Nutrients in Vegetables May Help Protect the Heart From Heart Attack Damage

Nitrites and nitrates, found in foods including leafy greens, may cut heart damage in a heart attack. That news comes from lab tests in mice. Some of the mice had their drinking water laced with nitrites or nitrates for a week. For comparison, other mice got ordinary drinking water. After a week, the researchers gave the mice an induced heart attack in order to see how their hearts fared after the heart attack. The hearts of mice in the nitrite or nitrate groups had less heart attack damage than the mice that had drunk plain water in the week before the induced heart attack. Dietary sources of nitrites and nitrates included cauliflower, spinach, collard greens, broccoli, meat, and meat products. Keep reading at WebMD.

Quick Health Tip: Keep your Heart Healthy

The American Heart Association says there are a few simple things you can do to keep active and promote a healthier heart:

• Do housework yourself, instead of hiring someone to do it.
• Work in the garden or mow the grass. Using a riding mower doesn't count.
• Go for a short walk before breakfast, after dinner or both. Start with a 10-minute walk and work up to 30 minutes.
• Walk or bike to the corner store.
• When watching television, pedal a stationary bicycle.
• Park on the outskirts of a shopping mall and walk to the stores.