What is “heart health”?

Heart health depends on many factors, including genetics, lifestyle, and environment. A healthy heart meets statistical standards and causes no harm, such as producing a heart murmur. Heart disease remains a leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women. However, you can do a lot to protect your heart and stay healthy.

Heart-healthy living means understanding your risk, making healthy choices, and reducing your chances of heart disease, especially coronary heart disease. Taking preventive measures lowers your risk of heart attacks and improves overall well-being.

Keep your heart healthy

New Dietary Guidelines and how they affect heart health

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics provides nutrition guidance for the public. Many new recommendations build on existing guidelines, but some elements require further explanation.

to the public. 

What the Academy Supports:

• Encouraging nutrient-dense foods, including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Recommendations to limit highly processed foods and added sugars.
• Maintaining a limit of no more than 10% of total calories from saturated fat, while prioritizing healthier fats.
• Increased attention to fiber and microbiome health.

Where the Academy Has Concerns:

• Saturated Fat: Emphasis on butter, beef tallow, red meat, and full-fat dairy is inconsistent with the recommendation of limiting saturated fat to 10% of total calories. Research indicates that these foods are high in saturated fat, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.

• Dairy: The new guidelines do not consider individuals who cannot or choose not to consume dairy products. 

• Low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners: The guidelines emphasize moderation, even though evidence to date indicates they are generally considered safe within acceptable intake limits.

• Synthetic food dyes: Consistent with the Academy’s fact Check, research suggests a small subset of children may be sensitive to synthetic food dyes. However, findings are inconsistent, and additional research is needed to better understand the relationship between diet, food additives, and behavior.

The American Heart Association has also spoken about the new guidelines and how they can possibly negatively impact individuals. They are a force for a world of longer, healthier lives. Dedicated to ensuring equitable health in all communities, the organization has been a leading source of health information for more than one hundred years. They released this statement regarding the new guidelines: 

"The American Heart Association welcomes the new dietary guidelines and commends the inclusion of several important science-based recommendations, notably the emphasis on increasing intake of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains while limiting consumption of added sugars, refined grains, highly processed foods, saturated fat,s and sugary drinks. These elements align closely with the longstanding dietary guidance of the American Heart Association and other public health authorities. We see an important opportunity to educate consumers about the scientific basis for certain recommendations. For example, we are concerned that recommendations regarding salt seasoning and red meat consumption could inadvertently lead consumers to exceed recommended limits for sodium and saturated fats, which are primary drivers of cardiovascular disease. While the guidelines highlight whole-fat dairy, the Heart Association encourages consumption of low-fat and fat-free dairy products, which can be beneficial to heart health.”

If you have any questions about these new guidelines, reach out to a dietitian, and they will be more than happy to explain them. While there are many recommendations that the Academy and the American Heart Association agree with and support, there are some that need further research to back their claims.