Dietary guidance for patients with heart failure

For patients with heart failure, in addition to good treatment in daily life, they should also strengthen dietary treatment and dietary principles. They must eat small meals frequently and make the food as easy to digest as possible. In addition, they should reduce the burden on the heart in terms of diet, control salt intake, and prevent edema. Patients must quit smoking and drinking, and do not drink strong tea or coffee.

Dietary guidance for patients with heart failure

(1) Appropriately limit the intake of protein and calories.

In heart failure, daily protein intake can be controlled at 25-30 grams, with 600 kcal of heat energy; after 2-3 days, protein intake can be increased to 40-50 grams, with 1000-1500 kcal of heat energy. After the condition improves, gradually increase protein and heat energy, but not too high to avoid increasing the burden on the heart.

(2) Eat small meals frequently.

Patients with heart disease should not eat too much. The total daily energy should be consumed in 4 to 5 times to reduce excessive gastrointestinal fullness and diaphragm elevation after meals, and avoid increased cardiac workload. Dinner should be eaten early and should be light. Do not eat or drink much other food or water after dinner.

(3) Eat food that is easy to digest.

Heart disease patients have decreased blood circulation, gastrointestinal congestion and edema, which affect the digestion and absorption of food. Therefore, the food consumed should be easily digestible. You can start with liquid or semi-liquid diet, and then switch to soft rice.

(4) Adequate vitamins and appropriate amounts of inorganic salts, such as vitamin B1 and vitamin C, should be supplied to protect the myocardium.

Supply appropriate amount of calcium to maintain normal myocardial activity. Potassium has a protective effect on the heart, and its deficiency can cause arrhythmia. When using diuretics, in addition to potassium supplementation, you should also pay attention to the supply of magnesium and zinc.

(5) Limit sodium salt.

This is a more appropriate approach to controlling heart failure. In order to reduce edema, salt intake should be limited to about 3 grams per day.

As people get older, they feel that their hearts are not as strong as they used to be. If you don't pay attention, some big or small problems will arise, such as heart failure. Heart failure, also known as "myocardial failure", refers to the inability of the heart to pump out a blood supply commensurate with venous return and body tissue metabolism. Various diseases often cause the myocardial contractility to weaken, thereby reducing the heart's blood output, which is insufficient to meet the body's needs, and thus produces a series of symptoms and signs.