As the world marks World Heart Day today, nutrition experts have advised Nigerians to embrace healthier diets to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
They warned that poor eating habits, combined with inactivity and stress, continue to fuel high cases of heart attack, stroke and related complications in the country.
Clinical Nutritionist, Fiyinfoluwa Odukoya, said diet plays a central role in preventing heart disease among Nigerians.
According to him, many common risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity and type 2 diabetes are strongly linked to dietary habits.
“Diet plays a central role in preventing heart disease among Nigerians. Many common risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, and type 2 diabetes are strongly linked to dietary habits. Unfortunately, traditional balanced meals are increasingly replaced with processed snacks, fried foods, sugary drinks and excessive palm oil. By adjusting diet alongside physical activity and reduced alcohol intake, you can significantly lower the risk of heart problems,” Odukoya explained.
He listed nine foods that can strengthen the heart. They include leafy greens such as ugu and okro, beans and legumes, moi moi, whole grains like ofada rice, oats and millet, nuts such as groundnuts, walnuts and tiger nuts, fatty fish like mackerel and sardines, avocado, tomatoes, and fruits rich in fibre and antioxidants like pawpaw, oranges and watermelon.
“These foods provide the body with fibre, potassium, omega-3 fatty acids, monounsaturated fats, vitamins and antioxidants that regulate cholesterol, lower blood pressure and protect blood vessels,” he added.
Also speaking, Rhoda Olorunseyi, a Lifestyle and Nutrition Consultant, highlighted eating habits that put Nigerians at risk of heart disease.
She said, “The biggest risk factor for heart disease among Nigerians is not the food itself, but a dangerous combination of excessive consumption of processed fats, sugar, and salt often found in staple, modernized diets. Most times, overeating is a very dangerous thing to do, this time food could become poison.”
Olorunseyi further warned against high salt consumption, trans fats from re-used frying oils, processed snacks, pastries and meats, as well as sugar-sweetened drinks, stressing that these increase the risk of hypertension, obesity, type 2 diabetes and blocked arteries.
On how to combine diet with lifestyle for a stronger heart, she advised Nigerians to return to the heart-healthy roots of traditional African cuisine, but with modern awareness.
“For me, I’ll say the best strategy is to return to the heart-healthy roots of traditional African cuisine, but with modern awareness. This requires small, consistent changes in three key areas,” she noted.
She recommended three steps:
- Swapping refined staples with fibre-rich foods like brown rice and tubers.
- Increasing plant-based proteins and healthy fats such as beans, lentils, nuts and avocados.
- Adopting the “15-minute movement rule” by taking brisk walks, climbing stairs or engaging in daily active chores to strengthen the heart.
Both experts agreed that a blend of healthy food, regular exercise, and reduced stress can keep the heart strong and help Nigerians avoid costly hospital treatments.
