"Plant" Food

Many heart-favorable foods contain phytonutrients, the organic components of plants. Phytosterols are plant sterols or stanols, natural cholesterol-like components in plant membranes that resemble cholesterol.

Taken through food or supplements like Centrum Cardio^®* as a part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, phytosterols may reduce the rist of heart disease by lowering cholesterol.^‡ Phytosterols can interfere with cholesterol absorption in the small intestines, which helps reduce cholesterol from being absorbed, so it gets excreted from the body. ‡

Centrum Cardio^® offers you the benefits of phytosterols, so you can complement a healthy lifestyle by adding two Centrum Cardio® tablets daily to your heart-friendly menu. ‡
 
‡ Foods or dietary supplements containing at least 400 mg per serving of free phytosterols, taken twice a day with meals for a daily total intake of at least 800 mg, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering blood cholesterol. A daily serving of Centrum Cardio® (2 tablets) contains 800 mg of CoroWise^™ phytosterols.
 
Centrum Cardio^® is not a replacement for cholesterol-lowering prescriptions drugs. If you have elevated cholesterol consult your doctor for medical advice and treatment.
 
Some other common, heart-friendly nutrients:
Carotenoids are antioxidants that occur in colorful fruits and vegetables like acorn squash, blueberries, cantaloupe, oranges, red peppers, and tomatoes. Alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein, and lycopene are all carotenoids, just to name a few.

You don’t have to memorize all the scientific names to eat smarter. An easy way to shop for heart-friendly foods is to choose “whole” foods that come from nature (think: plants, ground).

Tasty ways to treat your heart well…
Fill up on whole-grain fibers such as oatmeal, bran, barley, brown rice or flaxseed. Try to get 25 to 30 grams of both soluble & insoluble fiber daily. Soluble fiber acts like your bloodstream’s scouring pad to help remove the bad (LDL) cholesterol before it has a chance to stick to arteries.

Consume fruits & veggies (beta-carotene & other carotenoids): Get from 5 to 13 servings of fruit and vegetables daily. Acorn squash, asparagus, broccoli, blueberries, cantaloupe, oranges, papaya, red bell peppers, spinach, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes are all good choices.

Eat your beans: Legumes such as red, black and kidney beans are all good sources of fatty acids, soluble fiber, and antioxidants.

Go nuts and add small amounts of heart-friendly mono- and polyunsaturated fats such as almonds and walnuts, vegetable oils, olives, and avocados.

Choose fatty fish like salmon, pollock, tuna, and herring (great sources of omega 3 fatty acids) instead of fatty, red meats. The American Dietetic Association (ADA) and the American Heart Association (AHA) recommend eating fish at least twice a week.

Treat yourself: Dark chocolate with 70% or higher cocoa content (a flavonoid/reservatrol nutrient) is a healthy way to support your heart.