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Having a healthy heart is the cornerstone for long life. According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Approximately 17.9 million people die from cardiovascular disease each year.
Caring for your heart is essential for overall health and longevity. So how do you care for your heart effectively? What heart-healthy habits can support your heart for years to come?
Research suggests that some habits can help support heart health.
The heart is one of the most important organs of the body. This small, fist-sized organ’s job is to pump blood, bringing much-needed oxygen and nutrients to all the tissues in the body. The heart is thought to beat over 2 billion times in the average lifespan.
The heart is made out of a specialized muscle tissue called cardiac muscle. Cardiac muscle, unlike skeletal muscle, is involuntary, beating on its own without any need for conscious thought or input.
Although the cardiac muscle is involuntary in that you can’t exercise the heart like you can, say, the biceps, you can still support heart health. Studies show that certain habits may boost and support heart health, including exercise, proper nutrition, stress reduction, and heart-healthy supplements.
Everyone knows that regular exercise may have multiple benefits for the body, including increasing vitality, improving physical strength and mobility, and better mood.
A regular exercise routine also may have enormous benefits for heart health. Studies show that regular exercise helps to enhance the function of mitochondria (the cell's powerhouse), improve the integrity of arteries, and even release myokines. Myokines are small proteins that may help improve muscle function, including heart muscle.
One study that followed individuals’ life-long exercise patterns found that those who exercised between 764 and 1091 minutes a week found the most significant reduction in developing cardiovascular disease.
Research suggests that a combination of resistance or weight training and aerobic exercises is more beneficial for heart health than aerobic exercise alone.
Eating nutrient-dense, heart-healthy foods may help to support heart health. Research shows that some diets may be more beneficial in supporting heart health than others. One of those diets is the Mediterranean diet.
The Mediterranean diet is a diet based on the foods eaten traditionally by people who live in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea, such as Greece. This diet consists of whole grains, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, olive oil, and fruits. Poultry, dairy, eggs, and fish are eaten in moderation. Red meats, sweets, and processed foods are barely consumed.
One study assigned participants to 1 of 3 diets: Mediterranean with extra olive oil, Mediterranean with extra nuts, or a low-fat diet. The study found that those who followed either of the Mediterranean diets had a lower risk of developing heart disease than those who adhered to the low-fat diet alone.
Research suggests that there is a link between stress and cardiovascular health. For example, studies have linked the expression of negative thoughts and emotions on Twitter with increased cardiovascular fatalities. Another study listed mental/emotional stress as one of the leading factors in developing cardiovascular disease. Still, another study even linked the Type D personality—one that avoids social situations and tends to worry—to an increased incidence of coronary heart disease.
There’s even a condition down as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy or Broken Heart Syndrome. This condition occurs when the heart muscle becomes weakened unexpectedly and is caused by extreme emotional or physical stress.
Studies suggest that increased mental and emotional stress, even over a short period, increases inflammation in the body, contributing to an increased risk of coronary heart disease.
Mental and emotional stress can contribute to adverse heart health. Reducing stress may be one way to support heart health. Studies on mindfulness-based stress reduction showed a decrease in blood pressure.
Even with the best diet, it may be necessary to support heart health by supplementing with heart-healthy nutrients. This is due to a number of different reasons. For example, modern farming practices don’t allow for the maturation of nutrients in many crops because they are picked and shipped globally before they are ripe. Also, the aging process diminishes the body’s ability to make its own antioxidants like coQ10, which can’t be readily gotten in adequate amounts from the diet.
Supplementing with heart-healthy antioxidants and phytochemicals may help boost heart health.
Co-enzyme Q10, also known as CoQ10, ubiquinol, or ubiquinone, is a body-made antioxidant that helps protect the brain and the heart. With aging, the body doesn’t produce as much CoQ10 as needed, which leads to more significant oxidative stress, or free radical damage in the body.
Studies suggest that CoQ10 is an important antioxidant to support heart health and may have anti-aging properties. For example, one study showed that supplementation with CoQ10 helped decrease both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
Another randomized, double-blind study involving participants who had high blood pressure and coronary artery disease found that after 8 weeks of CoQ10 supplementation, blood pressure and heart rate decreased, and antioxidants, such as vitamin E, increased in the bloodstream.
Beet root (Beta vulgaris) has been gaining popularity over the past few years because of its potential to improve heart health. Studies suggest that beet root may help support heart health in healthy individuals and those suffering from heart disease.
For example, one comprehensive review found that beet root is classified as 1 of the top 10 plants with the highest amount of antioxidant activity. Beet root may also decrease blood pressure, improve endothelial (the thin membrane that lines the blood vessels) function, and increase nitric oxide in the bloodstream for heart disease patients. Nitric oxide is a powerful vasodilator helping blood vessels to relax and expand, which improves blood flow throughout the body.
Another randomized, placebo-controlled study involving older healthy adults found that beet root juice consumption decreased blood pressure and reduced platelet activation. Platelets are responsible for blood clotting. Reduced platelet activation suggests fewer clots being formed within blood vessels.
Grape seed (Vitis vinifera) extract comes from the seeds of wine grapes and may be extremely helpful as a support to heart health. One meta-analysis (a study that combines and analyses the results of multiple studies) found that grape seed extract lowered systolic blood pressure and heart rate.
Another randomized study involving 36 individuals with above-average risk for cardiovascular disease found that supplementing with grape seed extract improved endothelial function, increased nitric oxide production, and reduced damage due to free radicals.
Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is not only tasty, but it is also filled with rich flavonoids that may help to support heart health. For example, one study found that molecules in pomegranate called polyphenols were able to prevent oxidation of low-density lipoprotein by macrophages.
Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is known as bad cholesterol because it can be altered and consumed by the body's immune cells. These altered immune cells then deposit themselves into the walls of arteries, which promotes atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis, the hardening of the body's blood vessels.
A meta-analysis found that pomegranate extract helped to lower blood pressure in under 12 weeks.
Red leaf spinach (Amaranthus tricolor), also called amaranth is a leafy plant found mainly in the Himalayan foothills. Research suggests that red leaf spinach may support a healthy heart.
One animal study showed that red leaf spinach extract protected the from additional damage by reducing oxidative stress, preventing fibrosis (scarring) of the heart tissues, and acting as an anti-inflammatory. This may be due to the high amount of antioxidants contained in red leaf spinach.
Another study involving 15 healthy participants showed that red leaf spinach improved blood flow to the lower limbs and increased nitric oxide in the bloodstream.
Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Muscles, including the heart, are made up of proteins,and amino acids may help support a healthy heart. For example, research shows that supplementing with L-carnitine, an amino acid found throughout the body, reduced oxidative stress, inflammation, and death of heart muscle cells. Another study found that an increased intake of the amino acid, L-arginine was linked to a lower incidence of coronary heart disease and blood pressure.
While supplements can be taken individually, some heart health products combine these nutrients for a powerful synergistic effect.
Choosing heart-healthy habits like regular exercise, proper nutrition, stress reduction, and supplementing with heart-healthy nutrients may help boost the cardiovascular system and keep a healthy heart.
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By Dr. Candace Mathers, N.D.
