Beyond sodium and potassium limitations, most people with congestive heart failure will benefit by following a heart-healthy diet and lifestyle. This can help you reduce cholesterol and excess weight, which can help ease the strain on your heart.
Full Answer
Is a low-fat or low-cholesterol diet better for Your Heart?
People with high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in their blood - which may indicate inflammation and is associated with an increased risk of heart disease -- did not see as much of a heart -healthy benefit from a low-fat, low- cholesterol diet.
What is CHF and how is it treated?
Many diseases lead to CHF, such as high blood pressure and diseases of the heart and kidney. Treatment for CHF helps to prevent its complications and relieve its symptoms. The heart does not have to work as hard when you make some changes in your diet.
How does diet affect heart failure?
The heart does not have to work as hard when you make some changes in your diet. If you eat too much salt or drink too much fluid, your body's water content may increase and make your heart work harder. This can worsen your CHF.
Can the DASH diet help prevent heart failure?
Studies have shown that the rate of heart failure is lower in people who follow a DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), which centers on consuming polyunsaturated fats, complex carbohydrates like brown rice, low amounts of saturated fats, and fruits and vegetables. 5
What kind of diet should a patient with CHF be on?
Choose plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. They contain only small amounts of salt. Choose foods that are low in salt, such as fresh meats, poultry, fish, dry and fresh legumes, eggs, milk and yogurt. Plain rice, pasta and oatmeal are good low-sodium choices.
Does cholesterol affect CHF?
In addition, preliminary studies have suggested that low cholesterol levels may result in an increased mortality rate in patients with CHF.
Why a low-sodium diet would be recommended for a patient with congestive heart failure?
“Since people with heart failure often suffer from volume overload (which can overwork the heart), a diet low in sodium can help lessen fluid retention, meaning the heart doesn't have to work so hard.” High blood pressure can increase your risk for stroke, kidney disease and heart disease, like heart failure.
Why did the doctor advised a diet low in cholesterol?
Eating large amounts of cholesterol, saturated fat, trans fat, and salt can raise your blood pressure and plug your arteries. This blocks the supply of red blood cells that carry oxygen to your heart and the rest of your body, and could lead to heart disease, heart failure, or death.
Does lowering cholesterol reduce heart disease?
A 10% decrease in total blood cholesterol levels can reduce the incidence of heart disease by as much as 30%.
How does cholesterol affect the heart?
With high cholesterol, you can develop fatty deposits in your blood vessels. Eventually, these deposits grow, making it difficult for enough blood to flow through your arteries. Sometimes, those deposits can break suddenly and form a clot that causes a heart attack or stroke.
How does salt affect congestive heart failure?
If you have heart failure Too much salt can cause fluid to build up around the heart and lungs, making the heart work harder. Evidence suggests that a limit of 2,000 mg per day of sodium is a good goal for people with heart failure, especially if they also have high blood pressure.
What foods should be avoided with congestive heart failure?
Here are the most common culprits.Alcohol. Heart failure prevents the heart from pumping as well as it used to. ... Salt. Consuming too much salt (sodium) can result in fluid retention in the healthiest of people. ... Highly Processed Grains. ... Processed Meats.
Which dietary restriction would the nurse teach a client with heart failure?
Dietary sodium restriction is commonly recommended for patients with heart failure to prevent fluid retention, exacerbation of symptoms, and hospitalization for acute decompensated heart failure.
Why is it good to have low cholesterol?
However, the benefits of lowering total and LDL cholesterol have been demonstrated extensively, particularly in individuals with heart disease or at high risk of heart disease or strokes.
How important is low cholesterol?
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) Having a lot of cholesterol carried by LDL lipoproteins is associated with an increased risk of heart disease. In fact, the higher the level, the greater the risk ( 1 , 2 ).
What does low cholesterol do to the body?
Quite simply, the less HDL there is in your blood, the less cholesterol you can clear from the body. This, in turn, increases the risk of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), heart attack, and stroke. Malnutrition can also contribute to chronically low HDL levels.
What foods are low in salt?
They contain only small amounts of salt. Choose foods that are low in salt, such as fresh meats, poultry, fish, dry and fresh legumes, eggs, milk and yogurt. Plain rice, pasta and oatmeal are good low-sodium choices.
What to do when you have high sodium in your food?
Recognize menu terms that may indicate a high sodium content: pickled, au jus, soy sauce or in broth. Select raw vegetables or fresh fruit rather than salty snacks. Go easy on condiments such as mustard, catsup, pickles and tartar sauce.
Does salt make your heart work harder?
The heart does not have to work as hard when you make some changes in your diet. If you eat too much salt or drink too much fluid, your body's water content may increase and make your heart work harder. This can worsen your CHF. The following diet will help decrease some of your symptoms.
Diets to Try Before and After Heart Failure
Brittany Poulson, MDA, RDN, CDCES, is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist.
Benefits
A common theme among dietary patterns that have proven to be most beneficial in reducing the risk of heart failure or improving outcomes after heart failure is a plant-forward, low-sodium eating pattern.
How It Works
Heart-healthy diets like the Mediterranean diet and DASH diet share many similar characteristics. Both eating patterns emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes while limiting saturated fats.
Dietary Restrictions and Modifications
The Mediterranean diet and DASH diet are considered healthy for most populations. However, some modifications may need to be made for people with certain health conditions, such as celiac disease, or who choose to follow a vegetarian or vegan diet.
Mediterranean vs. Keto Diet
The Mediterranean diet is a plant-forward diet and is considered safe for most people. If you have any medical conditions, you should talk with your healthcare professional before making major dietary changes, including the Mediterranean diet.
Summary
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a serious medical condition in which the heart doesn't pump blood as well as it should. Whether you are trying to prevent CHF or live healthier with it, you may benefit from changing your diet to follow a more heart-healthy eating pattern.
A Word From Verywell
Preventing or managing CHF may involve many dietary and lifestyle changes. Making a heart-healthy diet a lifelong way of eating requires commitment and discipline, though the benefits that come from following it are many.
Reduce Sodium
The salt we use to flavor and enhance many of our meals consists of 40% sodium and 60% chloride. Our cells require about 0.5 grams (g) daily for our bodies to function optimally. On average, most Americans consume 3.4 g, or 1.5 teaspoons, of sodium daily.
Lower Fat and Cholesterol
Studies have shown that the rate of heart failure is lower in people who follow a DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), which centers on consuming polyunsaturated fats, complex carbohydrates like brown rice, low amounts of saturated fats, and fruits and vegetables. 5
Avoid Alcohol
Excessive alcohol consumption is associated with several conditions that can affect your liver, kidneys, and heart. Heavy drinking can lead to high blood pressure, stroke, and heart failure as well as cardiomyopathy, which affects the heart muscle and can lead to heart failure. 7
Manage Fluids
When your heart is unable to pump blood to the rest of your body, fluids build up. If you have heart failure, drinking too many fluids may lead to swelling, weight gain, and shortness of breath. To prevent these symptoms, some people with heart failure may need to limit the amount of liquid in their diet. 10
A Word From Verywell
To reduce the risk of heart disease and heart failure, modifying your diet is key. If you have questions about what changes you need to make, speak with your healthcare provider and a nutritionist specializing in heart health.
Frequently Asked Questions
Once you are diagnosed with congestive heart failure, you will meet with your medical team, which includes a nutritionist. They will provide you with guidelines on what activities you can do, along with an eating plan that helps manage your condition. Your diet should be low in sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat.
What causes a buildup of cholesterol in the blood?
But foods high in saturated fats, such as full-fat dairy products and processed or red meats, cause an excess buildup of cholesterol in the blood. This can lead to the formation of hard deposits inside the arteries, which can block blood flow and cause heart disease and stroke.
Does eating low cholesterol help with heart disease?
Diets low in cholesterol can help reduce heart disease, stroke risk. Advice for how to eat a heart-healthy diet should focus on food that is naturally low in cholesterol, according to a new advisory that says research doesn't support a specific numerical limit on cholesterol from food.
Effect of Coenzyme Q10 on Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
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Effect of Vitamin B1 on Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
Every cell in your body needs vitamin B1 to make adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, the body's main energy-carrying molecule. The heart, in particular, has considerable need for vitamin B1 in order to...
Effect of Magnesium on Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
Magnesium may have many beneficial effects on the heart. Our bodies need mangesium for healthy functioning, including muscle relaxation, blood clotting, and the manufacture of ATP (adenosine...
Effect of Essential Fatty Acids on Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
Fish oil may have a number of beneficial effects on congestive heart failure. Fish oil has been shown to reduce triglyceride levels, raise HDL ("good") cholesterol levels, "thin" the blood, lower...
Effect of Taurine on Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
Taurine may help treat congestive heart failure by helping to regulate heartbeat and maintain cell membranes.
Effect of Arginine on Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
The body uses arginine for many processes, including making nitric oxide (NO), a substance that relaxes blood vessels and also exerts numerous other effects in the body. Based on this, arginine has...
Effect of Creatine on Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)
Creatine is a naturally occurring substance that plays an important role in the production of energy in the body. The body converts it to phosphocreatine, a form of stored energy used by muscles. The...
How does diet affect congestive heart failure?
How diet affects congestive heart failure. Congestive heart failure (CHF) occurs when extra fluid builds up and affects your heart’s ability to pump blood effectively. There’s no specific diet for people with CHF. Instead, doctors usually recommend making dietary changes to reduce extra fluid. This generally involves a combination ...
How does CHF work?
The bottom line. CHF involves a buildup of fluid that makes it hard for your heart to work efficiently. Reducing the amount of fluid in your body is an important aspect of any CHF treatment plan. Work with your doctor to determine how much you should be restricting your fluid.
How to reduce fluid intake?
Work with your doctor to determine how much you need to restrict your fluid intake. 4. Eat water-heavy or frozen fruit. Fruits that are high in water, such as citrus or watermelon, are a great (sodium-free) snack that can quench your thirst. You can also try freezing grapes for a cooling treat.
How to reduce sodium in your diet?
Salad dressings and prepared soups are also common sources of unexpected sodium. 6. Get rid of the salt shaker. When it comes to reducing salt in your diet, “out of sight, out of mind” is an effective approach. Simply getting rid of the salt shaker in your kitchen or on the dinner table can make a big impact.
What is sodium?
Sodium, or salt, is a natural mineral found in foods and within the body. Most foods contain a small amount of sodium. This includes fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and seafood. We need sodium to live, but most people take in more than they need.
Why do I need to limit sodium?
Salt attracts fluid. Eating too much sodium can increase your blood pressure. Excess sodium also causes the body to retain extra fluid (edema), which makes your heart work harder.
How much did CRP drop on the Dash diet?
Total cholesterol dropped by almost 9% and LDL, or bad cholesterol, dropped by almost 12%. In participants with higher than average CRP levels, total and LDL cholesterol levels dropped by just 3% each.
Who is the AHA nutrition expert?
Erlinger says it is too soon to know if his findings have clinical significance, and AHA nutrition expert Ronald M. Krauss, MD, agrees. "The main message here ought to be, 'stay tuned,'" Krauss tells WebMD. "This is the first study to suggest that inflammation impacts the response to a traditional cholesterol lowering diet.
Does high CRP cause heart disease?
People with high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in their blood - which may indicate inflammation and is associated with an increased risk of heart disease -- did not see as much of a heart -healthy benefit from a low-fat, low- cholesterol diet.
Benefits
- A common theme among dietary patterns that have proven to be most beneficial in reducing the risk of heart failure or improving outcomes after heart failure is a plant-forward, low-sodium eating pattern. The Mediterranean dietand the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet are two eating patterns that have been frequently studied in the...
How It Works
- Heart-healthy diets like the Mediterranean diet and DASH diet share many similar characteristics. Both eating patterns emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes while limiting saturated fats. The DASH diet also emphasizes decreased sodium and total fat intake, while at the same time promoting high potassium intake. The Mediterranean diet puts an emphasis on u…
Dietary Restrictions and Modifications
- The Mediterranean diet and DASH diet are considered healthy for most populations. However, some modifications may need to be made for people with certain health conditions, such as celiac disease, or who choose to follow a vegetarian or vegan diet. One study looked at the DASH diet in relation to special populations.13The study authors recognized that the DASH diet is a he…
Mediterranean vs. Keto Diet
- The Mediterranean diet is a plant-forward diet and is considered safe for most people. If you have any medical conditions, you should talk with your healthcare professional before making major dietary changes, including the Mediterranean diet. With numerous studies investigating the health effects of the Mediterranean diet, it has been generally regarded as a heart-healthy eating patter…
Summary
- Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a serious medical condition in which the heart doesn't pump blood as well as it should. Whether you are trying to prevent CHF or live healthier with it, you may benefit from changing your diet to follow a more heart-healthy eating pattern. Popular science-based diets for CHF include the Mediterranean diet and the DASH diet, with many studies suppo…
A Word from Verywell
- Preventing or managing CHF may involve many dietary and lifestyle changes. Making a heart-healthy diet a lifelong way of eating requires commitment and discipline, though the benefits that come from following it are many. Having a support person or partner who is also following a heart-healthy diet may make it easier for you. Choose one or two habits to work on at a time, as …