Can colourful plant foods improve heart health? US doctor shares 5 daily habits to support healthy arteries
When it comes to heart health, protecting your arteries is just as important as watching cholesterol or blood pressure numbers. While major lifestyle overhauls can feel overwhelming, doctors emphasise that small, consistent daily habits play a powerful role in keeping blood vessels flexible, resilient, and healthy over time. From how often you move to how well you sleep, these everyday choices quietly shape long-term cardiovascular health.
Dr Kunal Sood, an anaesthesiologist and interventional pain medicine physician, has shared five simple daily habits that can help improve arterial health and support overall cardiovascular function. In an Instagram video posted on January 27, the physician highlights, “Small daily habits that improve blood flow, pressure timing, and autonomic balance add up to long-term arterial protection.”
Move or stretch at least once an hour
According to Dr Sood, prolonged sitting can lower the arterial pressure needed for healthy blood circulation, whereas light physical activity helps restore this pressure and supports optimal blood vessel function. He explains, “Prolonged sitting reduces blood flow-related shear stress, which the endothelium needs to release nitric oxide. Brief movement breaks restore shear stress, support vessel relaxation, and help prevent arterial stiffening. Regular activity lowers systolic blood pressure by about 4 to 8 mm Hg, a key driver of long-term arterial health.”
Get natural light daily
Getting daily sunlight exposure helps regulate the circadian rhythm, which in turn supports healthy day-night blood pressure patterns and overall cardiovascular balance. Dr Sood explains, “Daylight stabilises circadian rhythms, which supports normal day-night blood pressure patterns, including the protective nighttime dip. Disrupted circadian BP rhythms are linked to greater vascular damage and cardiovascular risk. Consistent daylight exposure indirectly supports healthier arterial pressure cycles.”
Practice slow, controlled breathing
Slow, controlled breathing has a calming effect on the nervous system and can help lower systolic blood pressure, potentially reducing pressure-related stress and injury to the arterial walls over time. The physician highlights, “Slow breathing shifts autonomic balance toward parasympathetic tone, reduces sympathetic drive, and improves baroreflex sensitivity. This can lower systolic BP by about 5 mm Hg on average, reducing pressure-related injury to arterial walls over time.”
Eat a variety of colourful foods
Including a wide variety of colourful plant foods can support better heart health, as they provide an array of vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds that work together to protect blood vessels and support cardiovascular function. Dr Sood emphasises, “Colorful plant foods provide potassium, fiber, and bioactive compounds that support endothelial function and blood pressure regulation. Dietary patterns rich in fruits and vegetables, such as DASH or Mediterranean-style eating, consistently lower BP and slow arterial stiffening.”
Wind down from screens before bed
According to the physician, using screens before bedtime can interfere with sleep quality and disrupt the body’s natural night-time blood pressure regulation. He explains, “Late screen use prolongs cognitive and autonomic arousal, disrupts sleep, and blunts the normal nighttime BP dip. Sustained nocturnal pressure increases arterial strain. Protecting sleep supports healthier overnight vascular recovery.”
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
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