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Photo:Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Food Stylist: Margaret Monroe Dickey, Prop Stylist: Shell Royster
Your hard-working heart never takes a break, pumping day and night to make sure that each cell in your body has the nutrients and oxygen it needs to function. Given the fact that heart disease remains the leading cause of death for U.S. adults, we should be showing our hearts some love.Adopting a healthier diet and incorporating more exercise into your routine are great ways to tune up your ticker, but there are little things you can do here and there—like reaching into your spice drawer.
Since we use such small amounts of spices while cooking, you may not really consider them an important part of your strategy for preventing heart disease. However, over the course of a day (and a lifetime), the potential benefits of incorporating more spices into your meals can add up. What’s the best spice for heart health? Read on to find out what common spice will help keep your heart happy for years to come.
36 Heart-Healthy Dinners You Can Make in 25 Minutes
The #1 Spice for Heart Health
Garlic lovers take heart—this spice is one of the best for protecting your heart. (That’s right, go ahead and add another clove of garlic to that recipe!) While garlic istechnicallya root vegetable, in this case we’re considering garlic a spice since this tasty allium is commonly used in the same way as a spice, which is to add flavor to dishes. “With its wide range of heart-protective benefits, garlic stands out as one of the best spices to support heart health,” saysLaura M. Ali, M.S., RDN, a culinary nutritionist based in Pittsburgh.
So why is garlic such a boon for heart health? “Garlic is rich in antioxidants, like allicin, known to help lower cholesterol and blood pressure,” saysVeronica Rouse, RD, owner of The Heart Dietitian.Interestingly, the compound allicin isn’t present until garlic is cut or crushed, so while you prep your garlic for a recipe, you are simultaneously boosting the allicin levels.
In addition to its role as anantioxidant, garlic is also anti-inflammatory. Inflammation plays an integral role in heart disease risk, so the anti-inflammatory properties of garlic can be particularly helpful. An analysis of clinical trials found that garlic supplements could actually lower markers of inflammation.
Ways to Include Garlic
If you need some inspiration, here are a few of our favorite recipes that feature garlic:
Other Strategies to Improve Heart Health
Many of the risk factors for heart disease, like high blood pressure or cholesterol, can be managed or improved with the right diet and lifestyle changes. In addition to using spices like garlic regularly when preparing meals at home, here are a few other strategies for improving heart health:
The Bottom Line
Garlic is beloved for its flavor, and it may also be beneficial for your heart due to its powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. From improving the flexibility of arteries to lowering cholesterol, garlic has the potential to support your heart in more ways than one. For those who may be curious about garlic supplementation, talk to your doctor or registered dietitian. Our preferred way to enjoy garlic’s benefits is to incorporate it into meals. Stock up on a few extra bulbs during your next grocery shopping trip. We think it’s worth the potential garlic breath!
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SourcesEatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart Disease Facts.Sánchez-Gloria JL, Arellano-Buendía AS, Juárez-Rojas JG, et al.Cellular mechanisms underlying the cardioprotective role of allicin on cardiovascular diseases.Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23(16):9082. Published 2022 Aug 13. doi:10.3390/ijms23169082Darooghegi Mofrad M, Milajerdi A, Koohdani F, Surkan PJ, Azadbakht L.Garlic supplementation reduces circulating C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor, and Interleukin-6 in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.J Nutr. 2019;149(4):605-618. doi:10.1093/jn/nxy310Jiang TA.Health benefits of culinary herbs and spices.J AOAC Int. 2019;102(2):395-411. doi:10.5740/jaoacint.18-0418Ansary J, Forbes-Hernández TY, Gil E, et al.Potential health benefit of garlic based on human intervention studies: a brief overview.Antioxidants (Basel). 2020;9(7):619. Published 2020 Jul 15. doi:10.3390/antiox9070619United States Department of Agriculture.Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025.American Heart Association.Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids.
Sources
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart Disease Facts.Sánchez-Gloria JL, Arellano-Buendía AS, Juárez-Rojas JG, et al.Cellular mechanisms underlying the cardioprotective role of allicin on cardiovascular diseases.Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23(16):9082. Published 2022 Aug 13. doi:10.3390/ijms23169082Darooghegi Mofrad M, Milajerdi A, Koohdani F, Surkan PJ, Azadbakht L.Garlic supplementation reduces circulating C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor, and Interleukin-6 in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.J Nutr. 2019;149(4):605-618. doi:10.1093/jn/nxy310Jiang TA.Health benefits of culinary herbs and spices.J AOAC Int. 2019;102(2):395-411. doi:10.5740/jaoacint.18-0418Ansary J, Forbes-Hernández TY, Gil E, et al.Potential health benefit of garlic based on human intervention studies: a brief overview.Antioxidants (Basel). 2020;9(7):619. Published 2020 Jul 15. doi:10.3390/antiox9070619United States Department of Agriculture.Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025.American Heart Association.Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids.
EatingWell uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart Disease Facts.Sánchez-Gloria JL, Arellano-Buendía AS, Juárez-Rojas JG, et al.Cellular mechanisms underlying the cardioprotective role of allicin on cardiovascular diseases.Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23(16):9082. Published 2022 Aug 13. doi:10.3390/ijms23169082Darooghegi Mofrad M, Milajerdi A, Koohdani F, Surkan PJ, Azadbakht L.Garlic supplementation reduces circulating C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor, and Interleukin-6 in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.J Nutr. 2019;149(4):605-618. doi:10.1093/jn/nxy310Jiang TA.Health benefits of culinary herbs and spices.J AOAC Int. 2019;102(2):395-411. doi:10.5740/jaoacint.18-0418Ansary J, Forbes-Hernández TY, Gil E, et al.Potential health benefit of garlic based on human intervention studies: a brief overview.Antioxidants (Basel). 2020;9(7):619. Published 2020 Jul 15. doi:10.3390/antiox9070619United States Department of Agriculture.Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025.American Heart Association.Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart Disease Facts.
Sánchez-Gloria JL, Arellano-Buendía AS, Juárez-Rojas JG, et al.Cellular mechanisms underlying the cardioprotective role of allicin on cardiovascular diseases.Int J Mol Sci. 2022;23(16):9082. Published 2022 Aug 13. doi:10.3390/ijms23169082
Darooghegi Mofrad M, Milajerdi A, Koohdani F, Surkan PJ, Azadbakht L.Garlic supplementation reduces circulating C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor, and Interleukin-6 in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.J Nutr. 2019;149(4):605-618. doi:10.1093/jn/nxy310
Jiang TA.Health benefits of culinary herbs and spices.J AOAC Int. 2019;102(2):395-411. doi:10.5740/jaoacint.18-0418
Ansary J, Forbes-Hernández TY, Gil E, et al.Potential health benefit of garlic based on human intervention studies: a brief overview.Antioxidants (Basel). 2020;9(7):619. Published 2020 Jul 15. doi:10.3390/antiox9070619
United States Department of Agriculture.Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025.
American Heart Association.Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids.
