When it comes to heart health, most of us focus on fiber and omega-3s—but there are other important nutrients that don’t get as much attention. These lesser-known nutrients can play a big role in keeping your heart strong and healthy. Let’s take a closer look at three of them.

Did you know that heart health research has only recently started to focus on the differences between men and women? For years, most studies were centered on men, leaving many women unaware of their unique risks and symptoms. Understanding these differences is crucial because it could save lives.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. This fact surprises many of my female clients, who are often more concerned about their risk for breast cancer than their risk for heart disease, yet women have a greater risk of dying from heart disease than from all cancers combined. According to Harvard Health, currently in the United States, three million women are living with breast cancer, which causes one in 31 deaths. Almost 50 million women have cardiovascular disease, which causes one in three deaths.