Posts Tagged ‘Heart Study’

Heart Disease Diet Plan-Why Fish Oil Is Great For Your Heart

Sunday, October 31st, 2010

Study after study has shown that a diet high in cold water fish like salmon and herring is good for the cardiovascular system. Rather than being full of saturated fats, cold-water fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids that have a dramatic effect on the heart and circulatory system. Cutting the risk for heart attacks and strokes may be as simple as adding fish or fish oil supplements to the diet. Along with these benefits come many more. Omega-3 oils reduce the likelihood of heart attacks by several actions.

A recent study shows that the risk for a heart attack is lowered by a full 65% when people have a high fish intake. Omega-3 fatty acids thin the blood, making it flow more easily and lessening the risk of dangerous clots. They also are anti-inflammatory, reducing the risk for artery damage and resulting atherosclerosis. Another benefit is the regulatory action they have on the heart itself. They are believed to stabilize electric currents that control the heart beat, decreasing the likelihood of arrhythmia and episodes of rapid heart rate.

Not only do omega-3s protect the heart, they provide many more health benefits as well. The anti-inflammatory properties of fish oil are believed to have a protective action that decreases cancer risk. Two recent studies have shown that women between the ages of 50 and 76 shows a 32% decrease in the rate of breast cancer in the group that took fish oil supplements. This study followed the dietary habits of these women for six years. Another showed that those who either ate cold-water fish or took fish oil supplements had half the rate of colon cancer as the group who didn’t.

Another benefit is to the skin. Both acne and psoriasis improve with the addition of omega-3 rich fish oil supplements. Dry skin becomes softer and smoother with increased omega-3 in the diet.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American medical Association studied heart patients and found that those with the highest levels of fish oil intake also had a lower marker for cell aging. This study found that telomeres, associated with the chromosomes, showed less shortening in those with the high omega-3 levels. Shortened and damaged telomeres are believed to lead to premature aging of the cell and possibly cancerous growth.

Slowing the aging of cells, fish oils can prevent many degenerative diseases that are blamed on early cell death and damage. Adding cold-water fish to the diet or taking fish oil supplements can help prevent damage and disease in the cardiovascular system, helping to prevent heart attacks and strokes. The great thing about natural foods and supplements when compared to many pharmaceuticals, is their multiple beneficial actions on many parts of the body. Any illness causes strain on the heart and cardiovascular system, so fish oil and all its health benefits result in a healthier heart and a healthier you.


Cardiovascular Heart Disease-Pets Are Good for the Heart

Sunday, July 18th, 2010

Study after study supports the old idea that pet owners live longer. They do! Both dog and cat owners have been shown to have lower incidences of heart disease that those who do not own pets. In the United States, over 60 percent of households have pets and now it has been shown that not only do they provide companionship, they provide health benefits too.

One study conducted by the University of Minnesota’s Stroke Institute followed 4,000 Americans for ten years. The result of the study was the risk of a heart attack was reduced by almost a third when compared with people who did not own a cat. A key point seems to be that the lower levels of stress and anxiety among cat owners leads to a healthier cardiovascular system. Researchers cannot prove that it is the calming effect of owning a cat that lowers the risk for heart attack but the study conclusively showed that the cat owners had a significantly lower risk of fatal heart disease. Studies like this one point out the fact that many people are prevented from having pets due to regulations in apartment buildings.

Another study conducted by the Baker Medical Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, measured blood pressure and cholesterol levels in pet owners and non-owners. This study found a significant difference in both measures. Men who were pet owners had lower systolic blood pressure and lower cholesterol levels. Women showed the same results. One issue raised in this study was that pet owners, especially dog owners, tend to get more exercise than non-owners. When all other factors including body-mass, smoking, and socioeconomic level were taken into consideration, a significant difference in blood pressure and cholesterol was found based on pet ownership.

An interesting study from 2002 shows that both heart rates and blood pressure increased less when pet owners were asked to solve math problems while their pets were present. The physiological sign of stress were reduced just by the presence of the pets.

These are just a few of the research studies that support the theory that pet ownership can reduce hypertension, reduce cholesterol, increase exercise and provide therapy for those who may suffer from coronary disease.

To Your Heart’s Health
Monique Hawkins
540-858-2885
mentormonique@gmail.com
Remember to sign up for my “You Deserve To Have A Healthy Heart” Newsletter!

P.S. For more information about Vita Che, the natural Roto Rooter for your arteries, visit this online nutrition store at http://699456.shopvitamark.com

Women's Heart  Problems-Two Tips for A Strong Healthy Heart

Friday, May 14th, 2010

Base and diaphragmatic surface of heart.
Image via Wikipedia

Everyone needs a strong, healthy heart. This is important because our hearts is like an engine that drives our active lifestyle, and it must be in good health to maintain our muscles and bones, keep our minds sharp, and have an on-going sharp mind. Here are two tips that will help you as a woman keep a strong heart.

Tip #1: Get a heart scan after menopause. It’s scary to think about but even women with normal cholesterol levels can have heart disease! Dr. Mehdi Razavi, a heart specialist at the Texas Heart Institute, says for women to talk to their doctor about getting a coronary artery scan. The test measures calcium accumulation in the arteries which is a predictor of heart disease risk. It also can spot troubles when other tests such as those that test cholesterol levels, are normal.

Tip #2: Go Mediterranean. There are many heart-healthy diets around today. However, not all are created equal. It seems the diet that beats them all is the Mediterranean diet which prevents and even reverses heart disease. Women whose diets include monounsaturated fats from olive and canola oils, nuts, fish, along with loads of fruits and vegetables rduced their reoccurence of heart problems by a whopping 50-70% according to the Lyon Diet Heart Study in Paris.

These are two easy things that women with heart problems and those who do not have heart problems can do to develop a strong heart and prevent or even reverse heart disease. Make sure you follow these tips today!

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