{"id":57597,"date":"2025-08-04T12:01:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-04T12:01:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/57597\/"},"modified":"2025-08-04T12:01:13","modified_gmt":"2025-08-04T12:01:13","slug":"cardiologists-are-begging-you-to-add-these-3-budget-friendly-foods-to-your-grocery-list-for-better-circulation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/57597\/","title":{"rendered":"Cardiologists Are Begging You To Add These 3 Budget-Friendly Foods to Your Grocery List for Better Circulation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cardiologists Are Begging You To Add These 3 Budget-Friendly Foods to Your Grocery List for Better Circulation<\/a> originally appeared on Parade<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S.<\/a> and the world<\/a>, making it an important health condition to try to prevent. But cardiovascular disease is made up of a complicated group of conditions, so it\u2019s often difficult to pin down just one cause. Still, cardiologists say that the right diet<\/a> can help lower your risk.<\/p>\n

\u201cA heart-healthy diet is an essential component to improved cardiovascular health,\u201d says Dr. James D. Mills, MD<\/a>, director of General & Preventive Cardiology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Cardiovascular health involves several elements, but good circulation is crucial to supporting your heart and lowering the risk of blood clots. <\/p>\n

The American Heart Association<\/a> (AHA) provides a lot of guidance on the best eating plan to follow to support cardiovascular health, but there\u2019s a lot of advice to wade through. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019re interested in revamping your diet and want to make quick and easy dietary changes, cardiologists say there are a few foods that can give you a lot of bang for your buck. Bonus: These are budget-friendly, too.<\/p>\n

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The Best Budget-Friendly Foods for Circulation<\/p>\n

The AHA urges <\/a>people to eat a plant-forward diet<\/a> for good cardiovascular health. That\u2019s why beans, beets, and berries are good options to add to your grocery cart, according to cardiologists.<\/p>\n

All of these foods provide a variety of nutritional benefits, along with specific elements that make them good for the cardiovascular system, according to Dr. Cheng-Han Chen, MD<\/a>, interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA.<\/p>\n

Related: Exactly When To Start Eating After Waking up if You\u2019re Trying To Lose Weight, According to Experts<\/a><\/p>\n

Beans<\/p>\n

\u201cBeans <\/a>are a good, well-rounded food source,\u201d Dr. Chen says. There has been a big push in the dietary community for Americans to eat more beans. A report <\/a>released in 2024 from an advisory committee to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) suggests adjusting the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to recommend that people have at least 2.5 cups of beans and lentils a week. (Current recommendations<\/a> suggest having 1.5 cups of beans and lentils a week.)<\/p>\n

\u201cRich in soluble fiber<\/a>, magnesium<\/a>, and plant-based protein, beans help lower LDL (\u201cbad\u201d) cholesterol and improve blood vessel function,\u201d says Dr. Ragavendra Baliga, MBBS<\/a>, a cardiologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. They also have a low glycemic load, meaning they won\u2019t cause blood sugar spikes, he says. The magnesium in beans, along with their potassium content, helps to regulate blood pressure, too, points out Dr. Catherine Weinberg, MD<\/a>, director of Adult Congenital Heart Disease at Northwell\u2019s Lenox Hill Hospital.<\/p>\n

Related: Cardiologists Are Begging You To Eat Less of This High-Protein Food if You\u2019re Over 60<\/a><\/p>\n

Beets<\/p>\n

Beets are also a circulation-friendly food, according to Dr. Mills. \u201cBeets contain nitrates, which lead to higher levels of circulating nitric oxide,\u201d he says. Nitric oxide helps widen blood vessels, ultimately improving their function, Dr. Mills explains. \u201cThey also have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects,\u201d which can support circulation even more, says Dr. Anne B. Curtis, MD<\/a>, cardiologist and professor at the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences.<\/p>\n

Berries<\/p>\n

Berries<\/a> also help your body produce nitric oxide, Dr. Weinberg says. \u201cThat tells your blood vessels to relax and widen,\u201d she says. Berries are packed with polyphenols\u2014compounds that act like antioxidants\u2014and can help to reduce inflammation in the body, Dr. Baliga says. Chronic inflammation is linked<\/a> to a range of serious health conditions, including cardiovascular disease.<\/p>\n

Related: \u2018I\u2019m 71 Years Old and in the Best Shape of My Life\u2014Here\u2019s Every Detail of My Workout Routine\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n

Other Foods to Eat for Good Cardiovascular Health<\/p>\n

There are a few other things to keep in mind around your diet if you\u2019re trying to support good circulation and cardiovascular health as a whole. Dr. Weinberg suggests focusing on an anti-inflammatory diet, like the Mediterranean diet<\/a>. \u201cInclude omega-rich fatty fish, plenty of colorful vegetables and olive oil as your primary fat,\u201d she says. \u201cSprinkle in some daily nuts and seeds for their heart-protective compounds. Try adding fermented foods like yogurt and kimchi, as emerging research connects gut health with heart health.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s best to limit ultra-processed foods<\/a>, too, Dr. Chen says. These often have higher amounts of sodium and fat, with minimal nutritional value, he points out. \u201cTry to avoid these as much as possible,\u201d Dr. Chen says. <\/p>\n

Dr. Baliga also suggests focusing on whole foods, limiting added sugars and sodium, and being aware of portion sizes. \u201cWhat we eat is as important as how consistently we eat it,\u201d he says. <\/p>\n

It may take some tinkering to find the best diet for you, Dr. Weinberg says. \u201cThe key to lasting success is the ‘smart swap,\u2019\u201d she says. \u201cInstead of feeling deprived by just cutting out unhealthy foods, actively find satisfying and healthier replacements. This approach is what makes a heart-healthy diet sustainable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Up Next: <\/p>\n

Related: This Popular Nighttime Habit Could Spike Your Blood Pressure, Cardiologists Warn<\/a><\/p>\n

Sources:<\/p>\n

Dr. James D. Mills, MD<\/a>, director of General & Preventive Cardiology at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.<\/p>\n

Dr. Cheng-Han Chen, MD<\/a>, interventional cardiologist and medical director of the Structural Heart Program at MemorialCare Saddleback Medical Center in Laguna Hills, CA<\/p>\n

Cardiologists Are Begging You To Add These 3 Budget-Friendly Foods to Your Grocery List for Better Circulation<\/a> first appeared on Parade on Aug 3, 2025<\/p>\n

This story was originally reported by Parade<\/a> on Aug 3, 2025, where it first appeared.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cardiologists Are Begging You To Add These 3 Budget-Friendly Foods to Your Grocery List for Better Circulation originally…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":57598,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[29779,27593,7199,43413,43414,97,43411,43408,43410,43412,43409],"class_list":["post-57597","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-american-heart-association","tag-cardiologists","tag-cardiovascular-disease","tag-catherine-weinberg","tag-congenital-heart-disease","tag-health","tag-interventional-cardiologist","tag-james-d-mills","tag-memorialcare-saddleback-medical-center","tag-ragavendra-baliga","tag-rutgers-robert-wood-johnson-medical-school"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57597","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57597"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57597\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57598"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57597"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57597"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57597"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}