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Heart Disease
Originally published in Natural Living MagazineHeart disease kills millions of people each year, with a large proportion living in North America. The sad thing is that dying from heart disease is as preventable as dying from drug or alcohol abuse. Controlling factors such as diet, exercise, stress, cholesterol and triglyceride levels, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption is essential if we are going to protect ourselves against this killer. Heart disease can kill without warning. Signs such as shortness of breath and chest pain may not even occur before a severe heart attack or stroke. Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, takes place without any pain.
Many say that heart disease is an inherited disease. Logical thinking dispels this belief. Think of the Japanese, who suffer from a fraction of the heart disease that North Americans do and yet, when they come to live in North America and adopt a typical North American diet, their rate of heart disease increases to our level. Since heart disease itself is not inherited, it is most likely lifestyle and habit that make us prone to heart disease.
Keeping this in mind, it is not only one thing that leads to heart disease; it is always a combination of things that we do which causes our arteries to harden. Overdoing any one of the risk factors may not lead to heart disease, since an otherwise healthy body can compensate. Consider the Japanese example again. They have just as much stress and anxiety as we do but have a different diet than North Americans and their rate of heart disease is only 1/10 of ours. Slightly abusing two or more of the risk factors will greatly increase your risk of heart disease. We may be able to survive narrowed arteries if our blood stays slippery but if our arteries are narrowed and our blood becomes sticky, then heart disease is inevitable.
We must always keep in mind that exercise is not an option. It should be done every day to maintain a strong heart. Try to keep stress levels to a minimum. Learn how to deal with and release stress in a healthy way. Do not keep it bottled up inside causing the high blood pressure which may damage the muscles of the arteries. Avoid smoking and over-consumption of alcohol which can contribute to an overabundance of free radicals that can also damage the artery muscles. Eating a diet high in fibre, low in hydrogenated and saturated fats, with more fruits and vegetables, along with a proper ratio of carbohydrates and proteins will help keep the arteries healthy and cholesterol levels in check.
High cholesterol levels are not the main cause of heart disease as most people believe. Hardening of the arteries develops when damage to the artery walls occurs, usually from excess free radicals. This causes platelets, fibrin, and other factors to gather on the walls to try to repair the damage. A rough spot then develops which can trap minerals, cholesterol, fats, and the other substances that form plaque. An overabundance of plaque on artery walls means there is less space for blood to flow normally.
The term heart disease pertains to a whole group of disorders that are characterized by an abnormality of the heart or vascular system. Atherosclerosis is the buildup of plaque on the artery walls that reduces vascular wall elasticity and blood flow. Coronary artery disease is atherosclerosis of the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the heart muscle. A heart attack is the damage to heart tissue resulting from a diminished blood supply and, consequently, a diminished supply of oxygen and nutrients. A stroke is the damage to brain tissue resulting from a diminished blood supply which may result from atherosclerosis of the arteries supplying the neck and brain with blood. Other causes may include a blood clot which closes off one of the arteries, a traveling blood clot which lodges in an artery, a cerebral hemorrhage, or a cerebral aneurism which is a weakened artery in the brain that can burst. Hypertension, or high blood pressure, reduces arterial wall elasticity and increases the heart's workload. Congestive heart failure is the abnormal pumping by a weakened heart which results in diminished blood flow and fluid retention.
As stated before, a person has no control over some risk factors such as sex, age and genetics but other factors are controllable. Diet plays a critical role in the prevention of heart disease but a change in diet alone is not a guarantee that heart disease will be prevented.
Steps taken to reduce the amount of free radicals in your system that can cause damage to artery walls are very important. There are many herbs and supplements you can take to help strengthen the blood vessels and that work as antioxidants to prevent free radical damage. These herbs include Grapeseed Extract, Pycnogenol, Butcher's Broom, Ginkgo Biloba, and Bilberry to name a few. Vitamin C with bioflavonoids and other nutrients including Vitamin E, Selenium, Beta Carotene, Alpha Lipoic Acid, and CoEnzyme Q10 all work to prevent free radical damage.
Good blood circulation is important to help oxygenate the whole body from head to toe. Exercise will help get the blood moving and strengthen the heart. Herbs such as Sangster's Cayenne 50,000HU and Ginger Root have a nice stimulating effect on the blood. Niacin, also known as Vitamin B3, stimulates the blood to the extent that some people will get a flushing effect from the increase in blood flow.
Keeping the blood from becoming too sticky so it can flow freely throughout the body is of utmost importance. Diet is a huge factor in this area. Having the majority of the foods you eat being fruits, vegetables and higher fibre foods instead of heavy fat-laden proteins, cakes, pastries and other goodies is essential. If a person's carbohydrate intake is high their cholesterol levels will remain high.
Supplements to help blood flow freely and lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels are Sangster's Mega Odourless Garlic, Guggulipids, and Essential Fatty Acids found in Flax Seed Oil, Evening Primrose Oil and Fish Oils. These will help increase beneficial HDL levels of cholesterol and decrease the bad LDL levels. Lecithin is a fat emulsifier that will help break down fats in the bloodstream and regulate cholesterol levels.
Stress management in the form that suits you is necessary. Minerals are very important as supplements in helping the body cope with stress along with a B Compound. The main minerals that seem to be needed for heart health and lowering blood pressure due to stress are Magnesium, Calcium and Potassium. Magnesium especially has been linked to heart health. A deficiency can cause heart palpitations and a general weakness of the heart tissue. Many heart attack victims have been found to possess low levels of Magnesium.
Hawthorn, found in Sangster's CoEnzyme Q10 and HRT formula, is probably one of the most specific herbs for the heart. It is rich in Vitamin C and bioflavonoids that help strengthen the blood vessels. It works as a vasodilator which increases the flow of oxygen and blood to the heart. It also lowers blood pressure and helps strengthen the heart muscle. It works as a diuretic to rid the body of excess salt and water, a risk factor for congestive heart failure.
As we can see, there are many steps that can be taken to prevent heart disease. All it takes is a little initiative and guidance with regards to nutritional supplements and dietary changes. Prevention is the key to preserving any aspect of our health.
Entire contents ©1999, Sangsters Health Centres · (306) 653-4481
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