Healthy Heart

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Healthy Heart In today’s world, one has a 50% percent chance of dying from heart or artery disease. You hear stories of very fit men in their 40s leaving for home from work on a Friday and dying of a heart attack that same weekend. People are dying of heart attacks at younger and younger ages. Heart disease in most cases, is completely preventable. Many cultures do not experience high incidence rates of strokes and heart attacks, however in the U.S. over a million people die prematurely from cardiovascular disease each year. Obviously

something about our lifestyle, diet, or environment contains elements to bring about this epidemic. Did you know heart disease is wrongly named? The main life-threatening diseases are diseases of the arteries. Over a number of years a deposit can start to form on the artery walls called arterial plaque or atheroma. Atheroma means porridge in Greek.. These porridge like plaque deposits, coupled with thicker than normal blood containing clots, can lead to blockage in the artery which stops the normal flow of blood. When this occurs the arteries that feed the heart will not carry enough oxygen to the heart that is normally fed by these arteries. The affected part of heart will then die from the lack of oxygen. Thus occurs a heart attack. If a blockage occurs in the brain a part of brain may die, thus causing a stroke. Arteries in the brain are fragile, therefore strokes occur because of an artery rupturing due to the blockage. This is called a cerebral hemorrhage. The first step to prevent heart disease is to minimize the factors that are responsible for heart disease, such as arteriosclerosis( a form of atheroma deposits). There is another problem called arteriosclerosis, also known as the hardening of the arteries. Our arteries are elastic, but they lose

their elasticity and harden with age. The preventative for this is vitamin C. Our body uses vitamin C to manufacture collagen, the intercellular gel that keeps the skin and arteries vibrant and supple. The blood pressure in the arteries that are referred to as your systolic and diastolic blood pressure and should be 120 (systolic)/80 (diastolic), for all ages. If the arteries are blocked, or the blood is clotting, the pressure increases, contributing to the risk of heart attacks. Fortunately there are several ways to lower ones blood pressure.

The arteries are surrounded by a layer of muscle. Unbalanced mineral contents such as sodium, calcium, magnesium or potassium can increase the muscular pressure. By increasing the intake of these minerals, and avoiding table salt you can make a substantial improvement in your blood pressure within weeks. Of these minerals, magnesium is the most important. There is a strong association between magnesium deficiency and heart attack. It is crucial to have your magnesium levels checked to ensure that you have a healthy heart. The next approach in improving your blood pressure is blood thinning. Vitamin E is four times more effective than conventional aspirin in

thinning one’s blood. Vitamin E is vital to thinning the blood and improving blood pressure. The omegas 3 fish oils EPA and DHA also thin the blood, and in combination with Vitamin E, are much safer and more effective than aspirin. A major risk with high blood pressure is the narrowing of the arteries caused by arteriosclerosis. Vitamin C helps to stop arterial tissues from hardening, another cause for high blood pressure. Antioxidants and fish oil and lysine combined with Vitamin C are more effective than drugs designated to lower blood pressure. Remember

nutrient methods address to the cause of the problem rather than symptoms. As much as the old theories that high cholesterol is linked to heart disease live on, many other studies have also found a rise in blood cholesterol levels caused by eating eggs. Since high blood cholesterol levels are associated with a high risk of coronary disease, it would seem possible to assume that having a low cholesterol level is good news. Not so, says a research done in Japan in over 6000 men. This study brought forward the theory that high cholesterol levels are associated with cardiovascular disease, and low levels of cholesterol are associated with strokes. Also notable is that Eskimo populations have one of the highest cholesterol diets in the world, yet they have the lowest incidents of cardiovascular disease. Cholesterol is a component of bile, the part that is carried to the arteries by a lipoprotein(fat and protein) is called LDL ( Low density lipoprotein). When a larger portion of person’s cholesterol is combined with LDL, it is likely to be deposited in the artery walls. Thus it is often referred to as “bad cholesterol”. The other form of lipoprotein is called HDL ( high density lipoprotein) and can take cholesterol out of the arteries back to the liver for processing. Not surprisingly, this is referred to as the “good cholesterol.

“ Multivitamins and minerals are highly effective at achieving the ideal cholesterol balance. Vitamin B3 (also known as niacin) is highly effective at increasing HDL. Choose the no-flush niacin, since high amounts of niacin can cause a flushing effect. A significant intake of Omega3 oil can also raise HDL and lower LDL. One can achieve that by taking a good form of EPA fish oil supplement or eating fish rich in Omega 3, like the Eskimos have in their diet. Since good cholesterol can be damaged by oxidation, it is

important to also include antioxidants in your diet. They are protective for of your good cholesterol production, and decrease your exposure to oxidation. Low blood levels of beta-carotene, vitamin A, C, and E have repeatedly been shown to increase the risk of heart disease. Dietary oils such as olive oil, extra virgin, and canola oil, should be unrefined and cold pressed to obtain health advantages. The herbal remedies, Hawthorn berries and Ginkgo,also help the overall health of the heart. Used in combination or separately, they decrease the capillary permeability, thrombosis and platelet aggression. Ginkgo is

an excellent source of iron, calcium and vitamin C.Hawthorn berries contain bitter compounds that increase coronary blood flow and myocardial metabolism, allowing the heart to function with less oxygen. Its compounds also lower blood pressure by decreasing cardiac output and dilating peripheral blood vessels. It has been used to treat various coronary diseases and to reduce blood clotting. Suzi List Owner health/ http://360./suziesgoats What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have not yet been discovered.

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