Heart Health

Natural Ingredients for Heart Health Offer Powerful Cardiovascular Support

Cardiovascular disease is one of the top causes of death in the Western world. In an age of convenience foods and high stress, many people die of heart attacks, strokes and other diseases of our heart and blood vessels. There is a constant stream of new pharmaceuticals intended to preserve our cardiovascular system, but these are limited in effectiveness and come with a scary list of side effects. What if there was a list of safe and natural ingredients for heart health? New studies on the effects of different micronutrients may offer this guidance.

Amino Acids for a Healthy Cardiovascular System

Americans get more protein than we need, but we are often lacking in some of the amino acids that are necessary for good heart health. Amino acids are more than building blocks of proteins, but also essential for certain biochemical and enzymatic reactions need to have optimal health. L-arginine is one of these essential amino acids. Recent studies have found that this amino acid can help to prevent coronary artery disease, thus preventing serious illnesses such as heart attacks. It also has been found to help with peripheral artery disease, angina and other cardiovascular diseases.

L-arginine is not the only amino acid that is important in a strong cardiovascular system. L-proline and L-cysteine also appear to be crucial for heart health. Proline is important in building the collagen and other materials that make up healthy blood vessels. Taking in ample amounts of this amino acid has been found to improve the health of these tissues. L-cysteine, often taken as the popular supplement N-acetyl cysteine, acts as an antioxidant, helping to prevent damage to tissues from toxins. Both amino acids are an important part of a heart-healthy diet and supplement regimen.

Vitamins: Ingredients for Heart Health

A large part of maintaining good heart health is simply eating a range of vitamins and minerals. B vitamins, folic acid, calcium and magnesium have all been found to have a positive impact on cardiovascular health. These are all recommended for daily consumption by dietitians and nutritionists. However, few people get enough of these nutrients. The Western diet is simply too processed and depleted to maintain good cardiovascular health. For people who struggle with diet temptations, a vitamin supplement can help to maintain a healthy heart and cardiovascular system naturally.

Why are these nutrients so important? Research shows that they act as cofactors in metabolism, allowing cells to function optimally. We also know that they act as antioxidants, preventing damage from oxidative stress. B vitamins are especially important because they help the body to maintain high levels of homocysteine in the blood, which helps to support good cardiovascular health. Our hearts and blood vessels simply cannot function as well without a full range of vitamins and minerals to support good health.

Healing Heart Tissues the Natural Way

Taking a vitamin is an obvious way to stay healthy. However, there are other natural supplements that can also help to promote good cardiovascular health. Grapeseed extract has a growing body of evidence suggesting that it is vital for a healthy heart and vessels. In fact, this compound is believed to be partially responsible for many of red wine’s purported health benefits. Grapeseed extract reduces inflammation, helps blood vessels to function optimally and even may lower cholesterol levels.

CoQ10 is also an important supplement to take for its heart-healthy benefits. Also known as Coenzyme Q10 or ubiquinol, CoQ10 has been found in several studies to have a variety of beneficial cardiovascular effects. It lowers blood pressure and reduces plaque deposits on blood vessels. Is there anything this wonder supplement cannot do? CoQ10 is necessary for good cell function and made by the human body. However, levels decrease as we age, which may be partly responsible for much of the tissue degeneration that often accompanies growing older. Taking a supplement is a great way to ensure that you have enough CoQ10 to support good health at any age.

You have probably heard of many of these compounds that help promote a healthy heart. However, most people in the West have not heard of nattokinase, another supplement that has been found to improve cardiovascular health. Made from the popular fermented soybean dish natto, nattokinase has been used to lower the risk of blood clots after long airline flights. It also has a variety of other positive effects, including promoting general heart and artery health. Because Americans do not generally eat natto, the only food that contains this compound, taking a supplement is the only way to get the benefits of nattokinase.

Keeping good heart health begins with giving your cardiovascular system all of the ingredients that it needs to stay healthy. Taking a supplement with some or all of these ingredients is a great way to promote good heart health and whole body health at the same time.

Consuming Soy Isoflavones for Hormone Balance, Cardiovascular Support and Healthy Bones

May 19 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Soy is one of the more controversial foods in the modern culinary world. People read conflicting headlines every day that imply soy is either very good or very bad for us. However, there is no conflict about the benefits of soy isoflavones. These unique phytoestrogens from soy protein are increasingly being found in research to have a variety of positive health effects. Even if you are not a fan of soy in general, you may want to add isoflavones to your diet to get some of the health benefits of this kind of protein.

What Are Soy Isoflavones?

Why do people in Asia and other areas of the world have lower risk of heart disease and other serious illnesses? Many doctors and researchers believe that the answer is their high dietary intake of soy. Soy has a variety of health benefits, ranging from hormonal balance to preventing cancer to improving cholesterol and blood pressure numbers. According to new studies, these may be almost entirely due to the action of soy protein compounds such as isoflavones in the human body.

Isoflavones are a type of phytoestrogen, a substance that mimics the effects of estrogen in the human body, found mainly in soybeans as well as other legumes. They have been linked to a variety of beneficial effects, including:

decreasing the rate of breast and endometrial cancers
improving bone density to help protect against osteoporosis
reducing risk of prostate cancer
helping to protect a healthy heart, with specific effects on cholesterol numbers and the risk of strokes and heart attack
positive effects on age-related cognitive decline
promoting good gastrointestinal health and optimal digestion
reducing the symptoms of menopause

New studies suggest that these health benefits may be even more pronounced than previously believed. Soy isoflavones appear to make a meaningful difference in disease risk, often drastically reducing rates of certain diseases for many of the conditions listed here. This may be a major reason for the much higher rates of chronic disease in Western countries where soy and soy products are not a major part of the diet.

Inflammation: A Public Health Threat?

How can such a small component of soy protein have such a huge effect on a person’s health? Researchers believe that this is due to the inflammation-modulating and antioxidant effects of isoflavones. Oxidation and inflammation are the root of many diseases, so a protein that attacks these root causes will have beneficial effects in a variety of conditions.

In recent studies, isoflavones have been found to promote healthy cellular inflammatory processes. Only a small dose of soy protein is needed to get this effect; in recent studies, replacing just 12 percent of protein with soy was enough to get measurable health effects. This will benefit not just inflammatory diseases such as IBS and Crohn’s disease, but a variety of health issues. Caused by over-activity in the immune system, inflammation is believed to be the root cause of many serious diseases including heart disease and autoimmune disorders. Treating inflammation may reduce the risk of developing a wide range of diseases.

Second, isoflavones have been found in laboratories to act as antioxidants. They bind to and remove the dangerous oxygen radicals that are produced in cells as a result of different metabolic processes. If left unchecked, these radicals damage DNA and cell proteins, contributing to aging, cancer and a variety of negative health conditions. The antioxidant role of isoflavones is likely responsible for many of their health benefits.

Protecting against inflammation and oxidation are key to maintaining whole body health. This may be why people in Japan, China and other areas of high soy consumption have lower rates of serious diseases that threaten so many people in the West.

Getting More Isoflavones in Your Diet

How much soy protein do you need in your daily diet to get these health benefits? Doctors recommend that people take 50 mg of soy protein a day to improve their cardiovascular risk, or 40 to 80 mg a day if taking it to treat menopause or other hormonal imbalances. Regardless of the amount your physician recommends, there are a variety of ways to add more isoflavones to your diet. Consider adding some of these tasty foods to your diet:

soy dairy products such as soy milk, soy yogurt and soy cheese
tofu
tempeh and other soy-based meat substitutes
soy nuts
edamame
miso, an ingredient in the popular miso soup
natto and other products made with fermented soy beans

In addition, there are many supplements including capsules and protein shakes on the market that contain therapeutic levels of isoflavones and other beneficial components found in soy proteins. It is incredibly easy to add more of these nutritious proteins to your diet if you are interested in reaping the positive health effects.

Inflammation and oxidative stress appear to be the root causes of many of the most deadly and feared diseases faced by mankind. However, there are ways to naturally and safely prevent these conditions. Taking an isoflavone supplement may be a very important part of maintaining whole body health for a lifetime.

Controversial New Findings Spark Debate Over Saturated Fats and Heart Health

May 04 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

New research on saturated fats and heart health has set off a controversy in the medical community. Do saturated fats truly cause heart disease? Or are they really not that bad for you?

Medical advice changes almost by the week. One day we hear that margarine is better, the next day margarine is deadly and butter is the way to go. Sugar similarly has transformed from being a healthy dose of energy to a harbinger of diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Nowhere is this fast and constant shift of opinion so obvious as it is in the area of saturated fats. We have long accepted that they contribute to heart disease and other deadly illnesses. However, new research suggests that this may not be the case. Could we have been wrong about fatty foods like butter and bacon all along?

Saturated Fats and Heart Health

Found in red meat, full-fat dairy products and a variety of processed foods, saturated fat has long been the scapegoat of the nutritional world. Not only is it dense in calories, which can lead to weight gain, but several studies recognized even decades ago that it can clog blood vessels, contributing to both heart attack and stroke.

However, new research is beginning to suggest that the link between saturated fats and heart health may not be as clear as it once appeared. The controversy began anew in 2015 when a study suggested that while saturated fats are bad for the heart, the food compounds that people replace them with may be just as bad.

Is Saturated Fat Actually Bad for You?

Saturated fat and cholesterol are believed to contribute to cardiovascular disease by “clogging” the vessels that move blood around our bodies, similar to the gradual clogging of plumbing that can occur in our home. Because of significant evidence to support this, doctors have recommended for decades that people eat less saturated fat and keep their blood cholesterol numbers low.

A new study, however, shows no connection whatsoever between saturated fat and heart health. Instead, researchers now believe that simple lifestyle changes such as eating wholesome homemade food, getting adequate exercise and controlling stress are healthier than any kind of dietary deprivation. In fact, certain types of high-fat foods, including those rich in plant oils, actually reduce cardiovascular risk. People who eat saturated fats may actually be increasing their heart disease risk simply by eating too many processed items and not enough healthy fats.

However, this remains a controversial study among many doctors and scientists. Leading cardiologists insist that the authors of the recent study finding no correlation between saturated fats and heart disease are guilty of misleadingly compiling data while ignoring studies that prove their theory wrong. These cardiologists point out that the largest and most well-controlled studies have consistently found a link between saturated fats and heart disease for several decades and counting.

Lifestyle Choices for Whole Body Health

Although there is significant controversy about the role of saturated fat in heart disease, most doctors and experts agree on several lifestyle changes intended to improve cardiovascular health. Eating a plant-based, whole foods diet is one of the best things you can do for your health, as it cuts back on “bad” fats and additives while ensuring that you get enough vitamins and healthy fats. Taking a walk, as the study authors suggested, also is a lifestyle decision that will improve heart health and mental health at the same time. Getting enough sleep—while difficult for many people in the modern world—also is generally agreed to be a great decision for heart health.

Promoting Cardiovascular Health the Natural Way

If you want to give your heart an extra health boost, there are many all-natural nutrients and vitamins that have been proven to minimize the risk of cardiovascular disease and protect your heart. Consider adding one of these supplements to your daily regimen:

omega-3 fatty acids to reduce triglycerides, lower blood pressure and prevent atherosclerosis
folic acid to reduce levels of homocysteine, a natural product of the human body that can contribute to cardiovascular disease
B vitamins, which also reduce levels of homocysteine and contribute to better metabolism in general
calcium, which is essential for cardiac muscle function
magnesium for optimal function of nerves that control the cardiovascular system
coenzyme Q10, an antioxidant that protects heart and blood vessel tissues from oxidative damage
L-carnitine that reduces abnormal heart rhythms and the development of angina
grapeseed extract, which contains flavonoids that have been found to protect the heart and reduce cardiovascular disease

Is butter really that bad for you? New research calls this assumption into question. However, all data indicates that our hearts will be healthier if we eat a less-processed diet, get plenty of fresh air and take supplements that provide ingredients with proven cardiovascular benefits. Leading a healthy and well-balanced lifestyle is key to living a long and happy life.

Alarming Link Found Between Insomnia and Heart Disease, Stroke Risk

May 01 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Millions of Americans suffer from insomnia. This common concern may be affecting our health in a variety of negative ways, according to new research on insomnia and heart disease.

Most of us have suffered from at least a short bout of insomnia: You lay awake in bed for hours, watching the clock as a morning of exhaustion draws ever closer. Other people fall asleep quickly but are awakened so often that they do not feel rested in the morning. Insomnia is a temporary problem for most of us, but for some, it is a daily struggle. Not only does this leave insomniacs fatigued, but it also can increase the chance of developing serious illness. According to new research, there is a link between insomnia and heart attacks, heart disease and stroke.

Insomnia: A Modern Pandemic

Why do modern people struggle to get the sleep they need? For some, anxiety and stress are the root cause. Others may simply be more sensitive to the light pollution around us. Several popular medications can also make it difficult to fall and stay asleep. There are so many reasons to stay awake at night that it is a wonder any of us are sleeping well.

Whatever the reason, insomnia can have huge and negative effects on our lives and our bodies. People who do not get enough sleep are usually fatigued and unable to function optimally the next day. They score more poorly on tests of memory and mental aptitude; they are more likely to have accidents such as motor vehicle collisions. In addition, a lack of sleep means higher levels of inflammation in your body and less cell repair. Over time, this can have serious health effects.

Insomnia and Heart Disease

According to new research, our hearts suffer when we don’t get enough sleep. Heart failure is a disease in which our hearts lose the ability to effectively pump blood through our circulatory system. Almost three-fourths of people with heart failure have a long history of insomnia, suggesting that there is a link. In fact, having insomnia increases our risk of developing heart failure by 300 percent. Insomnia also increases the rate of heart attacks. Women appear to be disproportionately affected by insomnia.

The heart is not the organ that can suffer when people do not get enough sleep. Having insomnia leaves people at a 54 percent increased risk of having a stroke, in which the blood supply to the brain is compromised enough to kill delicate brain tissue. Strokes can have lifelong effects such as paralysis, loss of ability to care for oneself and loss of mental faculties. This increased risk is heightened in young people, who have an eight times greater chance of stroke when they suffer from insomnia.

Why Do We Need Sleep?

Why do people with insomnia suffer from so many negative health effects? They miss out on the restoration that happens when we are dreaming. Our cells perform important “cleanup” work when we are sleeping, getting rid of waste products and repairing the damage from the day. People who do not get enough sleep are not getting enough of this important behind-the-scenes cleanup. Like a house that is not maintained, their bodies slowly fall into disrepair that can compromise the health of the overall structure.

The result is that people who do not get enough sleep have higher levels of inflammation and greater amounts of cytokines and other molecules that cause inflammatory reactions. They do not repair DNA as effectively. Over time, these effects can lead to long-term damage to muscles that make up the heart as well as delicate blood vessels. When these tissues break down, heart disease and stroke are the unfortunate results.

Getting the Sleep You Need for Good Health

These links between insomnia and cardiovascular disease show how important it is to get the right amount of sleep. However, this is a struggle for many people. If you are having trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, consider the following natural treatments for insomnia:

Keep a routine. Go to sleep and wake up at the same time, even on weekends and vacations.
Practice good sleep hygiene. Use your bedroom only for sleep and sex. Consider implementing a night time routine that calms you and prepares your mind to shut down.
Turn down the lights. Lighting, especially the blue lighting from devices, keeps your brain from making hormones such as melatonin that encourage sleep.
Keep a restful sleeping space. Invest in comfortable sheets and pillows. Make sure the decorations in your bedroom are restful and calming to you.
Avoid caffeine, nicotine and other stimulants in the hours before bedtime.
If stress is keeping you awake, practice yoga or meditation an hour before bed to calm your anxiety level.
Consider taking a natural supplement intended to help with occasional sleeplessness, such as melatonin.
Avoid using sleeping pills and antihistamines like diphenhydramine to sleep. These create dependence and also leave you groggy in the morning.

Getting enough sleep can be difficult in the modern world. Lights and stress never go to sleep, so it is hard for our brains to do so. However, it is important to maintain habits that allow you to shut down and get the rest you need to be happy and healthy. Maintaining a stable sleep schedule is one of the most important lifestyle choices that a person can make to encourage whole body health.

Quercetin Benefits Heart Health and May Protect Against Cardiovascular Concerns

Apr 26 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Most people have heard of the health benefits of vitamin C, vitamin E and calcium. However, there are many compounds that may improve our health that have only recently been discovered. One of these compounds is a flavonoid called quercetin that appears to protect the cardiovascular system by helping to maintain healthy cholesterol and blood pressure within normal ranges while also protecting muscles from oxidation. What is this flavonoid? How can you get more of it in your diet?

Flavonoids: More Than Flavor

Scientists and doctors once recommended getting five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. This advice has been modified recently to a recommendation to eat produce of all the colors of the rainbow. Why is eating colorful foods now considered important? It ends up that the compounds that give fruits and vegetables their color and strong taste also have positive effects on our health. One of these flavonoids purported to benefit our health is a compound called quercetin.

Quercetin is present in strongly flavored vegetables such as capers, chili peppers and onions. In addition, people can get quercetin from leafy greens as well as dark red and purple fruits like black plums. Quercetin’s role in plants is to act as an antioxidant, preventing damage from the sun and pests. In humans it plays much the same role, helping to repair and prevent the damage caused by free radicals. Eating ample amounts of this flavonoid has also been found to help promote healthy cell growth in the past. According to new research, the benefits of quercetin may also include promoting cardiovascular health.

Quercetin Benefits for the Heart, Blood Vessels and Beyond

Several studies on quercetin have linked it to cardiovascular health. Cardiovascular disease is the top killer in the modern world, contributing to around 40 percent of deaths. Much of the damage is caused by free radicals. Our body needs oxygen to perform critical metabolic processes, but this does not come without a cost. These processes create reactive oxygen species, highly reactive ions that can damage the molecules that make up DNA and other cell components. Over time, this damage can lead to atherosclerosis, the hardening and narrowing of arteries that is one of the top contributors to cardiovascular disease.

Quercetin acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize these oxygen compounds and prevent them from causing damage. This antioxidant action can have very tangible results. Men who were given 100mg a day of quercetin had a measurable decrease in their cholesterol. Higher doses were found to lower blood pressure significantly. Even in low doses, quercetin benefits blood vessels by preventing the oxidation of LDL cholesterol, a crucial step in the narrowing of arteries that can contribute to stroke and heart attack.

Healing a Broken Heart?

This data all indicates that quercetin may help to prevent damage to the cardiovascular system. However, new research indicates that this flavonoid may also help heal existing damage. Researchers studied the effects of a quercetin-rich diet on mice with muscular dystrophy, a disease which damages muscles including those that make up the heart. The mice fed a special diet with high amounts of quercetin had less inflammation and less cell damage than mice with muscular dystrophy who were fed a normal diet.

Muscular dystrophy is a rare disease. However, damage to the muscles of hearts and blood vessels is common and contributes to cardiovascular disease. More research will be needed to determine whether quercetin can help to heal cardiovascular damage with causes other than muscular dystrophy, but the evidence is promising.

Are You Getting Enough Quercetin?

Quercetin is present in a wide variety of antioxidant-rich foods, including:

onions of all colors
capers
black grapes
black plums
dark leafy greens
hot peppers
cocoa
sweet potatoes
green herbs such as tarragon
darkly pigmented berries such as lingonberries and blackberries

People who eat a varied, plant-based diet will likely get enough of this compound to enjoy its health effects. However, the standard American diet does not include adequate amounts. Although quercetin is present in a wide variety of foods, these are not foods that most Western people eat in ample quantity. In order to ensure that they are getting a cardioprotective amount of this flavonoid, many people take a supplement that contains quercetin. While it is difficult to find supplements with high enough amounts to get the benefits of quercetin, there are several antioxidant blends on the market that contain it.

The benefits of quercetin are still being studied. However, it appears that this flavonoid may play a very important role in protecting the cardiovascular system as well as other tissues. Whether you get your quercetin from diet or from supplements, it is a good idea to ensure you are getting enough of this little-known nutrient.

Researchers Discover Link Between Vitamin D and Metabolic Syndrome

Jan 25 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

New research investigating the link between vitamin D and metabolic syndrome suggests that a deficiency of this nutrient may be a factor in rising rates of chronic illness.

Are you dealing with low energy, malaise and a lack of motivation? Are you also, like many Americans, struggling with maintaining healthy blood sugar, blood pressure or cholesterol levels? If so, the link between vitamin D and metabolic syndrome may offer both hope and a way of overcoming your challenges. With the winter looming over many of us, vitamin D has become a major topic of conversation—and a very common source of nutrient deficiency. Have you stored up enough of this vital nutrient to make it through the winter with optimal health?

The Power of the Sun

Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones and teeth as well as a variety of metabolic activities. If you have a severe deficiency, you are at risk of developing rickets, a disease in which people have soft bones that bow under their weight. However, even mild Vitamin D deficiencies can have an impact on life and health. People who are low in this vital nutrient may suffer from fatigue, depression and slow mental function. They also are more likely to suffer from metabolic syndrome, a disorder characterized by high blood sugar, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides and an accumulation of fat around their waist.

The reason so many people in the U.S. and Northern Europe are deficient in vitamin D is not a shortage of nutritious food, but rather a lack of sunshine. Vitamin D precursors can be found in some foods such as fatty fish and eggs as well as fortified cereals, to which it is added. It is then converted to a usable form in a series of steps involving the liver and kidneys. In addition, our skin cells can synthesize this vitamin when exposed to sunlight. People in far northern areas spend half of the year with sunlight that is not strong enough to fuel this chemical reaction; in addition, many of us wear sunscreen in warmer months to prevent skin cancer. The result is that vitamin D deficiencies and the associated health problems are becoming increasingly common in the Western world.

Vitamin D and Metabolic Syndrome

Several major recent studies have strengthened the previously known links between a lack of vitamin D and metabolic syndrome. Elderly people who have low levels of this nutrient are more likely to develop this disorder. In general, elderly people with high levels of vitamin D have lower blood sugar, lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol whether they have metabolic syndrome or not. In addition, diabetics who have vitamin D deficiencies are more likely to have out-of-control blood sugar, putting them at risk of developing serious complications such as damage to their eyes and kidneys.

Clearly vitamin D is important in preventing metabolic syndrome. However, once people have been diagnosed with this disorder, getting enough vitamin D becomes even more important. One recent study has indicated that low vitamin D levels are necessary for metabolic syndrome to progress into the serious diseases associated with it such as diabetes and heart disease. Preventing these complications is the major goal of metabolic syndrome treatment, so getting enough vitamin D may be crucial to the health of the millions of Americans with this disorder.

Increasing Vitamin D Levels

If you suspect that you have low vitamin D, there are simple blood tests to measure levels of this nutrient that any doctor can prescribe for you. However, different people need different levels to function optimally, so a normal score does not automatically mean that you are not at risk. Be sure to get time in the sun every day without sunscreen; even short amounts of time in the summer can make a huge difference. Keep these exposures small so you do not tan or burn, raising your risk of skin cancer and premature aging.

If you live in an area where sunlight is weak or cloud cover is common, consider adding more fortified cereals, oily fish and eggs to your diet. Alternately, you can simply take a vitamin D supplement or a comprehensive multivitamin that contains vitamin D. There are several forms of vitamin D, with D3 (cholecalciferol) being the most potent, so it is important to get the right kind. In addition, it is always good for your health to eat less sugar and saturated fats, lowering your risk of metabolic syndrome overall.

While we have been trained to fear the rays of the sun, a few minutes of its potent light can make a large difference in your health. Not only will higher vitamin D levels leave you feeling more energetic and motivated, but they will also help to prevent some of the most serious chronic illnesses faced by people in the West.