Body Atlas

Healthy Heart Habits · Heart

Why is salt bad for the heart?

Eating patterns shape the vessels the heart pumps into.

The simple answer

What you eat never touches your heart directly — it shapes your blood and the vessels your heart pumps into. Research links eating patterns rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts and fish with better heart health, and patterns heavy in salt, added sugar and processed meat with higher risk.

Go deeper

There's more: eating patterns shape the vessels the heart pumps into. The full explanation — and the interactive version you can tap and quiz yourself on — lives in the app.

Explore this concept in Body Atlas →

Body Atlas is an educational product. It does not provide diagnosis, treatment, or personal medical advice. · Privacy