When it comes to heart health, women are just as important as men. In fact, according to the American Heart Association, one in three deaths from heart disease occur in women. This is why it’s so important for women to eat foods that are rich in potassium. Potassium helps keep the blood pressure under control and reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke. In this blog post, we will discuss some of the best potassium-rich foods for women!
Which Foods Are Rich in Potassium?
Many different foods are rich in potassium. Some of the best foods for women include:
- Bananas: Bananas are a great source of potassium. They also contain other nutrients like fiber and vitamin C.
- Spinach: Spinach is another excellent source of potassium. It’s also rich in other nutrients like magnesium, iron, and calcium. rich in potassium. Some of the best potassium-rich foods for women include:
- Oranges: Oranges are another great option when it comes to potassium-rich foods. They’re also a good source of fiber and vitamin C.
- Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes are another excellent option for potassium-rich foods. They’re also rich in other nutrients like vitamin A and magnesium.
- Tomatoes: Tomatoes are another great food for women since they’re rich in potassium. They’re also a good source of lycopene, which is an antioxidant that helps protect against heart disease.
What Are the Benefits of Potassium?
Potassium has many benefits for women’s heart health. As we mentioned before, potassium helps keep blood pressure under control. This is important because high blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease. In addition, potassium also helps reduce the risk of stroke. This is because potassium helps to keep blood vessels healthy and prevents them from hardening. Finally, potassium also helps to reduce the risk of a heart attack. This is because it helps to keep the heart muscle healthy and functioning properly.
Greater Effect on Woman
The large-scale study took almost 25,000 participants from the EPIC-Norfolk study in the U.K. Participants ranged in age from 40 to 79, with mean ages of 59 for men and 58 for women.
At the start of the study, all participants filled out a lifestyle questionnaire. Researchers then measured their blood pressure and collected a urine sample. They estimated dietary intake of sodium and potassium levels by measuring urinary levels of these two minerals.
Researchers analyzed the effect of potassium intake on blood pressure, after adjusting for age, sex, and sodium intake.
In women, they found a negative correlation between potassium intake and systolic blood pressure (SBP) — as intake increased, SBP decreased. The effect was greatest in those women who had the highest sodium intake.
In women with a high sodium intake, every 1 gram increase in daily potassium was associated with 2.4 millimeters of mercury (mm/Hg) lower SBP.
“Lowering the SBP by just over 1 mm/Hg is not clinically significant in practice. What it does indicate is that sodium intake alone is not the only factor we should be concentrating on when preventing CVD, and personalized nutrition approaches are key in achieving optimal health outcomes,” noted Prof. Spector.
What is Cardiovascular Disease?
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a general term for conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary heart disease (heart attacks), cerebrovascular disease (strokes), and other conditions such as peripheral arterial disease and rheumatic heart disease.
CVD is a leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 17.0 million deaths in 2015, a figure that is expected to rise to more than 23.0 million by 2030.
In the United States, CVD is the leading cause of death for both men and women, accounting for about one-third of all deaths each year.
The Bottom Line
Potassium is an important nutrient for women’s heart health. It helps to keep blood pressure under control and reduces the risk of stroke and heart attack. Potassium-rich foods include oranges, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and spinach. To get the most benefit from potassium, it’s important to consume it along with other healthy lifestyle choices like maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, and exercising regularly.
Start your day off with a nutritious breakfast including some of these potassium-rich foods to help keep your heart healthy! Try adding a sliced banana to your oatmeal or eating an orange with your eggs. If you’re looking for a heart-healthy snack, reach for a handful of almonds or a small bowl of berries. And when you’re preparing dinner, be sure to include some leafy greens or a baked sweet potato. By incorporating these foods into your diet, you’ll be on your way to a healthy heart!
Update:
In addition to the benefits potassium offers for women’s heart health, new research has found that potassium may also help to reduce the risk of developing ovarian cancer. A study published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention found that women who had a higher intake of potassium-rich foods had a significantly lower risk of developing ovarian cancer than those who consumed less potassium.
We hope you learned something!