EVERY five minutes, someone in the UK has a heart attack.
They happen when part of the heart muscle suddenly loses its blood supply, caused by a blockage in an artery.
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A healthy diet is one of the key ways to reduce your risk, along with getting enough exercise, not smoking, limiting booze, getting enough sleep and maintaining a healthy weight.
Even if your diet isn’t perfect, it’s helpful to know which foods to cut back on to keep your heart strong and ticking.
1. Milk
Scientists now reckon cow’s milk, which contains large amounts of a sugar called lactose, triggers harmful inflammation and cell damage.
This can increase the risk of a fatal heart attack – with even skimmed milk being a danger.
Read more on heart attacks
But the risk only appears to affect women.
Men do not seem to suffer the same effects because they can better digest the lactose sugar, the study by researchers at Uppsala University in Sweden found.
They discovered that consuming 400ml of the white stuff each day, about two-thirds of a pint, was linked to a five per cent higher risk of coronary heart disease.
The condition causes fatty deposits to build up in your arteries.
If the arteries that supply blood to your heart become blocked, it can lead to a heart attack.
The illness is one of the most common causes of death in Britain and about 2.3million people have it.
Study author Professor Karl Michaëlsson, said: “Replacing non-fermented milk with moderate fermented milk intake could lower the risks.”
Fermented milk products include yoghurt, buttermilk and sour cream.
The British Heart Foundation says milk is a good source of protein and calcium and people do not need to cut it out but can swap to lower-fat versions to reduce their calorie intake.
2. Bacon sandwiches
Nothing quite beats a bacon sarnie, especially the ones made with thick white bread and crispy rashers.
But eating just one of these a week can increase your risk of a heart attack by 46 per cent, a study by scientists at the Aga Khan University in Karachi, Pakistan found.
People who eat one bacon sandwich per week are also 51 per cent more likely to die in the next decade than people eating none, the 2021 study revealed.
This is because processed meat contains saturated fats that clog arteries leading to the heart.
Writing in the in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Prof Romaina Iqbal, said: “Limiting the intake of processed meat should be encouraged.”
Processed meats are infused with ingredients like salt, celery powder, nitrates, or nitrites to make them taste better and last longer than unprocessed meats.
The heart-friendly diet
WE all know we should be eating five-a-day.
But try not to eat the same things over and over.
Instead, experts say you should aim to eat 30 different plant foods over a week, which include fruit, veg, herbs and pulses such as lentils, nuts and seeds.
Dr Gosia Wamil, a consultant cardiologist at Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London, tells Sun Health: “Eating various fruits and vegetables is good for your heart.
“They are high in dietary fibre, which can help reduce cholesterol absorption in your bloodstream.
“Whole grains like oats, barley, wholewheat bread, and brown rice contain soluble fibre, which has been shown to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) levels.
“Nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pistachios, and seeds like flaxseeds and chia seeds are high in plant-based proteins, fibre and healthy fats.
“When eaten in moderation, they can help improve cholesterol levels.”
Foods that top the list for cardiovascular benefits include salmon, oats, spinach and blueberries.
Antioxidant-rich blueberries, for example, have been shown to lower blood pressure, which reduces the risk of heart disease.
One study found that those who ate blueberries had a 32 per cent lower risk.
This includes foods like sausages, hot dogs, salami, ham, and cured bacon.
Research suggests they can trigger high blood pressure, even after their high salt, sugar and saturated fat contents have been accounted for.
This indicates that processes or ingredients linked to ultra-processing are harmful.
Other studies have linked processed meats to various forms of cancer – including stomach and bowel – as well as other heart diseases and type 2 diabetes.
3. Tinned soups
Despite seeming like a healthy and light meal, canned soups are often high in salt.
A tin of Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup has 2.8g of salt – that’s almost half the average person’s daily recommended salt intake.
Research has shown salt can increase the risk of high blood pressure, which can up the risk of a heart attack.
If you do buy canned soup, check the label and opt for the one with the least salt.
4. Ice cream
Ice cream is laden with sugar and fat, meaning it can increase the risk of heart attacks or strokes.
Such foods lead to a surge in insulin, raise blood pressure and heart rate, and cause blood to become sticky.
This can cause blockages in the small vessels and reduce blood flow to the heart.
Those conditions could eventually cascade into a heart attack if blood flow to the heart doesn’t improve.
Another good reason not to make a habit of eating a pint of ice cream in a single sitting is that over time it will lead to weight gain, which is also linked to heart issues.
