Verified: Butter in toast is good for you! Scientists say foods rich in potassium help keep the heart healthy

If you’re in need of an excuse to enjoy avocado on toast, science has the answer.

Today’s researchers have concluded that millennials’ favorite fruit is good for your heart.

Their research shows that eating more potassium, found in avocados as well as bananas, can prevent a heart attack or stroke.

Only women can reap its benefits, though, which is achieved by eating an extra 1g per day – about an avocado (975mg each) – above the daily recommended amount.

Similar amounts were found in three bananas or three cups of milk (375mg each).

Potassium helps the body pass sodium in the urine, controlling the balance of fluids in the body.

But Dutch experts, who have discovered the benefits of the much-loved toast, believe it can keep the heart healthy in other ways.

If you’re in need of an excuse to enjoy avocado on toast, science has the answer. Today’s researchers have concluded that millennials’ favorite fruit is good for your heart

HOW DOES A BALANCED DIET LOOK?

Meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grains, according to the NHS.

• Eat at least 5 different servings of fruits and vegetables each day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruits and vegetables count

• Basic meals with potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, ideally whole grains

• 30 grams of fiber per day: This is the same as eating all of the following: 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, 2 whole-grain crackers, 2 slices of thick whole-wheat bread, and large baked potatoes with the skins removed.

• Have some dairy or dairy alternatives (such as soy drinks) that choose lower-fat and lower-sugar options

• Eat some legumes, beans, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 servings of fish per week, one of which should be oily)

• Choose unsaturated and spread oils and consume in small amounts

• Drink 6-8 cups/cup of water per day

• Adults should have less than 6g of salt and 20g of saturated fat for women or 30g for men per day

Source: NHS Eatwell Guide

The study followed nearly 25,000 people for nearly 20 years.

The participants were between the ages of 40 and 79 when the project started, before the millennium.

All were asked about their lifestyle habits and had their blood pressure measured.

Urine samples were taken to allow the researchers to estimate how much sodium and potassium they consumed on a daily basis.

This compound is hidden in everyday fresh foods, making it difficult for people to accurately reflect the amount they are getting.

The volunteers were grouped by how much potassium they ate each day, from low to high.

Guidelines from the World Health Organization say that adults should eat 3.5g per day.

Analysis in the European Journal of Cardiology found that women who ate the most potassium had the lowest blood pressure levels.

Every one gram increase in potassium daily was associated with a 2.4mmHg reduction in blood pressure.

Meanwhile, a separate analysis found that participants who consumed the most had a 13% lower risk of heart attack or stroke than those who consumed the least.

The findings took into account factors that could bias the results, such as smoking status, alcohol consumption and underlying health status.

Professor Liffert Vogt, a medical specialist at the University Medical Center Amsterdam, said: ‘Our findings indicate that a heart-healthy diet does not only limit salt to enhance its content. potassium.

‘Food companies can help by swapping out sodium-based standard salts to replace potassium salts in processed foods.

‘Above all, we should all prioritize fresh, unprocessed foods as they are both rich in potassium and low in salt.’

Tracy Parker, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, said: ‘This study supports current advice that cutting back on salt and eating more potassium-containing foods could be the recipe for a healthy heart. healthier.

‘An easy way to increase your potassium intake is to eat five servings of fruit and vegetables a day.

‘Other foods like beans, fish, nuts, seeds and dairy are also high in potassium and low in salt, so can help your heart.

‘However, staying healthy isn’t just about keeping track of what’s on your plate.

‘Limiting alcohol intake and staying physically active will also help lower blood pressure, reducing the risk of heart attack or stroke.’

Source: | This article originally belonged to Dailymail.co.uk