Heart maintenance is not easy to be done. Doctors keep on telling us about changing our lifestyle, quitting smoking, exercising more, but we do not always have the time for putting these advices in practice. So, in order to keep us healthy we could at least act upon our diet and add foods that are great for the health of the heart and not only, for the health of the entire body.

Here are 5 aliments that I am sure not all of you knew they have a positive effect upon the cardiovascular system.

1. Salmon. As this type of fish is rich in omega 3 acids, it reduces the level of bad cholesterol, and has a positive action upon the heart muscle. A thing you might not have known about this aliment is the fact that it is highly recommended for those people who resort to diets.

2. Carrots. As some studies say, by consuming a carrot every day you will reduce the risks of developing diabetes. Researchers explain this thing by declaring that carrots contain an important quantity of antioxidants.

3. Almonds. A study performed in Canada has concluded that by consuming 30 grams a day of this precious aliment the level of LDL cholesterol (this is the bad cholesterol) will be decreased with 13% and even with 20% in some people. They also contain a lot of vitamin E, which is an excellent antioxidant, this way protecting the heart against atherosclerosis. If you are not used with eating almonds you should know that they contain some calories, so be careful if you are overweight. You can eat almonds with yoghurt or white cheese for breakfast.

4. Beetroot. As this aliment contains a lot of potassium, you can consider yourself well protected against hypertension if you eat this aliment regularly. Doctors say that hypertension is caused in a lot of cases by the high level of sodium in our organism that retains water in the body and this way increases the blood pressure. If potassium lacks for the body than the level of sodium seems to increase and hypertension appears.

5. Garlic. As tiny as it is, this aliment has great power upon preventing atherosclerosis as it decreases the level of bad cholesterol. For a maximum effect of this aliment doctors recommend it to be consumed in two or three times a day. You can consume garlic by adding it to the cooked foods that support it: meat, stock, salads and even pasta or pizza.