Taking care of our heart health is one of the most important things any of us can do at every stage of our lives. The CDC reports that heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US, taking 702,880 lives in 2022. It cuts through all racial and ethnic groups and affects men and women.
In recent years, we’ve all heard more about antioxidants and been encouraged to incorporate more of them into our diets. They can play an important role in boosting heart health by helping to reduce inflammation in our bodies.
Let’s examine the benefits of antioxidants and how seniors can make them a regular part of their diet.
What Are Antioxidants?
To understand antioxidants, we must first define free radicals. The Cleveland Clinic describes them as unstable molecules missing an electron. They try to grab electrons from other cells, damaging them.
This puts our bodies in a state called oxidative stress. This, in turn, causes aging and disease. Free radicals can be caused by:
- Exposure to cigarette smoke
- Pollutants in the air
- Some drugs and pesticides
- Solvents
- UV radiation
When stressed or inflamed, our bodies can also naturally produce free radicals. While reducing our exposure to the sources of free radicals mentioned above is good, it is impossible to avoid them entirely. You need to fight these disease-causing molecules with antioxidants.
Antioxidants to the Rescue
Antioxidants can neutralize free radicals. This happens because, like free radicals, antioxidants are also unstable and are looking for another molecule to pair up with. While antioxidants don’t damage cells like free radicals, they can pair up with them, neutralizing their damaging effects.
We’ve all seen supplements advertised as containing antioxidants. While these can help, food is still the best way of getting the antioxidants we need.
How Antioxidants Support Heart Health
Antioxidants support cardiovascular wellness in several ways, including by lowering inflammation. Reduced inflammation is linked with lower blood pressure, which is beneficial for your heart health.
Certain antioxidants may do the following:
- Help blood vessels to relax and dilate, increasing blood flow around the body
- Protect the lining of blood vessels
- Prevent plaque from building up in arteries
Even people who have already been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease can benefit from eating antioxidant-rich foods. The crucial heart health nutrients they contain can slow the progression of the disease. They could help you feel better and live life more fully, enjoying the activities that you love!
Additional Benefits of Antioxidants
Without antioxidants in our diet, free radicals can roam free in our bodies, wreaking havoc. They have been linked with many diseases and conditions that can make life challenging in our golden years. A study published in the Internation Journal of Biomedical Science showed the following diseases may be linked with free radicals:
- Cancer
- Cataracts
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- Rheumatoid arthritis
Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, giving our bodies a better chance of fighting diseases and keeping cells healthy. According to an article published in the Journal of Food Science and Technology, other potential benefits may include prevention of:
- Diabetes
- Inflammation
- Gastrointestinal diseases
- Neuronal diseases
The final item on the list is crucial for seniors. The National Council on Aging estimates that between 1 and 5% of seniors in the community suffer from depression, which some experts now see as a neurological disease. Including antioxidants in a balanced diet could be part of your defenses against mental illnesses.
How to Include Antioxidant-Rich Foods In Your Diet
Antioxidants don’t sound very tasty. The good news is that they’re an integral part of many of the most delicious foods out there!
Antioxidants for Breakfast
If you enjoy cereal for breakfast, why not include a few additions that can boost your heart health? These could include:
- Nuts, such as walnuts and almonds
- Seeds like chia, flax, and sesame
- Berries, including blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries
These foods include omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, vitamin C, and other heart health nutrients that can support your cardiovascular wellness.
Main Meal Antioxidants
It’s easy to include antioxidant-rich foods in your entrees as well. Choose dishes that include:
- Dark, leafy green vegetables, such as spinach and kale
- Fatty fish, such as salmon, mackerel, and sardines
- Salad vegetables, including tomatoes, bell peppers, and carrots
You will be delighted to know that adding antioxidants doesn’t mean entirely cutting out sweet treats. In fact, dark chocolate can be a healthy inclusion in your diet in moderation. It has high levels of flavonoids, which have been found to support both brain and heart health.
Your Go-To Drink for Heart Health
Green tea may not be your regular tipple, but drinking a few cups daily could support cardiovascular wellness. It is packed with polyphenols, which hunt down free radicals and have anti-inflammatory properties.
Heart Health Nutrients For Seniors in Retirement Communities
If you are considering relocating to a senior living community, you may worry about your diet. If it’s a struggle to prepare your own meals, you may be concerned about getting the nutrients you need for great heart health.
The good news is that the best senior living communities provide delicious and nutritious meals for residents that take into account their nutritional needs. Some will deliver food to your home, or you can enjoy the company of other residents in a communal restaurant-style area of the development.
The catering staff are careful to design menus with the goal of boosting heart health. You can ask for options that include lots of fruits, vegetables, and other healthy options that can support your cardiovascular wellness.
Live Your Best Life at Rittenhouse Village at Michigan City
At Rittenhouse Village at Michigan City, we understand how important cardiovascular wellness is to the seniors in our community. Whether you are part of our independent living, senior living, or memory care communities, we pride ourselves on providing the best nutrition for heart health. Our Sensations Dining team takes care to craft a delicious menu that includes a variety of antioxidant-rich foods.
Why not visit us to see what our food is like for yourself? This will allow you to explore our menu, accommodations, and the fun activities we plan. Our activity calendar also includes regular exercise to support heart health and make life enjoyable.
Click here to schedule a free tour today!
