In this post, we’ll cover diet and lifestyle choices to help support your health health. The heart is made up of specialised tissue called cardiac muscle tissue. This spectacular type of tissue is only found in your heart!
This incredible organ has many functions: pumping blood throughout the body via circulation, supplying oxygen and nutrients to the tissues and removing carbon dioxide and other wastes. It contracts an average of 100,000 times per day and sends approximately 7,500 litres of blood through the body.
Although there are several different conditions that can affect the heart. The most common condition is coronary heart disease (CHD). CHD is caused by a build-up of plaque (atherosclerosis) inside the main coronary arteries that supply oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle to keep it pumping. Plaque consists of cholesterol, fatty substances, waste products and the clot-making protein, fibrin. [1]
The good news is that there are plenty of lifestyle choices you can make to minimise your risk of atherosclerosis. These include exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, and eating a healthy diet. A well-rounded lifestyle and incorporating some of these choices can lower risk the factors for CHD such as high blood pressure and high LDL cholesterol.
Foods and nutrition to support heart health
Food can either help or hinder you in supporting your heart health.
Beans and legumes and oats are all rich in soluble fibre, which help to bind to cholesterol and remove it through the liver bile, lowering blood cholesterol levels.
Monounsaturated fats in the form of extra virgin olive oil are preferable to eating high amounts of industrial polyunsaturated seed oils, which may be pro-inflammatory.
Omega 3 fats from fatty fish such as salmon, sardines and mackerel, walnuts, and seeds such as ground flaxseed have been found to lower triglycerides (fat in the blood).
Even if you’re not overweight, it is advisable to restrict refined sugar, especially processed fructose in soft drinks, sweets, and ice cream. A high-sugar diet may encourage the liver to dump more harmful fats into the bloodstream and cause damaging reactions with other proteins in the form of AGEs (Advanced Glycation End Products).
Serrapeptase is a type of enzyme produced by silkworms that can break down proteins. It may be helpful in combating inflammation caused by damaged tissue and fibrin (the tough protein formed in blood clots). However, initial findings need stronger confirmation.
Lifestyle changes for heart health
According to Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, aerobic exercise and resistance training are the most important for heart health. Aerobic exercise improves circulation, which lowers blood pressure and heart rate. It also boosts cardiac output (how well your heart pumps) and balances blood sugar levels. [2]
Experts suggest you should aim for at least 30 minutes per day, at least five days a week. Good activities to achieve this include brisk walking, running, cycling, playing tennis and swimming.
Resistance training can also be useful if you are carrying extra weight which is putting an additional strain on your heart.
A combination of aerobic exercise and resistance work may help lower LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and create leaner muscle mass. Aim for two nonconsecutive days per week.
Good examples include working out with free weights, using weight machines, or through body resistance exercises such as push-ups, squats, and chin-ups.
Herbs for the heart
Finally, some natural herbs can be good to include as part of a heart-healthy routine.
- Garlic is well-known for heart health: it lowers LDL cholesterol and may be a natural blood thinner. However, it should be avoided if you have already been prescribed the blood-thinning medication warfarin.
- Curcumin, the active compound found in turmeric, has been widely researched for its potential as an anti-inflammatory agent, as well as for its blood-thinning and antioxidant properties.
- Hawthorn is high in antioxidants to support healthy coronary blood flow and some research studies have shown promising benefits to circulation and blood pressure.
- Olive leaf is a potent immune-boosting herb that not only can support you when you’re run down or suffering from a cold but may offer the body protection from free radical damage, which in turn benefits the heart.
- Cinnamon is a versatile spice that may improve some of the common risk factors for heart disease, including cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure.
These herbs can be incorporated into cooking or taken as a supplement or extract. A word of caution, however: some herbs can increase the risk of bleeding if you are on heart medication such as warfarin, antiplatelet drugs and NSAIDs, so check with a doctor first.
[1] (my.clevelandclinic.org)
[2] (https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/3-kinds-of-exercise-that-boost-heart-health)
