你的饮食对你心脏健康的影响

Introduction
Your cardiovascular system is an important and fragile group of structures that pumps nutrient- and oxygen-rich blood throughout your body. At the center of this system is your heart. The foods you choose to consume on a daily basis can affect the health of your heart. Choosing the right foods can make a difference in living a long and healthy life or being faced with the prospect of a heart attack or heart disease as your body ages.
你的心血管系统是一组重要而脆弱的结构，它输送你身体富含营养和氧气的血液。这个系统的中心是心脏。你每天所选择消耗的基本食品影响你的心脏健康。选择正确的食物对随着你身体老化，想健康长寿地生活，还是面临心脏病或突发性心脏病发作至关重要。

Fats
All diets should include fats; however, not all fats are good for you. Your body needs lipids to function, especially at the cellular level. Unfortunately, foods high in unhealthy fats and cholesterol can have a devastating effect on your heart. Foods high in unhealthy fats and cholesterol can cause the buildup of plaque in your blood vessels, particularly your arteries. Over time, this buildup can cause a block in the blood vessels, forcing the heart to work harder to pump blood through the block as well as causing the vessel itself to lose its flexibility. This can cause a variety of health problems, including heart disease, heart attack and stroke. According to the American Heart Association, you should aim for a diet that includes a variety of fats. Saturated fats should make up no more than 7 percent of your daily caloric intake; cholesterol should not exceed 300 mg per day; and trans fats should make up no more than 1 percent of your daily calorie intake.
脂肪
所有的食物都含有脂肪，但是并不是所有的脂肪都对你有用。你的身体特别是细胞层面，需要水分才能运作。不幸的是，食物中含有大量不健康脂肪和胆固醇，这对你的心脏有致命的影响。含有大量不健康脂肪和胆固醇的食物会导致你身体血管尤其是动脉中血小板的形成。随着时间的推移，这种形成会导致血管阻滞，通过这个阻滞迫使心脏需更努力来输送血液，同时也导致血管本身失去灵活性。这会造成一系列的健康问题，包括心脏病，突发性心脏病和中风。根据美国心脏协会，你的理想食物中必须包含有各种脂肪，每天的热量摄取中饱和脂肪应占少于7%，胆固醇的摄取不应超过300毫克，而转化型脂肪酸不应占超过每天热量摄取的1%。

Produce
The amount of fruits and vegetables you choose to consume each day can also have an affect on your heart. Vegetables and fruits are full of the essential vitamins and minerals your body needs to operate, especially your heart. One additional benefit to making produce a large percentage of your daily diet is its substantial fiber content. According to the Mayo Clinic, eating a diet full of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables can help lower your cholesterol levels. A lowered level of cholesterol substantially reduces your risks for heart disease.
农产品
你每天所选择消耗的水果和蔬菜的数量对你的心脏也有影响。蔬菜和水果中含有大量身体尤其是心脏运行所需的维生素和微量元素。另外一个使农产品占你日常饮食中很大一部分的好处就是其纤维素含量。根据梅约诊所提出的，一顿富含纤维素的水果和蔬菜可以帮助你降低胆固醇水平。降低胆固醇可以大幅度降低患心脏病的风险。

Protein
The types of proteins you choose to consume can also have an affect on your heart health. Consuming large portions or cuts of meat with high fat contents can contribute to the buildup of cholesterol in the blood. Opting for low-fat protein sources, such as chicken or legumes, can help reduce your overall intake of saturated fats and cholesterol. According to the American Heart Association, choosing protein sources such as fish give the added heart health benefit of omega-3s. Omega-3 is a heart-healthy form of fat, which can lower the overall triglyceride levels in your blood. This reduces your risk of developing coronary artery disease.
蛋白质
你所选择消耗的蛋白质类型也影响你的心脏健康。消耗很大部分或份额高脂肪肉类会造成血液中胆固醇的形成。选择低脂肪来源的食物如鸡肉或豆类能帮助你减少对饱和脂肪和胆固醇的吸收。根据美国心脏协会，选择蛋白质来源的食物如鱼可增加Ω- 3脂肪酸对心脏健康的好处。Ω- 3脂肪酸是心脏脂肪健康的形式，它能降低你身体血液中总甘油三酸酯水平。这样能减少你患冠状动脉疾病的风险。

Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are also an important part of any diet. When the right carbohydrates (such as those made from whole grains) are chosen, they can play a part in your heart health. Whole grain products contain high amounts of fiber. Like the fiber found in produce products, whole grain can also help reduce your cholesterol levels, helping prevent problems such as heart disease. The fiber from whole grains has the added benefit of helping you feel fuller longer. This can increase your chances of successfully maintaining a healthy weight.
碳水化合物
碳水化合物在任何饮食中同样是非常重要的。如果选择正确的碳水化合物（如全谷类）食品，它们会对你的心脏健康起作用。全谷类食品含有大量的纤维素。就如农产品中的纤维素，全谷类食品也能帮助降低胆固醇水平，防止如心脏病之类的问题。全谷类食品中纤维素的另一个好处是使你更长时间感到饱胀。这样更能增加你成功地保持一个健康体重的机会。

(恒星英语原创编译,转载请注明出处!)