Heart attack: Eat BAKED BEANS to lower your cholesterol and prevent heart problems

Heart attacks are caused by a sudden interruption of the blood supply to the heart.

The leading cause of heart attacks is coronary heart disease – a condition in which the coronary arteries get clogged up with cholesterol.

A heart attack happens when the deposits of cholesterol burst, causing a blood clot to form and interrupt blood flow.

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is vital for the normal functioning of the body.

However, having an excessively high amount in the blood can clog up the arteries.

It’s therefore important to keep cholesterol levels down in order to protect heart health.

Cholesterol can be lowered by cutting down on saturated fat, as this increases cholesterol levels.

Foods high in saturated fat include butter, hard margarine, fatty meat, full-fat dairy products, and coconut and palm oils.

As foods like milk chocolate, cake, pastries, pies and biscuits are made from those ingredients, they can too increase cholesterol.

However, other foods can naturally help to lower cholesterol, such as plant foods.

“Plants do not contain cholesterol and are usually low in saturated fat so vegetables and other plant-based foods should feature regularly in a diet to lower cholesterol,” said Heart UK.

One plant-based food that can help lower cholesterol is baked beans.

This is because baked beans are a source of soluble fibre.

Soluble fibre can lower cholesterol because it forms a gel in the gut which can bind with cholesterol and stop it from being absorbed in the body.

Baked beans should be eaten in moderation, however, as they can be high in salt.

UK guidelines advise eating no more than 6g of salt a day, so check nutrition labels.

It’s not just baked beans that contain soluble fibre, but all types of beans and pulses, such as peas and lentils.

Heart UK recommends including between 80g and 100g of cooked pulses each day, on top of your five-a-day.

“There is huge choice to pick from and you can include them in lots of ways – soups, stews, salads, dips, or toast or as a vegetable side,” said Heart UK.

Other sources of soluble fibre include fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, oats and barley.

Fruits and vegetables rich in soluble fibre include aubergine, okra, apples, citrus fruits, strawberries, prunes, plums, avocado, pears, carrots, broccoli, sweet potatoes and onions.