Nutrition In Heart Failure

Heart failure is expressed in reduced contractile ability of the heart muscle.

In the presence of such a health problem, it is necessary to limit the consumption of liquids, including liquid foods. The maximum daily amount is 1-1.2 liters, which includes soups, compotes and other beverages. The coffee should not be strong and should be drunk with milk, the juices should be diluted in half with water. If the latter is mineral, do not take more than 1-2 glasses a day.

The menu should include products containing potassium: dried apricots, raisins, nuts, baked potatoes, Brussels sprouts, peaches, bananas.

To be consumed also:

• porridge (oat and buckwheat);
• pumpkin juice with honey (improves the biochemical composition of the blood, increases the tone of blood vessels and hemoglobin values);
• juicy and soft pears (reduce heart rate);
• raspberries (normalized blood pressure, cleanse the blood vessels, thereby lowering cholesterol);
• sweet peppers and tomatoes (strengthen the walls of blood vessels);
• blackcurrant fruits and leaves (reduce blood clotting, used in the treatment of atherosclerosis);
• hawthorn (eliminates arrhythmia, lowers cholesterol, reduces heart pain).

It is recommended to steam or boil the dishes.

Eating 5-6 times a day and taking small portions, because large amounts put extra strain on the cardiovascular system.

Since heart failure disrupts the acid-base balance, in favor of acidity, it is necessary to consume more alkaline products. These are: milk and dairy products, beets, cucumbers, tomatoes, spinach, pears, apples.

Meat should not be fatty: beef, veal, chicken, turkey, also lean fish.

Soups should be dairy or vegetarian, and for garnish you can eat potatoes, cabbage, carrots, zucchini.

Potassium and magnesium are important elements and are needed in heart failure in larger quantities. Potassium has diuretic properties, ie excess fluid is excreted from the body. Deficiency of the substance leads to cardiac arrhythmia. Magnesium is needed for the normal functioning of blood vessels.

• Products rich in potassium: dried apricots, prunes, nuts, wheat bran, beets, potatoes, cabbage (white, cauliflower, red), rose hips, oranges, grapefruit, buckwheat, oats, rice, red and black currants, raspberries, cranberries, gooseberries, wild blackberries.
• Sources of magnesium are: cereals, bread, walnuts, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds, watermelon, seaweed.

Dangerous and harmful foods in heart failure

• It is not recommended to take table salt even in minimal amounts. Therefore, to exclude from the menu all foods that contain salt, and in severe cases - even bread.
• Spicy vegetables, lemon juice and various spices are among the banned products, as well as foods that form gases.
• Sweets should be limited, because sugar can cause swelling, which hinders heart function.
• To reduce the intake of oil (up to 1 teaspoon per day), to use vegetable fats for cooking.
• Also prohibited are: chocolate, concentrated broths, smoked and spicy dishes, fatty meats, spices.