41 Foods That Are Bad for Your Heart

Take Heart: What’s on your plate can help maintain your cardiac capacity. “Heart-healthy foods contain nutrients that have been shown to benefit the cardiovascular system or reduce the risk of developing heart disease by lowering ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol and blood triglycerides, reducing blood pressure, controlling weight and/or improving insulin sensitivity,” says Rania Batayneh, MPH, the owner of Essential Nutrition For You and the author of The One One One Diet.

Omega-3s, potassium, calcium, magnesium, fibre, phytonutrients and antioxidants earn top marks in these categories, making the Mediterranean and  DASH diets top choices for those seeking to maintain or improve heart health.

Science backs up this premise: A menu centred around produce, whole grains, nuts and beans, plus a little dairy and heart-healthy fats, can help reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease by about a third, according to a 2016 study in theJournal of the American College of Cardiology. So which foods get the green light from dietitians, and which ones get the red light? Here are the 40 worst foods for your heart.

1 Processed deli meats

Ditch the deli. “Even the lower-fat versions of cured lunch meats contain the preservative sodium nitrate,” says Suzanne Fisher, RD, LDN, founder of Fisher Nutrition Systems in Cooper City, Florida.

She adds that nitrates may increase internal inflammation, and “chronic inflammation has a direct link to the development of atherosclerosis,” the stiffening or narrowing of the arteries.

2 Hot dogs

Another cured meat option linked closely to cold cuts is franks.

“Hot dogs and sausages can be high in saturated fat. Even low-fat options tend to be packed with salt. It’s important to watch your sodium intake, as more dietary sodium often leads to higher blood pressure,” Batayneh says.