There are many factors which can lead to heart disease. Smoking, stress, limited physical activity, diets high in saturated and trans fats all contribute to cardiovascular diseases. In fact, heart disease is the number one killer in the USA and is responsible for 1/3 of all deaths! However, there are ways to reduce the risk of developing heart disease. A simple place to start is with a diet high in fruits and vegetables. Many studies show how specific nutrients have healing effects on the heart. Below is a list of some of these nutrients.

Vitamin C

Vitamin C is essential for making Collagen – an important component in the make up of our arteries. Collagen is an elastic sticky substance which allows the arteries to contract and expand for healthy blood flow. Collagen repairs our arteries when they are damaged by free radicals.

If there is not enough vitamin C in our system to produce collagen, an unhealthy substitute is used instead – cholesterol! If this continues, cholesterol builds up and the arteries harden (atheroclerosis) constricting blood flow. This can also lead to angina and a possible heart attack or stroke. Furthermore, vitamin C helps detoxify blood and prevents blood from sticking and clotting.

Some good juicer recipes food sources include oranges, kiwi fruit, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, apples, broccoli, cucumber and carrots.

Vitamin E

Vitamin E, just like vitamin C, is also important for a healthy heart and is a powerful antioxidant that helps prevent free radical attacks on artery walls. It also has blood thinning properties and can prevent blood from sticking and clotting. Another great thing about vitamin E is that helps to reactivate both vitamin A and C after they have ‘fallen in battle’ while disarming free radicals.

Good juicer recipes food sources include blackberries, apples and kiwi fruit.

Magesium

Magnesium is essential for the muscles of the body to function which includes the heart. A healthy heart requires both magnesium and calcium to function. For instance, magnesium is essential for the heart muscle to relax. Calcium is needed for the heart to contract. If there isn’t enough magnesium then cramping can occur causing high blood pressure and arrhythmias. If magnesium levels get low enough, a heart attack can be the result.

Good juicer recipes food sources include kiwi fruit, blackberries, strawberries, spinach, kale and broccoli.

Calcium
Calcium works with magnesium for the heart muscles to function properly. Being an electrolyte, calcium carries the electrical/nervous system message from the brain to the arteries signaling them to contract. So low levels of calcium can increase blood pressure levels.

Good juicer recipes food sources include oranges, kale, spinach and parsley

Potassium

Potassium is also vital for the heart to function. It allows nerve impulses to reach the muscles and carry out the desired response. Very low potassium levels, like magnesium, can also trigger a heart attack. My father who drinks way too much alcohol suffered a low potassium heart attack.

Great juicer recipes food sources include oranges, strawberries, spinach and tomatoes.

B6 and Folic Acid
Low levels of B6 and folic acid can raise homocysteine levels in the blood. Even the slightest increase in homocysteine can increase the risk of developing heart disease.

Great juicer recipes food sources for B6 is watermelon and carrots.

Food sources for folic acid include blackberries, broccoli and spinach.

Allium Compounds

Allium compounds are phytochemicals found in garlic and onions. Garlic is considered to be an excellent food source for a healthy heart. Research shows that allium compounds can lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

Ellagic Acid

Ellagic acid is a phytochemical that can lower cholesterol. It is mostly found in berries and a few other fruits.

Great juicer recipes food sources include red grapes, kiwifruit, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries and blackberries.

Healthy Heart Juicer Recipes

Fitting all of these nutrients into your diet is going to have great benefits for your heart health. Juicing is a simple and excellent way to do this. We have put together two delicious juicer recipes for you. One is fruit based, the other vegetable based. We recommend rotating both of these juicer recipes so you are sure to get some great healthy heart nutrients into your diet! Alternatively you can use the information here to experiment with and put together your own juicer recipes.

Heart Healthy Juice #1 – Berry Bonanza!

1 cup of blueberries
1 cup of blackberries
1 cup of strawberries
1 Kiwi fruit (peeled)

Wash the berries, top the strawberries and peel the kiwi.
Juice them and then mix with the juice with a good stir.
Heart healthy nutrients in this juice include vitamin C, vitamin E, folic acid, magnesium, potassium, and ellagic acid.

Heart Healthy Juice #2 – Hearty Vegetables!

2 carrots
1 cup of spinach
1 cup of kale
1/2 cup of parsley
1/2 an apple (add more to sweeten)
1 glove of garlic (add to taste)

Heart healthy nutrients supplied include vitamins C, B6 and E, folic acid, magnesium, potassium, calcium and allium compounds.

5 Super Fruits for Heart Health.

Many health experts agree that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can improve heart health and reduce the risk of developing heart disease. Furthermore it can reverse heart related problems such as atherosclerosis, high blood pressure and high levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Juicing fruits is an excellent way to get a densely packed amount of beneficial nutrients. So which fruits are best for fighting heart disease? Research has shown these 5 fruits are powerful protectors for your ticker:

POMEGRANATE
Pomegranate has an abundance of antioxidants gaining a lot of attention in the past few years as a super fruit for the heart. Punicalagins is one of the well researched cardio-protective antioxidants found in pomegranate. It can reduce inflammatory damage of arteries and reduce oxidative stress. Other antioxidants in pomegranate include vitamin C, catechins, isoflavones and anthocyanins. All of which have protective qualities for the heart.

Juicer recipes tip: Cut the fruit in half and scoop out the flesh for juicing. Use only the flesh in your juice. The rind and skin will make the juice sour.

RED and PURPLE GRAPES
Resveratrol is the antioxidant found in red and purple grapes and consequently red wine. The French Paradox is the observation that even though the French eat lots of saturated fat and red meat with a high percentage of smokers, they also have a much lower risk of heart disease in comparison to countries like the USA! This is due to their regular intake of red wine. The health benefits of taking resveratrol include reducing the risk of blood clotting, thinning the blood, lowering LDL “bad” cholesterol, preventing damage to blood vessels in the heart and helping to keep blood pressure at a good range.

Juicer recipes tip: when juicing grapes at home you will find the juice looks cloudy. This is not a problem because commercial juices are filtered to look good. The cloudiness simply means there is more nutrition in the juice. Enjoy!

BLUEBERRIES
Blueberries, like pomegranates, are a super fruit loaded with antioxidants. Blueberries contain some resveratrol, but also contain a newly discovered antioxidant called pterostilbene. So far pterostilbene appears to have the same chemo-preventative qualities as resveratrol. A super fruit! Also high in vitamin C.

Juicer recipes tip: You will need a lot of blueberries to make one juice. Four or five cups will do it! Just think how much antioxidant power will be in one single juice!

RED GRAPEFRUIT
A was published in 2006 by the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. It found that giving one grapefruit a day for 30 days to patients with high blood cholesterol actually lowered their cholesterol levels. In this study red grapefruits were found to be more effective than white grapefruit. It is thought that undiscovered antioxidants in the red grapefruit are responsible for its heart healthy effects.

Juicer recipes tip: Remove the outer skin, but keep the white pith for your juice. The pith contains healthy bioflavanoids.

KIWI
Kiwi has earned its wings as a heart healthy fruit. There is evidence that it reduces blood clotting, lowers LDL “bad” cholesterol levels and raises HDL “good” cholesterol levels. Kiwi is a great source of vitiamin C. Vitamin C is needed to create collagen to keep your arteries elastic and supple and to protect the arteries from free radical attacks.

Juicer recipes tip: Drink kiwi juice immediately after juicing. The longer it sits around the more vitamin C it loses.

Have fun with your juicer recipes and stay healthy!

Darren and Veronica

Juicing vegetables is a superb way to get heart healthy nutrients. Which vegetables are best for fighting heart disease? Researchers has shown these 3 vegetables have wonderful benefits for your heart and arteries:

SPINACH
Spinach contains vitamin C and vitamin A (beta-carotene). These are two important antioxidants that disarm free radicals that can attack artery walls. Vitamin C is a water soluble nutrient and beta-carotene is fat soluble. Together they provide a powerful combination that can prevent cholesterol from oxidation. When oxidized, cholesterol becomes sticky and can attach itself to artery walls, leading to blocked arteries. This can cause heart attacks and strokes. Spinach also contains potassium and magnesium. These two minerals are essential for the proper regulation of the heart muscle. Therefore, potassium and magnesium can lower blood pressure.

Spinach also contains the nutrient folic acid (folate). Folic acid is needed to lower the blood levels of a chemical called homocysteine. High blood levels of homocysteine is a powerful factor for the development of heart disease. If the homocysteine levels in the blood increase too much, it can cause heart desease. Folic Acid’s job is to change homocysteine into harmless molecules.

Further more, spinach contains something called peptides which are components of proteins. In a study by the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry animals where given 20 – 30 mg of the peptides per kilogram of body weight per day. This actually lowered their blood pressure in as a little as two to four hours after consumption. So it is very possible it would have the same effect for us.

Juicer recipes idea: You will need a good amount of spinach to get enough juice. I recommend four to five cups or even more. You can also add an apple to sweeten the juice. Spinach juice alone isn’t very palatable and apple also has heart healthy benefits.

BROCCOLI
Broccoli contains good amounts of the cardio-protective vitamin C and vitamin A (see spinach above for benefits). Broccoli also contains sulforaphane, a phytochemical that can protect the heart. It appears that sulforaphane “tells the body” to release a protein called thioredoxin. According to researchers at the University of Connecticut, thioredoxin protects the heart from cell damage.

Juicer recipes idea: Juice the florets and the stalks to get maximun nutrition benefits. Also the stalk contains more juice than the florets.


TOMATOES
Are tomatoes a fruit or a vegetable? Well it is heart healthy enough to make it to this list, so I will leave the answer at that. Tomatoes contain a plant chemical called lycopene which is responsible for its vibrant red color. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant which protects the tomato from the harmful effects of heat and light from the sun. Lycopene is equally powerful at protecting our arteries from cellular damage. In a recent study from Harvard women taking lycopene were 50% less likely to develop heart disease over a five year period. Furthermore, lycopene is considered to have beneficial effects on blood pressure.

Juicer recipes idea: You can use the left over pulp from your tomato juice to make soups or salsa.

Specific phytochemicals give fruits and vegetables their unique colorings. Phytochemicals are naturally occurring chemicals found in plants that are getting more and more attention these days for their tremendous health benefits. Below is a list of these phytochemicals and their unique colors and health benefits.

Green colored fruits and vegetables
Phytochemical: Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll gives plants their green color. It is the product of plants turning light into energy (carbohydrates) for insects, animals and humans to eat. Without this process, life as we know it, would not exist.

Some of the many amazing benefits of chlorophyll include; powerful detoxifying properties including that of the liver, as well as removing unfriendly bacteria, parasites and mold. Chlorophyll can also improve our blood quality due to its molecular make up, similar to hemoglobin. It helps increase red blood cell count and increases the movement of oxygen throughout our blood. It also helps the repair and growth of all tissues in the body.
Orange colored fruits and vegetables
Phytochemical: Beta-Carotene

Beta-carotene is a phytochemical antioxidant that gives fruits and vegetables such as carrots, apricots, mangos and sweet potatoes their wonderful color. Beta-carotene is converted by the body into vitamin A and has many essential benefits for your well being. These benefits include keeping our mucous membranes intact, reducing risk of heart disease and cancer, improved immune system, helping skin from becoming dry and cracked, reducing aging, and is well known for maintaining healthy eyes.

Red colored fruits and vegetables
Phytochemical: Lycopene

Red foods such as tomatoes and strawberries contain the phytochemical lycopene that gives them their red color. Lycopene has been shown to help prevent prostate cancer and heart disease, , and is one of the key antioxidants in the healthy Mediterranean diet

Purple colored fruits and vegetables
Phytochemical: Phenloics

Purple foods such as blackberries and the acai berry contain the phytochemicals anthocyanins and phenloics. Phenloics are what gives these foods their rich purple color. They also promote a healthy heart and have anti-aging benefits. Anthocyanins have been shown to work together with vitamin C to create strong elasticated arteries that help keep blood pressure levels in check

Yellow colored fruits and vegetables
Phytochemical: Hydroxy Carotenoid

It is a natural occurring phytochemical called hydroxy carotenoid that gives yellow colored fruits and vegetables their color. More research is required to find out the benefits of this chemical, but it is part of larger group of antioxidants called carotenoids. Carotenoids as a group show similar benefits and are all considered to promote heart health.
Blue colored fruits and vegetables
Phytochemical: Anthocyanins

Blue fruits and vegetables, such as the highly esteemed blueberries, contain a wide variety of phytochemicals. Anthocyanins is what gives blueberries their wonderful blue color. Blueberries contain other phytochemicals which can improve memory.
White colored fruits and vegetables
Phytochemical: Anthoxanthins

The white color found in such vegetables as garlic and onion is due to phytochemicals called anthoxanthins. These 2 vegetables also contain allicin which may help lower cholesterol and blood pressure and may help reduce risk of stomach cancer and heart disease.

Here is a list of the most commonly used fruits in juice recipes and their nutritional content. Fruits have a substantial amount of vitamins and minerals which are specified below. I’ve also included the different phytochemicals found in these fruits. Phytochemicals are natural bioactive compounds found in plant foods that have potent properties to protect against disease.

Apples

• Phytochemicals:
  

  • Quercetin –  helps reduce allergy based inflammation,  helps protect against cancer and helps the lungs against the harmful effects of pollution and cigarette smoke.

  • Phenolic compounds – have anti-cancer properties and can reduce risk of heart disease.
    

• Vitamins – C, K, Niacin, B6, Folate and Pantothenic Acid.

• Minerals – Copper, Manganese and Potassium.

Blackberries

• Phytochemical:
  

  • Anthocyanins – has been shown to have anti-aging effects.

  • Ellagic Acid – has anti-cancer properties and the ability to reduce cholesterol.
    

• Vitamins – C, E, K, and Folate.
  

• Minerals – Copper, Magnesium, Manganese, and Potassium.

  
  

Blueberries

• Phytochemicals:
  

  • Anthocyanins – (see blackberries).
    

  • Ellagic acid – (see blackberries).
    

• Vitamins – C, E, K, Thiamin and Riboflavin.

• Minerals – Manganese.

Cantaloupe Melon

• Phytochemicals:
  

  • Beta-Carotene,  keeps our mucous membranes intact, reduces risk of heart disease and cancer, improves immune system, helps skin from becoming dry and cracked, reduces aging, and is well known for maintaining healthy eyes.

• Vitamins -A, C, Niacin, B6 and Folate.
  

• Minerals – Magnesium, Manganese and Potassium.

Grapefruit

• Phytochemical:
  

  • Lycopene (in pink grapefruit), protects against breast, lung, prostate and skin cancer. It can also reduce the risk of heart disease.

  • Hespiriden – reduces risk of heart disease.

  • Tangeritin – anti-cancer properties and reduces risk of heart disease.

  • Limonene – has anti-cancer properties, and the ability to dissolve gallstones.
    

• Vitamins – A, C, Pantothenic Acid and Folate.

• Minerals – Potassium.

Honeydew Melon

• Phytochemicals: N/A.
  

• Vitamins – C, Thiamin, Niacin, B6, Pantothenic Acid and Folate.
  

• Minerals – Copper and Potassium.

Kiwi

• Phytochemicals:
  

  • lutein – reduces the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration.

  • Anthocyanins – (see blackberries).
    

  • Ellagic Acid -(see blackberries).
    

• Vitamins – A, C, and E.
  

• Minerals – Copper, Magnesium, Phosphorous and Potassium.

Lemon and Lime

• Phytochemicals:
  

  • Limonene -(see grapefruit).
    

  • Hespiriden – (see grapefruit).
    

  • Tangeritin – (see grapefruit).
    

• Vitamins –  C, B6 and Folic Acid.
  

• Minerals – Potassium.

Mangoes

• Phytochemicals:
  

  • Beta Carotene – (see cantaloupe melon).

• Vitamins – A, C and B vitamins.
  

• Minerals – Magnesium and Potassium.

Peaches and Nectarines

• Phytochemicals:

  • lycopene – (see grapefruit).
    

  • Lutein – (see kiwi).
    

• Vitamins – A, C and Niacin.
  

• Minerals – Potassium.

Oranges

• Phytochemicals:

  • Hespiriden – (see grapefruit).
    

  • Tangeritin – (see grapefruit).
    

  • Zeazanthin – a study has found that this chemical can lower the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.

• Vitamins – A, C – Thiamin and Folate.

• Minerals – Calcium and Potassium.

Papaya

• Phytochemicals: Beta Carotene (see cantaloupe melon).
  

• Vitamins – A, C, E, K and  Folate.

• Minerals – Potassium.

Pears

• Phytochemicals:
  

  • Quercetins- (see apples).
    

• Vitamins C, K.

• Minerals – Copper.

Pineapple

• Phytochemicals – N/A.
  

• Vitamins – C, Thiamin and B6.
  

• Minerals – Copper and Manganese.

Raspberries

• Phytochemicals:
  

  • Lutein – (see kiwi).
    

  • Ellagic Acid – (see blackberries).

• Vitamins – C, Riboflavin, Niacin and Folate.

• Minerals – Copper, Magnesium, Manganese and Potassium.

Red Grapes

• Phytochemical:
  

  • Resveratrol – thins the blood, so helps reduce blood clotting, has anti-cancer properties, especially for the colon and helps reduce heart disease.

  • Ellagic Acid – (see blackberries).
    

  • Quercetin – (see apples).
    

• Vitamin – C, Thiamin and B6.

• Minerals – Manganese and Potassium.

Strawberries

• Phytochemicals:
  

  • Anthocyanins – (see blackberries).

  • Ellagic Acid – (see blackberries).

• Vitamins – C, K, Riboflavin, B6, Pantothenic acid and Folate.
  

• Minerals – Copper, Iodine, Magnesium, Manganese and Potassium.

Watermelon

• Phytochemicals:

  • Lycopene – (see grapefruit).

• Vitamins – A, C, Thiamin and B6.

• Minerals – Magnesium and Potassium.

Have fun with your Fruit Juice Recipes and stay healthy!