Heart-Healthy Superfoods You'll Love

A yummy list of foods you'd eat even if they weren't good for you!

Find elegant and entertaining heart-healthy dishes to please (and impress!) a crowd.

By Janet Bailey

By Sandra Caldwell/iStock
Healthy fats: nuts, avocados, and olive oil

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Blueberries: These top the list of fruits and veggies for antioxidants — natural ingredients that neutralize certain destructive substances that contribute to heart disease. Blueberries also prevent blood clots and reduce artery inflammation. Close runner-up: strawberries.

Red wine: Grape skins contain the antioxidant resveratrol, which helps prevent blood clots and the stiffening of heart tissue. In addition, alcohol raises HDL ("good") cholesterol.

Nuts: Almonds, walnuts, macadamias and hazelnuts are high in monounsaturated fat, which lowers LDL ("bad") cholesterol without reducing HDL. They are also a rich source of vitamin E (a powerful antioxidant) and of the amino acid arginine, which helps keep artery walls healthy. Walnuts, in addition, protect against clotting and arrhythmia. But keep nuts to an ounce a day: They're also high in calories.

Avocados: True, they're high in fat, but it's the healthy monounsaturated kind. Chemicals in avocados also inhibit cholesterol absorption and protect against hypertension.

Chocolate: The dark, European kind is rich in nutrients called flavonols, which lower both blood pressure and LDL cholesterol.

Olive oil: As a monounsaturated fat, it's good for your cholesterol numbers. In addition, dressing your salad with a little olive oil or using it to sauté leafy greens will help you absorb the nutrients in those veggies.

From RealAge.com: Take this personalized quiz to find out your risk for heart disease?

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