Be careful what you drink. This could affect your heart health and your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Sipping certain drinks adds sugar, chemicals and stimulants to the diet. Liquid calories provide less satiety than food, leading to overeating and weight gain.
But fill your glass or cup with a healthy beverage and you can provide the body with the healthy hydration it needs.
“If you’re well hydrated, your heart doesn’t need to work as hard,” notes the American Heart Association.
Heart Health Tip of the Day: Prioritize These Drinks for Cardiovascular Well-Being
Water and other unsweetened beverages are the “preferred choice for long-term health,” the American College of Cardiology emphasized in its latest dietary guidelines, titled “Diet and Health: Nutrition for the Prevention and Management of Cardiovascular Disease.”
Moderate amounts of coffee and tea, equivalent to two to five standard 8-ounce cups per day, appear safe for most people and are associated with a lower risk of cardiometabolic diseases, the authors add.
The scientific statement urges people to limit or avoid two types of drinks: alcohol and sugary drinks, which are “consistently” associated with a higher risk of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Dr. James Stone, a cardiologist at the South Heart Clinic in Harlingen, Texas, says he drinks only three fluids: water, black coffee and unsweetened tea.
“Why? Because if we woke up 800 years ago, there would be water. If we had tea leaves, we were lucky to have unsweetened tea; and if we were lucky enough to find a coffee bean, it was black coffee,” Stone tells TODAY.com of his philosophy of sticking to a diet that humans were designed for over the centuries.
Why it matters
Plain water tops the list of healthiest drinks, says registered dietitian Natalie Rizzo, TODAY’s senior nutrition editor. It does not contain calories and perfectly hydrates the body.
Coffee and tea are also on the list. Both contain caffeine as well as polyphenols and other bioactive plant compounds since they come from plants. Drinking coffee and tea is associated with cardiovascular benefits, notes the American College of Cardiology.
Just be aware that unfiltered coffee like French press, boiled, Turkish and espresso raises LDL cholesterol, the kind that clogs arteries, the guidelines warn. That’s because it contains cafestol, a cholesterol-raising compound found “in abundance” in coffee beans.
A filter catches it, so a filtered brew is considered the healthiest coffee.
If you’re a fan of diet drinks, the evidence on the long-term metabolic and cardiovascular effects of low-calorie sugar substitutes is “inconclusive,” the release notes.
Meanwhile, the relationship between alcohol consumption and cardiovascular health “remains controversial,” which is why alcohol should be limited or avoided, according to the guidelines.
How to get started
Opt for plain water – the perfect drink for your body’s hydration needs. It can be flat, sparkling or served with a little 100% fruit juice added for a little flavor.
Coffee and tea in moderate amounts are also good options, just avoid cream and sugar.
Avoid sugary drinks like soda. Higher consumption is associated with heart disease risk, regardless of physical activity level, and may increase the risk of dying from obesity-related cancer.
When it comes to alcohol, don’t start drinking it “for health reasons,” the guidelines advise; and if you choose to drink, do so in moderation: no more than one drink per day for women, two for men.
Stone also advises patients to avoid energy drinks because they contain several stimulants — which can lead to potential heart rhythm problems — as well as added sugar.
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