Let's learn about 'special' foods (functional foods) that give your heart strength.

Have you ever seen some drinks, milk, and breads labeled "fortified"? Or "added vitamin D"? These are what we simply call "functional foods." In other words, they are foods that have been artificially added with other nutrients that are beneficial to our health, in addition to the nutrients naturally present in those foods. So are these foods really good for our heart health? So, what nutrients do we really need? Let's talk about this in detail today.

But before we talk about these 'special' foods, there are some good habits that we should all definitely get into. These are the foundation of a healthy heart. Without doing these things properly, just eating those 'special' foods won't yield much results.

• Eat fresh, nutritious foods: Include as many fruits, vegetables, greens, whole grains (such as millet, oats, brown rice), and low-fat dairy foods (such as yogurt) in your daily diet.
• Exercise: Do at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise a day. Brisk walking, running, or cycling are good options.
• Avoid smoking completely: This is one of the biggest enemies of the heart.
• Control salt: Be careful about the amount of salt you add to your food.

Once you've made these basic things a habit, becoming aware of the 5 nutrients added to the functional foods we talked about earlier will be a great help in keeping your heart even healthier.

5 heart-healthy nutrients

Let's now look at what these specially added nutrients are and how they help our bodies.

1. The heart's best friend: Omega-3 fatty acids

You've probably heard of omega-3s. Especially the types of omega-3s called DHA and EPA are very important for our heart.

• Natural sources: Oily fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel, as well as small amounts from nuts like almonds, walnuts, and cashews.
• As Functional Foods: These are now added to foods such as soy products, milk, yogurt, eggs, some types of pasta, and margarine.

Not only this, Omega-3 is said to help improve mental health, memory, and reduce the risk of conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis.

2. Plant Sterols and Stanols: Which Interfere with Cholesterol Absorption

These are natural compounds that come from plants. Simply put, they are similar to the cholesterol found in plants. We also call these ``Phytosterols``.

• Naturally occurring places:They are naturally found in nuts, nut oils, beans, fruits, and vegetables.
• As Functional Foods: These can be found in margarine, butter, some fruit drinks, yogurt, milk, and snack bars in the market.

These work in a very amazing way. These Plant Sterols and Stanols block the absorption of cholesterol from the food we eat into our bodies from our intestines. Therefore, they help greatly in reducing the level of LDL ("bad") cholesterol in our blood. It is said that if you get about 2-3 grams of these per day, you can achieve this result.

3. Essential for digestion and the heart: Fiber

Fiber is a nutrient that we all know, but many people don't get the amount of fiber they need each day.

• Naturally occurring sources: fruits, vegetables, greens, legumes like beans, peas, whole grains (oats, millet, barley), and nuts.
• Functional Foods: There are products like bread, waffles, cereal, and soy milk with added fiber.

Fiber lowers our LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of heart disease. It also helps with digestion and prevents constipation. Fiber also helps reduce the risk of some types of cancer.

4. Not just for bones: Calcium

Although the word calcium usually comes to mind when we think of teeth and bones, calcium is also essential for the healthy functioning of the heart.

• Natural sources: Dairy foods like milk, yogurt, and cheese. In addition, green vegetables like spinach and kale, beans, almonds, and sesame seeds also contain calcium.
• As Functional Foods: You can see fruit drinks, bread, and soy products with added calcium.

Calcium helps maintain a normal heart rate. It is also essential for blood clotting and the transmission of nerve impulses.

5. In addition to what you get from sunlight: Vitamin D

Like calcium, many people are deficient in vitamin D. Our body produces vitamin D when our skin is exposed to sunlight, but it is not always enough.

• Where it occurs naturally: Small amounts are found in things like oily fish and egg yolks.
• As Functional Foods: Milk, yogurt, cheese, fruit drinks, cereals, and margarine with added vitamin D are commonly found.

Research has found that vitamin D can help prevent high blood pressure and damage to blood vessels. Vitamin D is also essential for keeping the immune system strong, preventing depression, and maintaining healthy bones.

Finally, the most important thing

Although these functional foods can give our health an extra boost, we need to understand that they are not magic . A balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight, an active lifestyle, and regular medical checkups are the real secret to a healthy heart.

If you want to know more about this, or if you want to know what nutrients your body needs and how to best get them, be sure to talk to your doctor . Not everything you see in advertisements may be right for you. Your doctor is the best person to recommend what is best for you, depending on your health condition.