How Bad is Ice Cream for Your Heart Health? | FutureYou (2024)

FAQs

Can a heart patient have ice cream? ›

Here are some tips for including ice cream in a heart healthy diet: Reduce calories and saturated fat by choosing sorbet, frozen yogurt, gelato, or “light” ice cream. Be sure to check calories, fat, and sugar on the label, as added ingredients may increase calories even in lighter varieties.

“Avoid any foods that have the words 'trans,' 'hydrogenated,' or 'partially hydrogenated' on the label [indicating bad fats], often found in commercially fried foods, donuts, cookies and potato chips,” advises Dr. DeVane. “Also, be aware of how many calories are coming from sugar.

With an average fat content of anywhere between 7 and 22 grams, eating too much of this high saturated fat food (milk fat is predominantly cholesterol, a saturated fat) could see 'bad' cholesterol levels in your blood begin to soar – leading to a build-up of fatty deposits in your arteries which increases your chances ...

Experts suggest eating any foods that contain added sugar and saturated fat, like ice cream, in a moderate and mindful way. In excess, these foods might displace nutritious choices in your diet and increase the risk of chronic conditions like heart disease, high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes over time.

The study, published Aug. 13 in Science, suggests that consuming food rich in saturated fat and choline - a nutrient found in red meat, eggs and dairy products - increases the number of metabolites that build plaques in the arteries.

Some of them, like walnuts, are also a good source of omega-3 fats, which are great for your heart. So nut butters, including peanut butter, contain lots of nutrients and no cholesterol, making for a pretty heart-healthy snack.

The best diet for preventing heart disease is one that is full of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, fish, poultry, and vegetable oils; includes alcohol in moderation, if at all; and goes easy on red and processed meats, refined carbohydrates, foods and beverages with added sugar, sodium, and foods with trans ...

Ice cream, while certainly delicious, is a full-fat dairy product that can raise your cholesterol levels, especially if eaten regularly.

How much ice cream is too much? ›

High in added sugar

It's recommended that you limit added sugars to under 10% of your daily calories, or about 50 grams of sugar for a 2,000-calorie diet ( 7 ). Thus, one or two small servings of ice cream can easily push you toward this daily limit.

Dairy. Animal-based dairy products like milk, cheese, ice cream, and yogurt are unhealthy for the heart and may also contribute to high blood pressure. This is because they are high in saturated fats that can constrict blood flow through the vascular system.

Sorbet and sherbet are both lower in calories than the rich, high-fat “gourmet” ice creams. However, their high sugar content means they may have about the same amount of calories as light ice cream or frozen yogurt, or some store-brand ice creams.

Helps heart health

Due to its high amount of unsaturated fats, peanut butter may help reduce a person's LDL cholesterol levels. Having optimal LDL levels is linked with a lower risk of heart disease. A 2015 study found that people who had a high intake of nuts may have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality.

Blueberries and strawberries contain flavonoids, which help dilate arteries, reduce plaque buildup and increase blood flow.

Oats are an excellent choice for those who have atherosclerosis or are trying to prevent clogged arteries. Eating oats can help significantly reduce atherosclerosis risk factors, including high levels of total and LDL (bad) cholesterol ( 39 ).

Minor symptoms of heart blockage include irregular or skipped heartbeats, shortness of breath and chest tightness. Other symptoms may include pain or numbness in the legs or arms, as well as neck or throat pain.

Dizziness or weakness. Heart palpitations, or sensations of your heart racing or fluttering. Nausea or sweating. Shortness of breath.

Which drink is best for heart? ›

Examples: Brisk walking, running, swimming, cycling, playing tennis and jumping rope. Heart-pumping aerobic exercise is the kind that doctors have in mind when they recommend at least 150 minutes per week of moderate activity.

Whole Grain Toasts

There is no reason to throw carbs out of the window if you have high cholesterol; just be mindful of what you're eating. Whole wheat or whole grain bread is your best bet due to the high amounts of fiber compared with other bread.

Soluble fiber can reduce the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. Soluble fiber is found in such foods as oatmeal, kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, apples and pears. Add whey protein. Whey protein, which is found in dairy products, may account for many of the health benefits attributed to dairy.

Cheese is a great source of protein and calcium but is often high in saturated fat and salt. This means eating too much could lead to high cholesterol and high blood pressure, increasing your risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD).

The key is lowering LDL and making lifestyle changes.

"Making plaque disappear is not possible, but we can shrink and stabilize it," says cardiologist Dr. Christopher Cannon, a Harvard Medical School professor. Plaque forms when cholesterol (above, in yellow) lodges in the wall of the artery.

Eating specific foods cannot cleanse plaques out of the arteries, but a healthful diet can help manage and prevent heart disease. Over time, plaque buildup can lead to thickened or hardened arteries. This is a condition known as atherosclerosis.

In coronary artery disease, where there is cholesterol plaque buildup in the heart's arteries, healthy lifestyle changes, and medications (such as statins) can stabilize the condition, prevent additional plaque deposits and, in some cases, help reverse the severity of the disease.

Ice cream is high in sugar, calories, and saturated fat, so save it for a special treat. Eating foods loaded with fat and sugar leads to weight gain. It can also drive up your triglycerides and lead to a heart attack.

What is the best dessert for high cholesterol? ›

Focus on Fruit

"Try a baked apple, poached pear, a bowl of sorbet topped with diced mango," recommends Elizabeth Somer, MA, RD, author of "Eat Your Way to Happiness" (Harlequin, 2009). She also suggests snacking on frozen blueberries or dunking fresh strawberries in a little fat-free dark chocolate syrup.

Drink lots of water. Then, snack on hydrating, fiber-rich foods to reduce bloating: Bell peppers.

Occasional treats like ice cream are okay when you eat an otherwise healthy diet, but they should never be the foundation of your daily sustenance.

A study from Kyorin University in Tokyo, found that eating ice cream in the morning may improve alertness and mental performance. Professor Yoshihiko Koga and his team analyzed the results of multiple clinical trials that measured brain activity after eating various foods in the morning.

Salt or sodium

Salt, or specifically the sodium in salt, is a major contributor to high blood pressure and heart disease. This is because of how it affects fluid balance in the blood. Table salt is around 40 percent sodium. Some amount of salt is important for health, but it's easy to eat too much.

Ice cream is made of milk, which contains L-triptophane, which is a natural tranquilizer and helps in relaxing the nervous system. It also helps prevent symptoms of insomnia.”

Reduce calories and saturated fat by choosing sorbet, frozen yogurt, gelato, or “light” ice cream. Be sure to check calories, fat, and sugar on the label, as added ingredients may increase calories even in lighter varieties. Choose other frozen treats, like fruit bars, to reduce fat.

"It's definitely not ice cream and to me and my family, it certainly doesn't taste like ice cream," Bach said. Butter pecan and other popular Breyers flavors like cookies & cream, chocolate chip cookie dough and rocky road are now called frozen dairy dessert.

More Ice Cream Brands to Try

Our runner-up was Breyers Delights, a low-fat ice cream, which has similar nutritional value to Halo Top. Each pint of this ice cream boasts 260 calories and 20 grams of protein. Like Halo Top, the brand uses sugar alcohol in place of traditional sweeteners.

“Food cravings often occur to help satisfy emotional needs, such as stress, anxiety and sadness.” What that means is your desire for an extra-large scoop of ice cream could be because that's what you ate as a special treat when you were a kid or how you like to unwind after an exhausting day at work.

Is Dairy Queen ice cream or ice milk? ›

While our soft serve product used to be categorized as “ice milk,” the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) eliminated this category of product to allow companies the ability to market frozen dairy products as “reduced-fat,” “light,” and “low-fat” ice cream.

Gelato typically offers fewer calories, less sugar and lower fat content per serving than ice cream. The typical 3.5 oz. serving of vanilla gelato contains 90 calories and 3 grams of fat, compared to 125 calories and 7 grams of fat in the average vanilla ice cream.

Frozen yogurt tends to be lower in fat and calories than ice cream, but it could have more added sugar. Both frozen treats are decent sources of calcium but contain no fiber.

Arctic Zero Non-Dairy Ice Cream

This is a unique frozen dessert made from fava bean protein concentrate with 160 calories and 0 grams of fat for the entire container.

So, the good news here is that if you're looking for an iced dessert or treat that has similar properties to ice cream but is lower in calories and saturated fat, sherbet is going to be preferable over ice cream as a more diet friendly alternative.

Evidence into dairy and the heart suggests dairy doesn't appear to be associated with an adverse effect on heart health. Dairy is a nutritious food that can be part of a heart-healthy dietary pattern.

IT HAS HIGHER FAT CONTENT: Many sugar-free ice creams have high saturated fat content, which can raise the LDL (bad cholesterol) and increase your risk of cardiovascular diseases.

What is the best exercise for heart? ›

Examples: Brisk walking, running, swimming, cycling, playing tennis and jumping rope. Heart-pumping aerobic exercise is the kind that doctors have in mind when they recommend at least 150 minutes per week of moderate activity.

Pasta is naturally low in fat and high in carbohydrates. Whole-wheat or whole-grain pasta includes the nutritious layers of the grain that add heart-healthy fiber to your dish (these grains have been removed from regular white pasta).

You don't have to cut cheese out of your diet, but if you have high cholesterol or blood pressure, use high-fat cheeses sparingly.

People who eat more dairy fat — which is plentiful in whole milk, yogurt, and cheese — may be less likely to develop heart disease than people who eat smaller amounts of dairy, a new study suggests.

Cheese can be part of a heart-healthy diet, as long as you are mindful about the sodium and saturated fat it contains, and pair it with other heart-healthy foods, according to Routhenstein. Research even suggests that eating a small portion of cheese every day may be beneficial for your heart.