The Worst Foods for Your Heart (SHOCKING!)

Like it or not, you are what you eat.

What you choose to put in your mouth every day will play a key role in what how you look, how you feel, and how healthy (or sick) you are.

That’s because food has the power to heal… and to kill.

But which foods fall into which category?

A recent study asked that question, and identified the worst foods for your heart.

When you’re faced with food choices, you’re likely to consider whether something is good for you or bad for you.

But on a deeper level, you could think of it in another way: Do these foods cause inflammation or fight inflammation.

You see, chronic inflammation plays a key role in the development of most major health problems—including heart disease and stroke.

For instance, certain markers of inflammation are associated with both early and late-stage atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

We also know that certain foods increase inflammation in the body—while other fight it.

Based on this information, researchers wanted to find out if eating foods that increase inflammation tend to increase the rate of heart disease or stroke.

They followed 210,000 people from the Nurse’s Health Study I and II. They completed dietary surveys every four years, and were followed for up to 32 years.

The researchers identified 18 primary food groups that were associated with increased inflammation.

People who consumed pro-inflammatory diets had a 46 percent higher risk of heart disease, and a 28 percent higher risk of stroke.

This was after controlling for other key risk factors like BMI, physical activity, and family history of heart disease.

This was one of the first studies to link inflammatory foods with long-term risk of cardiovascular disease.

Some of the key players involved in the inflammatory diet include refined sugars and grains, fried foods, sodas, and processed food.

Anti-inflammatory foods, on the other hand, included foods rich in antioxidants, which fight inflammation. These included foods like fish, vegetables and whole grains, and drinks like coffee and wine.