What Does Heart-Healthy Food Label Mean?

Heart-healthy food labels are becoming increasingly popular at stores and Supermarkets. A heart-healthy food label means that a product has been evaluated to meet certain criteria for reducing the risk of heart disease.

The American Heart Association (AHA) has worked to create a standardized set of criteria for foods that can be labeled as “heart-healthy.” This includes meeting certain criteria for fat, cholesterol, sodium, fiber, and other nutrients.

Foods with the AHA heart healthy label must meet specific nutrient criteria for saturated fat, trans fat, sodium and cholesterol levels. They must also contain at least 10 percent or more of the Daily Value (DV) of two or more essential nutrients such as potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron per serving size. Additionally, foods with this label must not contain more than 20 percent of the DV of total fat or saturated fat per serving size.

In addition to meeting these nutrient requirements, some products may also contain ingredients that are beneficial to cardiovascular health such as omega-3 fatty acids or plant sterols. Omega-3 fatty acids can help reduce inflammation in the body while plant sterols can help lower cholesterol levels in the blood.

When shopping for food products with the AHA’s heart-healthy label it is important to pay attention to serving sizes and portion sizes as well as calorie counts on nutrition labels. It is also important to note that although a food product may have a “heart healthy” label it does not necessarily mean that it is low in calories or sugar content so it is important to read ingredient lists carefully when purchasing these products.

Conclusion: The heart-healthy food label means that a product has been evaluated by the American Heart Association (AHA) and meets their specific criteria for reducing the risk of heart disease. These products must meet certain nutrient criteria and may also contain beneficial ingredients like omega-3 fatty acids or plant sterols which can be beneficial to cardiovascular health. When shopping for these products it is important to pay attention to serving sizes, portion sizes and calorie counts on nutrition labels in order to make sure that they are truly heart healthy.