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One of the most important steps in circulatory health is avoiding certain types of food – but what foods are bad for circulation?

As the leading cause of death in the U.S., cardiovascular disease should be taken seriously. If you want to lower the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and more, you need to take certain steps – especially regarding food.

The following are some of the worst foods for circulation and what to eat instead.

Added Sugars

Consuming foods with added sugar increases blood pressure and triglyceride levels. In addition, they lead to weight gain and generally don’t have the nutrients your heart health needs.

Foods rich in added sugars include cookies, cakes, pastries, and sugar-sweetened beverages like soda. Other additional sources that might not be as obvious include pasta sauces, ready-to-eat cereals, and certain yogurts.

One way to avoid added sugars is to replace those food products with natural fruit-based desserts. Moreover, you can trade soda for sparkling water and add a splash of fruit juice for flavoring.

Saturated Fat

what foods are bad for circulationFoods high in saturated foods can lead to atherosclerosis by increasing blood cholesterol levels. Because of its artery-clogging properties, the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends limiting it to less than 7% of total daily caloric intake.

Sources include sour cream, dairy-based butter, mayo, cocoa butter, coconut milk, coconut oil, palm oil, and fatty meats. It’s fine to consume these items in moderation, but they should not be a large part of your diet.

If you want to limit the saturated fat in your diet, you can use healthier food products like creamy avocado over butter. Furthermore, meat eaters can switch to plant-based proteins and fatty fish that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Sodium

One of the most significant factors in heart disease is high blood pressure (hypertension). Having a diet high in sodium (salt) can increase the risk of hypertension, so it’s important to manage your salt intake.

According to the AHA, keeping sodium intake to a maximum of 1,500 mg per day is best. To achieve this, you can replace salt with spices when cooking at home.

Furthermore, you should avoid processed and fast food as much as possible. Instead, choose foods that will help decrease blood pressure levels like beans, potatoes, and greens.

The Outlook

Having a healthy diet is a key component of maintaining a healthy and functioning circulatory system. Limiting the amount of added sugar, saturated fat, and sodium in your diet can go a long way.

Instead, you should opt for circulation-boosting foods like leafy greens and beetroots. According to studies, beets have significant effects in lowering blood pressure.

However, some people don’t like the taste of beets, so consuming them on a regular basis might be hard. In these cases, it’s a good idea to take beet supplements like HeartBeet Complete instead.

They provide the same benefits (or more, in the case of HeartBeet Complete) as beets in just one easy-to-take drink mix. If you want to start promoting your circulation and give a necessary boost to your heart health, try HeartBeet Complete.