beneficial foods to cardiovascular health available. Capsanthin in paprika alters high-density lipoprotein (so-called “good” cholesterol). Red bell peppers are high in antioxidants such as carotenoids (beta-carotene and alpha-carotene), phenolic acids such as gallic and cholinergic acids, and flavonoids such as quercitin and kaempferol. Organically grown red bell peppers seem to have higher compounds content than non-organically grown red bell peppers. In addition, red bell peppers are a rich source of lycopene, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Consumption of red bell peppers has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels and improve cardiovascular health.

Red Cabbage: Red Cabbage gets its dark red color from a rich concentration of anthocyanins. Red Cabbage also belongs to the family of cruciferous vegetables with high levels of sulfur-containing compounds. Red Cabbage is rich is glucosinolates, which are noted particularly for their potent antioxidant anti-inflammatory effects and have been shown to improve the gut microbiome. Red Cabbage is an excellent source of vitamin A, K, B6, and especially vitamin C (contains 95% of DV in 100g).

Red Beet: Red beet is a good source of antioxidants, vitamin K, fiber, folates, and nitrates. I want to emphasize that beet's natural nitrates levels are 5x lower than red spinach.

Their consumption has been demonstrated to improve blood flow cardiovascular health and boost athletic performance. Much of this research was done on slow-twitch ("endurance") muscle fibers, yet new research also started to include fast-twitch muscle fibers. Beets contain betalain and betanin.

Combining these 4 together into one drink is super healthy for your heart. I like to mix Resync recovery with either juiced red cabbage or red pepper to get all of the above value in one juice with the right amounts, and I love it.

I also want to share with you a video of similar delicious red juices I made that you may want to try in your kitchen - they are powerful & super heart-healthy. Check them out here.

I hope you have gained some new powerful tools and knowledge to embrace your heart health.

If you want to learn more about what makes a healthy diet, dive into our blog archives for a wealth of evidence-based info. Start with these top blogs:

Cooking Healthy on a Budget

Make The Best Of Your Veggies: Synergy Of Whole-food Nitrate Combinations

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Wishing you the best in your health,
The Resync Team

One Of Our Favorite Heart-Healthy Recipes With Resync 

A cup of pure Recovery 

Recovery is more than just replacing lost nutrients. Real recovery supports blood flow, the inflammatory response from exercise, and provides the building blocks for your bones, joints, and muscles.

Resync products Resync Recovery and Resync Collagen are featured in our recipes because they are scientifically formulated to do all of that.

We all know how nutritious colorful fruits are. Fruit has fiber that fills you up, an array of sugars, and antioxidant bioactives and vitamins. When you juice a fruit, you take out all the filling fiber, leaving inflammatory sugar alongside beneficial nutrients, which almost cancel each other out.

Remember: An Under-Recovered Body Becomes an Injured Body™.
Optimal recovery is not just for the pros. Every one of us can live a more fulfilling life by fueling our recovery systems anytime, every day.

Disclaimer

This content is for general informational purposes only, and does not constitute the practice of any professional healthcare service, INCLUDING the giving of medical advice. No provider-patient relationship is formed. The use of this information, and the materials linked to this content is at the user's own risk. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should abide by the advice of their healthcare provider, and should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have.