There are many ways to take care of your heart. Physical activity, reducing stress and avoiding smoking are useful tools to maintain it. But among all the tools you can use to improve your heart health, eating a healthy diet it is one of the most effective.
In addition to incorporating more heart healthy foodsavoiding the unhealthy is also crucial. This includes things like fast food, ultra-processed foods, and anything high in added sugar.
According to our medical expert Lauren Manaker, MS, RDN, author of The new mom’s pregnancy cookbook and Feeding Male Fertility, one of the worst foods for your heart is a hot dog.
“Between the sodium content, saturated fat, and sodium nitrates used as preservatives, classic hot dogs are one of the worst foods for heart health,” says Manaker.
Read on to learn more about why this food is so bad for your heart health. And for more tips on healthy eating, check out Eating habits to reduce high blood pressure.
Many people fear red meat when it comes to their heart health, but it’s actually processed meats like hot dogshot dogs, cold cuts, and bacon that have been consistently linked to heart disease and poorer heart health.
According to a review published in Current Atherosclerosis Reports, Processed meat consumption is known to lead to a higher risk of coronary heart disease compared to unprocessed red meat.
The report concluded that one of the most significant reasons for this difference between indicted and raw meat when it comes to heart disease is sodium content, especially since processed meat can often have up to 400% higher sodium levels.
TO revision 2021 of 13 cohort studies came to similar conclusions, finding that regular consumption of processed meat increased the risk of coronary heart disease by 18%, while unprocessed red meat raised it by only 9%.
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Some people may see these stats and try to get rid of the regular ones. beef hot dog for a chicken or turkey dog alternative. However, Manaker warns that these may not be good for the heart either.
“Even if you’re opting for a turkey or chicken hot dog, know that most of them are also loaded with nasty ingredients, making them no better for you in many cases.”
So if you’re trying to eat more heart-healthy foods, you may want to stay away from hot dogs and another processed meats the more you can. And if you have a craving for something grilled at your next barbecue, try grilling some chicken or vegetables instead of.
