By Isabelle, Head Nutritionist
According to the British Heart Foundation, heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. In the UK alone, 7.6 million people live with heart and circulation diseases and every 3 minutes someone dies from a heart or circulatory disease. Every 5 mins, someone is admitted to the hospital due to a stroke. There are about 168, 000 annual deaths from heart and circulatory diseases of which 47,000 are premature.
Research shows that inflammation has a pivotal role in all aspects of cardiovascular disease from early stage initial lesions in our arteries to end-stage complications leading to a heart attack. The inflammatory process can start when the immune system is activated to protect the body from harm.
When it comes to heart disease, the immune system will recognise the oxidative damage that occurs within our arteries. It will react and try to ‘engulf’ the potentially harmful substances and the lesions that are eventually formed on the artery walls narrow our vessels. It is important to help protect our cells from oxidative damage and reduce the inflammatory response, as its constant low-grade inflammation can be very harmful.
Here are our 4 tips to help protect your heart.
1) Include Turmeric in your daily routine
Rich in plant compounds such as Curcumin, Turmeric has been found to have anti-inflammatory effects as well as being rich in antioxidants which help protect our cells. Introduce turmeric in your dishes or teas to jazz them up. Look into a superior alcohol -free botanical extract or convenient capsules for an ‘on-the-go’ intake.
We recommend Nature’s Answer’s Turmeric liquid drops or their Turmeric 3 capsules
2) Level up on your Magnesium
Magnesium plays an important role in cardiovascular health. It helps support the maintenance of cellular membrane potential, functioning of the mitochondria and plays a key role in the body’s antioxidative pathways. As a result, we know that a deficiency in magnesium can lead to multiple cardiovascular diseases such as diabetes, hypertension or atherosclerosis amongst others. Our stressful and busy lifestyles coupled with modern western diets are responsible for low levels of Magnesium.
Introduce more pulses such as lentils and chickpeas; brown rice; nuts and seeds such as almonds and pumpkin seeds and dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach. A healthy intake of protein also helps to keep our blood sugar levels balanced, along with an active lifestyle can help lower levels of inflammation and support a healthy heart.
Try Nature’s Answer’s Liquid Magnesium or their Marine Magnesium capsules for a needed boost.
3) Don’t forget your Heathy Fats
Consuming oily fish as well as nuts and seeds not only provide a healthy intake of fats but also an intake of protein. Omega 3 fatty acids are a group of polyunsaturated fats. Omega-3’s DHA and EPA are mainly found in oily fish. However if you are not a fish eater, the vegetarian alternatives provide a form of omega-3 known as ALA, which in turn converts into the essential EPA and DHA in the body.
Omega-3 fats help keep inflammation at bay, lower triglycerides levels, reduce the build -up of cholesterol and help protect our hearts. Examples of fatty acids include oily fish such as salmon, sardines, anchovies or mackerel; avocado, seeds like chia and flax or nuts.
Get your Omega hit with Nature’s Answer Omega 3 Black Seed Oil or Organic traditions Ahi Flower Oil
4) Relax
Stress can contribute to common risk factors that lead to cardiovascular heart disease. Stress can also lead to changes that lead to the build up or plaque in our arteries. Research suggests that high levels of cortisol (stress hormone) can lead to increased blood pressure or blood sugar levels.
So enjoy some down-time and self -care when you can. Soothing music, nutritious food, a bath, a good book or time to re-connect with nature or your family can all help in one way or another.
References
· British Heart Foundation (2021)
· British Medical Journal (2018): Magnesium for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. Available at https://openheart.bmj.com/content/openhrt/5/2/e000775.full.pdf
· Heart UK: Omega 3 fats (heartuk.org.uk)
