No signs or symptoms are usually visible until the problem becomes significant. Occasionally, yellowish patches appear around the eyelids or in the outer margin of the iris of the eye. Lumps may form in the tendons of the body, especially in the Achilles tendon.

But most of the time, the fatty waxy yellowish substance lodges inside the walls of the blood vessels, where you cannot see it. That’s why you must have your blood levels checked on a regular basis, even if you feel healthy. It could be a family issue you are unaware of.

One of the rare causes of hypercholesterolemia is genetics. It is then referred to as familial hypercholesterolemia. There are actually two genetic mutations, one being much rarer than the other. The rarest form can cause severe cardiovascular disease during childhood. People with the more common, but still rare form tend to develop cardiovascular disease between the ages of 30 and 40.

If members of your family have died from heart attacks at relatively young ages, the reason could be familial high cholesterol. It is in your best interest to get a blood test.

Watch Your Diet

Excessive dietary intake of saturated and trans-fatty acids is the most common cause of hypercholesterolemia in the Western world. Dietary cholesterol was at one time blamed, but most research indicates that cholesterol-rich foods like eggs can be consumed in moderation. For example, eating three eggs per week is okay.

Some people have switched to a vegetarian or vegan diet. Usually the result are quite remarkable. Meat, especially red meat, is a source of saturated fat that can cause high cholesterol.

Get Moving and Keep Going

Another common cause is lack of physical activity. Physical activity is one of the only things that raise HDL levels. HDL is considered “good” cholesterol, because it carries the yellow goo out of the bloodstream. LDL particles are the ones that “stick around” in the blood.

You Have Heard the Warnings Repeatedly

Smoking and alcohol consumption in excess of one or two drinks per day are other causes of high cholesterol. Both smoking and alcohol can cause the liver to produce more LDL particles.

Anyone who is obese should have their HDL and LDL blood levels checked regularly. Obesity raises triglyceride levels. Triglycerides are fats in the bloodstream. Triglycerides include free fatty acids and the cholesterol particles we have been talking about. When a person has high cholesterol, their total blood triglycerides are also higher than normal.

Age a Factor -?

Getting older is a possible cause, although not necessarily inevitable. Dietary changes and improved nutritional status can combat high cholesterol regardless of a person’s age.

A number of other health problems can cause hypercholesterolemia including:

* Hypothyroidism
* Pancreatitis
* Type II diabetes
* Nephrosis
* Cirrhosis and other liver diseases

Certain prescription medications can also cause the health problem including progesterone, corticosteroids, anabolic steroids and diuretics. No drug is without risk and many of them have a negative effect on liver function. Anything that messes with the liver can cause hypercholesterolemia, as well as other health problems.

6 Things That Lead To Heart Attacks

Age

The most important risk factor of attacks is age. Men aged above 45 years and women aged above 55 years are more susceptible to the risk of attack. Arteries supply oxygen rich blood to other parts of the body. As you age, they become firm and less flexible. This in turn causes elevate blood pressure. As your heart needs to adjust to the increase in blood pressure, it becomes vulnerable to damages.

Diet and Lifestyle

Diet plays a crucial role in increasing the risk of heart attacks. If you take animal fats and saturated fats in large quality, your risk of having attack is more. High fat, sugary, salt laden foods are enemies to your heart. Unhealthy lifestyle can also lead to attack. A study shows that people who do not exercise are more likely to get a heart attack than people who exercise regularly. Smoking is another important risk factor that causes heart attacks.

Genes

If your parents or grandparents had heart diseases, your risk of getting a attack is high. Heart disease is normally inherited from genes.

Obesity and Overweight

Nowadays, many people suffer from the problem of overweight and obesity. A study shows that 15% of children and adolescents in the U.S. are overweight. Overweight children become overweight adults and they have an increased risk of dying from heart attack or some other heart disease.

Blood Cholesterol Levels

If your blood cholesterol level is high, you are at the risk of developing blood clots in the arteries. These blood clots can block blood flow to the heart muscle, causing attack. High cholesterol increases the risk of developing atherosclerosis, a condition caused by hardening of the arteries, which damages arteries and other tissues in the heart. It increases the risk of stroke and attacks.

Diabetes

Diabetes is one of the main risk factors of attacks. High blood glucose increases the risk of attack. 65% of people with diabetes die from heart diseases.

If you realize that you have the risk of having a heart attack, you need to take some steps immediately. Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight, eating foods low in saturated fats, cholesterol and sugar, quitting smoking, getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity daily and taking medications to keep diabetes under control can help prevent attack.

Most of the time there is nothing to be worried about, however, when they first occur you should consult your Doctor as they may signal an underlying condition. Apart from the obvious (excess caffeine, alcohol, stimulants, pain or stress), these underlying conditions may include anything from a menopausal condition to Toxic Goitre (thyroid problems).

There are two major types of arrhythmias: tachycardia (the heartbeat is too fast) and bradycardia (the heartbeat is too slow). Arrhythmias are identified by where they occur in the heart (atria or ventricles) and by what happens to the heart’s rhythm when they occur. However, unfortunately (or fortunately) for most, the doctor will not be able to pinpoint your exact cause. This is where alternative solutions need to come into play before more serious methods.

The word “alternative” has gotten a bad rap over the years. When it comes to palpitations, most alternative solutions are just commonsensical approaches. I recommend to others that you need to combat palpitations threefold by re-evaluating your lifestyle choices (smoking, sleep, stress, etc.), your supplementation choices (magnesium, calcium, etc.) and your dietary choices (what foods to eat and how you consume them). Let’s briefly examine the latter and why it is critical for you to rethink how you stock your refrigerator.

Chances are you have heard some variation of the following scenario. A family, who after following a plant-based diet, was able to turn three little ADHD brats into extremely well-behaved angels. Stories like these, where food is the cure, are endless. Food clearly plays a leading role in your health and it is no exaggeration to think your palpitations can cease from choosing the correct culinary choices.

These food choices influence your body in two main ways. Firstly, the nutrients that food provides either help or hinder your overall health. Secondly, foods that the body disagrees with will realise a form of toxic matter, causing the brain to release a toxic by-product around your body to fight this.

For others, they experience palpitations directly after eating. This is in part due to more blood being pumped to your stomach to aid digestion. There are a list of possibilities as to why this occurs, however, it all comes down to improper eating. A few basic reasons are as follows:

(1) Oversized portions. Gigantic meal sizes mean more pressure on your body and more work for the heart to pump blood to the stomach.

(2) Not varying your electrolytes. If your foods choices are predominately high in potassium or sodium, then the chances are you need variety in your food.

(3) Hormonal imbalances. It is best if you consult your doctor for a proper analysis if you think this could be the case. This is often so for women who are pregnant.

(4) Improper eating. The odds are you know how to eat healthy, but also know you could be making major changes in this department. Of course, too much caffeine, sugar, alcohol, chocolate and yeast products may very well be at the root of your problem.

Never underestimate the power of food. Many cultures have long held their own remedies for calming the heart and preventing palpitations. Thanks to modern science we can now explore their nutritional properties and validate the rationale behind the “why”.

Every individual’s body chemistry differs and what causes palpitations in one person may not be the same trigger in the other. Having said that though, we are all built the same and need the same basic inputs.

There is a good chance that by revamping your life, you may very well never have a palp again. Sit down and have an objective look at your life and try some changes for a few weeks to see if you notice any difference.

Dr. Laura Kubzansky, an associate professor of Society, Human Development, and Health at Harvard School of Public Health is currently studying about how emotions like anxiety, anger, or depression are differentially linked to the development of Coronary Heart Disease. She believes that, positive emotions can make an individual healthier stated at a forum discussion last August 2, 2011 titled “Positive Feelings Are Good for Your Heart: Emotion and (Mal) Adaptive Processes over the Life Course”. Researchers wonder if there is somehow certainty that positive behaviors will make people avoid smoking, drink, push themselves to do regular exercise, improve their sleeping habits, and produce higher levels of good cholesterol (HDL), factors which are supposed to help induce heart disease.

Anger is not only the main cause, according to Kubzansky, many researchers disagree that it really plays a role in the development of heart disease. Her study proposes that people who are angry a lot also persuade to more likely chronic negative emotions such as anxiety and depression.

She also stated that many studies suggested significant relation making the case quite strong. Moreover, a study from Canada was conducted and researchers examined nine of the top risk for heart disease, namely smoking, obesity, and lack of exercise. They have found that anguish concerning work place or relationships was related with heart attack. And also, at the University of Pittsburgh, a study suggested that people who are pessimistic have a higher risk in acquiring atherosclerosis.

Scientists cogitate that anger has a direct biological effects in the heart. These are the following:

1. Anger contributes to activate the hypothalamic -pituitary -adrenal axis, which is responsible for our body’s reaction to stress and many body processes such moods and emotions, digestion, the immune system, sexuality, energy storage and expenditure, and many kinds of mental disorders.

2. It triggers the sympathetic nervous system, fight or flight response. This is the primary stage of an animal or people to general adaptation syndrome that regulates stress among them. With which, when stimulated, helps us in time of emergency however is damaging when it persist time and again. High cortisol and high adrenaline levels happens.

3. Increased stress hormones affects the neurohumoral regulation of metabolic processes hence may lead to fatty plaque build up or atherosclerosis.

4. Whenever an individual gets mad, the heart pumps harder, blood vessels tighten, blood pressure heightens, and there are higher glucose and fat globules in the blood that cause damage to artery walls.

Cholesterol

The world of cholesterol and cholesterol scoring can be rather confusing. Most people think that having high cholesterol is bad, but that is only true of one type of cholesterol. Many people don’t realize that there are actually two kinds of cholesterol and any time you get your levels tested both of these levels are measured.

HDL

The good kind of cholesterol is called HDL or high density lipoprotein. This kind of cholesterol is beneficial to your body and will help to keep the bad levels in check. The normal levels of cholesterol when looking at the HDL numbers are at a score of 60 or above. A score of at least 60 is what you want, but the higher the number the better. If you have an HDL score of fewer than 40 you are at an increased risk for heart disease; which can lead to heart attack.

HDL is fast moving and works as is part of the building blocks that make up your cells, bile, and body. These forms of lipoprotein will also help to move the slower and “bad” cholesterol out of your arteries. For having at least normal levels of cholesterol in HDL is vitally important.

LDL

The other kind of cholesterol is the bad brother to HDL. The bad cholesterol is called LDL or low density lipoprotein. Having a score of less than 100 is optimal for the LDL variety. Of course, your age and family history will help to determine what the normal levels of cholesterol are when it comes to LDL. This type of cholesterol is slow and prone to clogging your arteries; which can lead to stroke or heart attack.

The LDL levels of cholesterol are broken down into several levels because they tend to fluctuate more than the HDL variety.

Basically, if your score is 100 to 120 this is considered normal or close to borderline. At this level your doctor would more likely want to watch your levels, and depending on your HDL rating, you might need to change your diet or look at adding in supplements to try and improve your score.

An LDL score of 130 to 159 is considered borderline. An LDL score of 160 to 189 is also high, but not as serious as a score above that. Any number in this range should be considered serious and immediate changes to lifestyle and diet should be considered.

With LDL cholesterol a score of 190 or higher is considered dangerous and a serious immediate health risk. Your doctor will probably want to put you on prescription drugs immediately. It is also likely that you will be given a required restricted diet and frequent blood level checks until your levels get back under normal levels of cholesterol.

Knowing the normal levels of cholesterol is important because high levels of the bad kind and low levels of the good kind can lead to all sorts of serious medical problems including death.

Pains in the chest have different characteristics. A person may experience dull or sharp pains. Based from the recent study, women are statistically low compared to men. The sensation of pain is transmitted by the complex nerves of the body. This means that the pain that a person encounters may originate from other distal organs of the body. An example would be stomach pains. Stomach pains can be transmitted by the underlying nerves of the stomach to the chest. This mimics a sensation of a chest pain that originates from the heart. You need to be cautious when determining if the pain is life threatening. Heart attack is one of the most alarming pain conditions.

The condition is brought about by the accumulation of fat at the coronary arteries. The obstruction of the coronary artery lessens or even totally blocks the entry of blood supply to the muscle of the heart. An extreme pain is elicited by this condition. This condition needs urgent intervention to alleviate the pain as well as to preserve some of the healthy portion of the heart muscles. Angina is another kind of chest pain that originates from the poorly oxygenated blood that the muscle of the heart receives. It is less severe compared to heart attack but needs proper medical intervention. Pain felt in the chest that is usually encountered after having a full meal is called heart burn. This occurs because of the reflux of the excess gastric acid production of the stomach.

Pains in the chest suggests a variety of health conditions and concerns. You should always consider the advice of your trusted healthcare provider. It is always important to treat the condition urgently. These conditions give a good prognosis if a swift action and intervention is initiated. If ever you have a preexisting disease, make sure that you comply with your prescribed maintenance medications to keep you from experiencing the painful course of the disease. Always remember that an informed individual makes good decisions about his self.

Cardiovascular disease is just one type of heart disease. It occurs when the blood vessels running between the heart and other areas of the body become clogged. This clogging prevents blood from flowing in and out of the heart and can also affect blood flow to the brain. The clogging is often caused by consumption of foods high in saturated fats on a routine basis. There are other potential causes, but dietary concerns are at the very top of the list.

Unfortunately, many people have clogged arteries long before they are officially diagnosed as a cardiovascular disease patient. This is because many do not realize the symptoms that their arteries are clogged until they experience more severe medical occurrences, such as a heart attack.

Common Signs of Cardiovascular Disease

There are a variety of symptoms that can hint something is going wrong with your heart, but the symptoms specific to cardiovascular disease are as follows:

• Angina
• Shortness of Breath
• Pain in arms or legs
• Numbness in arms or legs
• Weakness in arms or legs
• Cold sensation in arms or legs

Angina is the medical term for pain in the chest. It is one of the most common symptoms of cardiovascular disease, along with shortness of breath. Many people with clogged arteries will start to experience these two symptoms without any of the others. The remaining symptoms in the arms and legs are specific to conditions where blood vessels in the limbs are clogged or restricted. If the blockage is in other areas, these symptoms will not be experienced.

Experiencing shortness of breath when doing exercise or other intense activities doesn’t necessarily mean you have cardiovascular disease. The shortness of breath related to a serious heart condition typically occurs with very light activity or exercise. If you cannot walk up a very short set of stairs without bending over out of breath, you may be experiencing early signs of heart congestion.

What to Do If You Recognize the Signs

It is important to see a doctor as soon as you start noticing potential signs of cardiovascular disease. There are some tests that can determine if you have some clogging in your arteries and you will be able to take early action to improve the condition. In many cases, you can stop the clogging or even remove some of it, lowering your chances of having a stroke or heart attack in the future.

The first step is always to educate on the symptoms of heart disease in general. Once you know what is normal and what signals potential trouble, you will know when you need to see a medical doctor and push for testing. The earlier the problems are identified and diagnosed, the earlier you can take action to prevent a more serious heart condition or even death.

Hello my name is Chris McCormick. I am now currently working in the Health field and my passion is to help others help themselves with the best products available to enhance their lives. So hopefully, by reading about my research into healthy supplements, others will feel confident knowing what to look for and be able to make informed decisions about improving their health.

1. Heart attack (Myocardial Infarction or MI)

A person who suffers from heart attack may experience discomfort, heaviness, pressure, or pain around the chest, arm, or below the breastbone. In some cases, the feeling can spread through the jaw, back, and throat. Heart attack also triggers sweating, dizziness, anxiety, nausea, irregular heartbeats, and shortness of breath. A heart attack may last for half an hour or longer. Sometimes, heart attack can occur without any symptoms. This type of heart attack is commonly called a silent MI and happens more often among diabetics.

2. Coronary artery disease

Generally, a coronary artery disease is defined by the occurrence of angina or chest pain. A chest pain creates squeezing, aching, burning, heaviness, and painful sensation around the chest and can spread through the shoulders, jaw, back, throat, or arm. Besides angina, other symptoms commonly follow a coronary artery disease are rapid heartbeat, palpitations, sweating, nausea, weakness, dizziness, and shortness of breath.

3. Arrhythmia

Arrhythmia is an irregular or abnormal rhythm of heart beats. Symptoms that may present during an arrhythmia include palpitations, the feeling of light-headed, fainting, discomfort feeling in chest, fatigue, chest pounding, dizziness, shortness of breath, and weakness. Atrial fibrillation (AF) is one of some types of arrhythmia. Like arrhythmia sufferers, AF patients may also experience the lack of energy, palpitations, dizziness, chest discomfort, shortness of breath, and tiredness.

4. Heart valve disease

Heart valve disease is a condition when the heart valve cannot work normally. This disease triggers dizziness, weakness feeling, chest discomfort, palpitations, and shortness of breath which you notice while doing normal activities or just lying in bed. Heart valve disease which causes heart failure may show some other symptoms such as fast weight gain and swelling in the ankles, feet, or abdomen area.

5. Heart failure

Heart failure occurs when the heart suffers from cardiac disorders which prevent enough blood from circulating the body. Like the heart valve disease, heart failure also shows symptoms like the shortness of breath; fatigue; ankles, abdomen, and feet swelling; dizziness; fast weight gain; nausea; palpitations; and chest pain. A person who suffers from heart failure may also experience cough that produces white mucus.

Excessive cholesterol in our body is stored in our arteries. As this substance builds up, it will create plaque inside the artery walls. Hardened plaque results in narrowed arteries while too much plaque can even entirely block the arteries. Cholesterol blockage in the arteries can prevent the circulation of blood inside our body. A heart attack occurs when the arteries that supply blood to our heart are blocked; meanwhile, a stroke is caused when there is blockage in the arteries supplying blood to the brain.

There are two types of cholesterol that we find in our body; LDL (low-density lipoprotein) which distributes the cholesterol to our body, and high-density lipoprotein, which helps remove the blockage from the body. Typically, LDL is called bad cholesterol, while HDL is called the good one.

To determine the cholesterol levels inside the body, you need to have your cholesterol checked. Checking cholesterol can be done by doing a blood test, which is called the lipid panel. All adults above 20 years old should regularly have this lipid panel done once every five years. However, people who have a higher risk of heart disease should get their cholesterol checked more often and as soon as possible. People who have a higher risk of heart disease among others are smokers, women above 55 years old, men above 45 years old, women at the menopause stage, and people who are inactive or overweight. People with a history of heart disease in their family or those who previously have had a heart attack, diabetes or high blood pressure are also considered at high risk.

When you undergo the cholesterol check, you usually will obtain the result of the total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol levels. Besides, there will also be a report on your triglyceride level; triglycerides are the fats that build up with the consumption of sweets and alcohols. In the US, the level of cholesterol is measured in milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per deciliter (dl) of blood. You are considered in good condition if your total cholesterol counts is less than 200 mg/dl, the LDL cholesterol level is below 100 mg/dl, the HDL cholesterol level is 60 mg/dl or higher, and the triglycerides level should be below 150 mg/dl.

EAT HEALTHY

Eating 4 to 5 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily keeps the doctor away. These essential foods will not only help you to cut down your calorie intake but they also contain loads of vitamins, minerals and fiber that are important in order for us to keep a healthy heart. However, if you think your present diet lacks some of these essential nutrients consider taking supplements as an alternative.

For you to control your rising cholesterol levels and high blood pressure you have to eat whole grains. These kinds of food are high in fiber and have low fat and loads of vitamins that will help you lower down the figures. Studies show that by eating at least three servings per day can lessen your risk for cardiovascular disease, obesity and diabetes. You can jump-start your day by eating whole grain cereals or oatmeal. Studies also show that a diet rich in Omega-3, garlic and olive oil will help reduce heart ailment risks.

Hydrate yourself. Drink at least 8 glasses of water per day. This will actually help you in two ways. First, it helps you lose or maintain your weight. Sometimes the body confuses dehydration with hunger thus; dehydration will lead you to eating a lot more than you usually take in. Secondly, it helps you reduce the viscosity of your blood. Basically, thicker blood strains your heart because it will need to pump a lot harder in order for your blood to reach various areas of your body. By keeping yourself hydrated, you can help in taking care of your heart health.

REGULAR EXERCISE

Like all other muscles, the heart needs to be exercised. Exercise is an essential part of heart health. Aerobic exercises are the best form of exercise that you could do for your heart. This includes bicycling, walking, dancing and swimming. Always keep in mind that when you try to pick an exercise program always think of what you enjoy doing. If you enjoy what you do, it will not be hard for you to stick with it.

The recommended time for exercise is at least 30 minutes, three to four times a week. If you are a newbie, you have to take things gradually. Do not pressure yourself in doing exercises you know you are not ready for yet. It will have to take time and you will eventually be ready for it after a few weeks or days. Exercising regularly can help control cholesterol levels and blood pressure and will make your heart stronger.

SLEEP WELL

A lot of people sacrifice sleep just to finish a task. Lack of sleep can actually lead to the worsening of blood pressure and cause cholesterol levels to rise up. Try to sleep at least 6-8 hours per night so that you will be able to keep your heart stronger.

STOP SMOKING

If you smoke, it is beneficial for you to talk to your doctor and search for a way on how to quit. Smoking increases your chances of acquiring heart diseases. The amount of blood that flows to the heart is increased by nicotine thus decreasing the amount of blood that is needed to flow to the other parts of the body.

According to the American Medical Association, there are various ways to reduce total cholesterol below 199mg/dl. Remember, total cholesterol is a general guide that tells your doctor there is a problem from the start.

Who is at risk for high cholesterol?

Several factors contribute to a propensity toward high cholesterol. Following your cholesterol numbers should be a priority for anyone who is trying to avoid heart disease and other complications.

In addition to the general populace, certain groups are more prone to high cholesterol and have greater risk factors of heart disease. For these groups, reducing cholesterol must be a priority!

Among the groups most likely to develop serious complications, diabetics, smokers, overweight folks and those suffering from obesity, as well as those with a family history of high cholesterol.

How can I reduce cholesterol?

The primary ways of reducing cholesterol as well as your LDL level of cholesterol is to consume a proper diet with less saturated fat, and more omega 3 fatty acids. One way to accomplish this is to include DHA omega 3 that is found in cold water fish.

DHA is a very powerful fatty acid found in the oil of fish. DHA omega 3 has been clinically proven to lower levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood. LDL is the waxy substance that the liver makes when breaking down the foods we eat.

As a byproduct, LDL travels through our arteries and clings to the artery walls of the cardio system. With the buildup of plaques along the artery walls, blood pumping to the heart is obstructed resulting in possible heart attack or stroke.

Other methods of reducing cholesterol include taking statin drugs. Statins have proven successful in reducing levels of bad cholesterol. There are potential side effects to the use of statins however. Side effects include potential nausea and diarrhea according to studies conducted by the Mayo Clinic.

Other more serious side effects have included elevated levels of enzymes in the liver. If your liver enzymes become too elevated, it’s possible that this condition can contribute to liver cancer.

The fatty acids found in omega 3 and DHA omega 3 in particular are all natural and organic. Studies conducted by the medical community around the world have shown the efficacy of omega 3 in helping to elevate levels of good cholesterol while reducing LDL by up to eight percent.

Diet and Exercise
Reducing cholesterol can always take diet and exercise into the equation. Healthy food choices that include lots of omega 3 such as lentils, poultry, fish, whole grains, and green vegetables can go a long way to reducing cholesterol.

Simple exercise that elevates the heart rate will also contribute to lowering cholesterol over time. By exercising at least thirty minutes a day, five times a week, you will burn up unwanted calories and fight high triglycerides.

As you get into the routine of exercising moderately, on a regular basis, the process becomes easier as you go. In addition, it’s all natural and there are no side effects!

Conclusion

Now that you know the facts, it’s time to make the changes! It’s time to incorporate moderate exercise, proper diet including DHA omega 3 as well as avoiding the cholesterol drugs with side effects. You will discover reducing cholesterol is not only a desirable goal, but an achievable one as well!

1. Swapping saturated fats for healthier unsaturated dietary fats.

2. Choosing veggies and fruits that have less fructose; like cantaloupe, strawberries, bananas, peaches and grapefruit.

3. Exercising regularly, at least 30 minutes of moderate level activity most days, for a total of two and half hours a week. This alone can bring down triglycerides by 20-30%.

4. Losing weight, cutting the calories day in, day out and burning more than you take in will help you drop those pounds.

These changes can cut triglycerides by between 20% and 50%. That’s good news, showing us all that making the hard, lifestyle changes can have a real impact. Research has demonstrated that triglycerides are very responsive to what we eat, how much weight we drop and regular exercise.

The experts suggest that for those above the normal (150) triglyceride levels, you should make regular efforts to…

- Limit added sugar to no more than 5-10% of your daily calories. This can be tricky, as added sugars aren’t listed in the Nutrition Facts of packaged foods. Watch out for sugar sweetened drinks too.

- Limit fructose from processed and natural sources to under 50-100 grams a day.

- Limit saturated fat to below 7% of total daily calories, trans fats to under 1% of total daily calories.

- Limit alcohol, especially if your triglyceride number is over 500 mg per deciliter.

Triglycerides act as a barometer of overall metabolic health. If you have numbers between 100 to 199 you need to think seriously about your risk factors and the very real need to be eating less, eating more healthy and getting active regularly.

Triglycerides are different from other high cholesterol indicators, where lifestyle can help but might not be enough of a solution.

Your doctor can test your triglycerides very easily. You’ll supply a blood sample after fasting for 12 hours. This is a good initial screen according to researchers. A reading between 100 to 150 is ideal, anything higher represents the elevated triglyceride levels that are so common in the U.S. – almost 31% of us have levels over 150 mg per deciliter.

Just as diabetes and obesity are happening earlier, the researchers find it troublesome that triglycerides are also on the rise in adults between the ages of 20 and 49. Something to think about should you be concerned you need to reduce triglycerides.

You need to eat a variety of different foods that are good for your heart. This means that you need a lot of foods that are high in fiber as well as antioxidants. You should probably try to take in 25 to 30 grams of fiber on a daily basis. The best fiber to get is soluble fiber because this is the fiber that actually helps to remove cholesterol. Some of those foods would be:

Oats, barley and whole wheat
Brown rice
Legumes
Lentils
Almonds
Pistachio
Walnuts
Flax seed
Sunflower seeds
Fruits and Veggies

You should also include a variety of plant sterol foods. These kinds of foods according to the American Dietetic Association have the ability to lower your LDL or bad cholesterol. These can be found in the following foods:

Whole grains
Vegetable and corn oils
Avocados
Sunflower seeds

They are also added to the following products:
Orange juice
Yogurt drinks
Margarine
Snack bars

You also should include plenty of foods that contain omega 3 fatty acids. These are foods that are known to be high in antioxidants as well as ingredients that will help to lower your cholesterol. So eating fish like salmon, herring, trout, sardines and tuna (not packed in oil) are good for getting this important nutrient into your body.

Foods that you should try to avoid because they can be harmful to your heart and will increase your bad cholesterol are the following:

Organ meats
Red meats (unless lean)
Whole fat dairy products (like whole milk for an example)
Butter
Cream
Egg yolks
Processed food
A lot of fast foods
Deep fried foods
Commercially baked products like cakes, pies, energy bars and cookies all have trans fats in them

It’s very important that when you go shopping that you make sure to read all of the labels. When you read and understand the food label you will find it easier to find the foods that are good for your heart and avoid the ones that are bad for your heart. Always remember that when you look at the ingredients that the item that is listed first means that this is what the main ingredient is in the product.

It’s also important to note you could be buying extremely healthy foods and you might be making it unhealthy by the way you cook it and then you are just defeating the purpose so make sure that you cook your foods healthy as well and try to avoid frying them as much as possible.

We have all seen the “Heart Smart” symbol on packages. Just 25g of soy protein as part of a diet that is low in saturated fats and cholesterol reduces your risk for heart disease. Protein is an important component of every cell in the body. It is an organic compound of 22 amino acids. Protein is stored in muscles and organs. The body utilizes protein to build and repair tissues as well as for the production of enzymes and hormones. Protein makes it possible for the blood to carry oxygen throughout the body. Protein is considered to be a “macronutrient,” meaning the body needs relatively large amounts of it. The Institute of Medicine of the national academy of Sciences has concluded that our daily protein requirements should be 10 percent to 35 percent of our total caloric intake, with men needing slightly more than women. A lack of protein can cause a loss of muscle mass, decreased immunity, as well as a weakening of the heart and respiratory system.

When getting started on a heart healthy diet it is important to learn how to read labels. Be careful. Everyone seems to be trying to lure people to buy certain products by tagging it with a label like “low-fat” or something. This doesn’t mean it is heart healthy or a good choice. The product may be low in one thing but high in something else like sugar or sodium. When reading a label be sure to look at the serving size. You may see that a product only has 2 grams of saturated fat but when you look at the serving size that 2 grams is based on a serving size of 1 ounce and it is a 20 ounce package. The 2 grams of saturated fat just became 40 grams. You will also want to look at the amount of sodium, the number of calories, the amount of sugar, the nutritional content, etc.

How much sodium should you have? It is recommended for your heart health to keep your daily sodium intake below 2000 mg.Taking in too much sodium can increase your blood pressure. High blood pressure is not good for your heart and can lead to kidney disease as well as heart disease.

Why should you watch the calories? Being as little as 10 lbs. overweight increases your risk for heart disease so be sure to control your calorie intake. Extra weight makes your heart work harder so maintaining a healthy weight is important for heart health. When on a calorie controlled diet your calorie intake should never be below 1200. To lose weight all you need to do is reduce the amount of calories you burn daily by 200 calories and adjust your caloric intake to reflect this number.

Protein is not the only thing we need for good heart health. We need a complete balance of vitamins and minerals. Getting all the vitamins and nutrients we need is impossible with diet alone and it can be frustrating. Too many calories, too much sugar, too much sodium etc. Stick it out. It is important to your good health and it gets easier. There are many foods to choose from and you will eventually be able to develop meals and snacks that are not only heart healthy but that you like. You will get the most nutrients from fresh fruits and vegetables an d meats so try to stick to the outside aisles of the grocery store. Whole grains are also important. Get as many nutrients as you can from fresh foods. Supplement the rest with a good nutritional program that provides cellular nutrition. Cellular nutrition provides the right balance of vitamins and minerals at optimal levels to ensure your body is getting all the nutrition it needs at the cellular level.

Here are some ingredients to help you develop a heart healthy diet. I have included in the ingredient list the foods that you may find these ingredients in, plus the benefits these ingredients have for your heart health and cardiovascular system. Use this list to determine what heart healthy foods will be beneficial to you. If you are already consuming these foods and have had blood tests that suggests elevated cholesterol, blood pressure or other heart disease related scores you may need to be taking in these ingredients at more optimal levels or include some supplements in your heart healthy diet to get your numbers at a healthier level. However, it is important to discuss any supplements you take with your doctor if you are on medication for anything.

Astaxanthin: protects the heart and other organs from oxidative stress (Food Source: Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Shrimp, Lobster)

Alpha Lipoic Acid: Assists in dilation or expansion of vessels, required for energy production ( food source: Beef Kidney, beef liver,beef heart, spinach, broccoli)

Folic Acid: Protects the vascular system ( food source: Asparagus, broccoli, avocados. brussel sprouts, orange juice, spinach, fortified cereals)

L-Citrulline: Supports the production of L-Arginine ( melons, fish, meat, poultry, dairy)

L-Taurine: Supports energy and Nitric Oxide production ( Organ meats, fish, oysters)

Neptune Krill Oil: Provides 3 heart healthy compounds: Omega-3 fatty acids, philosopholipids and antioxidants for enhanced nutrient absorption and antioxidant protection.

Omega-3 fatty acids: Help maintain healthy cardiovascular system by maintaining cholesterol and triglyceride levels already within a normal range. (Salmon and other fatty fish, flax seeds, walnuts)

Quercetin: Antioxidant that protects cells from oxidative stress. ( Cabbage, cranberries, kale, pears, grapes, apples)

Plant Sterols: Shown to reduce LDL (“bad cholesterol”) and total cholesterol by blocking cholesterol absorption. ( Whole soybeans, whole grains, healthy vegetable oils (ex. soy)

Vitamin A (beta carotene, mixed carotenoids): Antioxidant that protects the heart and other organs from oxidative stress. ( Deep green or deep yellow vegetables, carrots, spinach, kale, cantaloupe, apricots)

Vitamin C (absorbic acid): Antioxidant that protects the heart and other organs from oxidative stress. Vitamin C helps preserve Nitric Oxide in the body. ( Papaya, red bell peppers, broccoli, brussel sprouts, strawberries, oranges)

Vitamin E ( D-alpha tocopherol, mixed tocopherols): Antioxidant that protects the heart and other organs from oxidative stress. Vitamin E helps preserve Nitric Oxide in the body, supports circulation, and strengthens blood vessels. ( Wheat germ oil, almonds, sunflower oil, safflower oil, hazelnuts)

Vitamin B-6: Promotes healthy homocysteine levels already within normal range (Fortified cereals, beans, meat, poultry, fish, bananas, garbanzo beans)

Vitamin B-12: Promotes healthy homocysteine levels already within a normal range. ( Fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and milk products)

There are several alternative medicines that are effective in lowering cholesterol and preventing some types of heart disease. These include:

blond psyllium
Coenzyme Q10
Flaxseed
Oats and Oat bran
Omega-3 fatty acids
Plant Sterols and sterols

As with an alternative medicines, talk to your doctor before adding any new supplements to your treatment regimen. Even natural medicines and herbal supplements can interact with medications you are taking.

Heart Disease has affected my family personally and the lives of many. In fact, every 34 seconds someone in the U.S. dies of heart disease. The survivors may go on to live a lifestyle less than the quality of life we deserve.

My grandmother lived the last 8 yrs of her life with COPD and was confined mostly to the house as she was hooked to oxygen. My aunt suffered a stroke in 2001 and has been in a nursing home confined to a wheel chair for the past 8 yrs. Last year both my mom and my dad underwent open heart surgery.

Lifestyle changes like quitting smoking, proper diet, nutritional supplements, and exercise can prevent heart disease. Don’t let it happen to you.

Your heart is important to your quality of life start taking care of it today and protect your future tomorrow. Develop a heart healthy diet today.

As a personal Wellness Coach and Herbalife Independent Distributor my goal is reduce heart disease and chronic illness. People are dieing too long and living too short. We can improve this by getting the proper nutrients in our diet.

Foods to Avoid:

Any foods that contain saturated fat. Simple on the surface, but just to think it through a little further, any animal sourced produce whether meat or dairy will contain amounts of fat and so to will most manufactured or processed foods as they contain these fats as well as numerous other unhealthy ingredients such as sugars and additives. So, biscuits, pastries and cakes and all junk food should be added to the list.

Foods to Include:

There are five types of foods that we know are beneficial in lowering cholesterol:

High Fibre Foods which include fresh vegetables and fruit, legumes, beans, pulses and various forms of oatmeal. Approx 5 to 10 grams of fibre per day is the recommended amount.

Nuts and Seeds of a mixed variety should be eaten daily. Approximately 43 grams or an average handful of non-salted mixed nuts such as almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans and pistachios, plus seeds such as sunflower, flax etc will make an active contribution to lowering your cholesterol

Fish High in Omega-3 fatty acids which would include most oily fish like mackerel, salmon, sardines, tuna and herrings. Around two meals a week of oily fish are recommended, which should be baked or grilled rather than fried. These fatty acids are of the polyunsaturated type which are known to reduce triglycerides in the blood and increasing the “Good” HDL cholesterol and therefore more favourably balancing your overall cholesterol levels. Supplements like Omega-3 Fish Oil are a good addition to eating the fish.

Olive Oil when used in place of ordinary saturated fat or oil can have beneficial effects on both regulating cholesterol levels and oxidising the (Bad) LDL cholesterol which helps prevent build-up of plaque within the arteries. There are also anti-inflammatory as well as anti-thrombotic properties which are of benefit.

Stanols and Sterols can reduce LDL cholesterol without affecting HDL and therefore aid better cholesterol balance. These are natural substances which are found in plant foods such as avocados, rice bran, extra virgin olive oil and wheat germ and can be quite effective if taken in large amounts. Therefore to benefit from these supplements you would need to eat a mixture of the above foods every day.

If you wish to reduce your cholesterol levels naturally then by concentrating on the lower cholesterol foods, avoiding the fattiest foods and taking regular exercise to burn off the excess LDL cholesterol, you can do so while at the same time.

At 7 months pregnant my Dad had a heart attack and also had an echo done. I was amazed to see (I am an ultrasound technologist) that our hearts functions were quite similar. This was an eye opener to me. Now I have heart disease on both sides of my family and my own heart isn’t pumping quite up to snuff, hmm time to take things a little more seriously.

Heart disease in women in the Untied States and Canada is the number one killer. This fact is becoming more and more known and women are becoming more aware of the symptoms of heart disease which differ from that of mens. They seem to be much more vague than that of mens symptoms and are therefore over looked. Here are a few symptoms to keep a look out for:

- chest pain, this can include burning, tightness, discomfort, pressure, fullness. Anything that is not normal for you to feel. This pain may spread, up the neck, down one or both arms or in the chest area.

-You may get weak all over, pale, sweaty, nausea, indigestion, short of breath

-Become fearful or deny what is even going on.

The first line of defense: awareness. Next: eat well and exercise, we all know this, beat it before it even starts to be a problem. As an ultrasound technologist who does echoes, I see all ages, shapes, backgrounds and fitness levels of patients who come in for this exam. From an elderly women in ICU to a young man who plays hockey twice a week. So why is heart disease such a common occurrence now? well, our diets are not what they used to be, most of us do not so physical work/ exercise and how many of us had mothers who smoked while pregnant with us? Genetics also plays a factor. Lets get back to the smoking mothers. I have heard of studies on newborn babies of mothers who smoke, these babies already have thickened arterial walls! So they are already on their way to having heart issues, they are already that much closer to a heart attack than a baby whose mother simply doesn’t smoke! I think this is huge! Depending on the lifestyle this child will have will depend on when this will become a problem.

This is a just a brief talk about heart disease and what to look for. If you have any questions, your family doctor is the best person to ask.

Please remember, as parents and before we even become parents our actions affect our children. Those warnings are out there for a reason.

Reference: Public Health Agency of Canada

For many of people coronary disease sneaks up on them unawares and results in an unexpected heart attack.

Heart disease is really a range of abnormal problems which affects the heart along with the arteries too the heart. Your coronary blood vessels are actually small capillaries that provide the heart muscle with blood and oxygen. Typically the individual may possibly not have symptoms until the heart requires more oxygen-rich blood than the blood vessels can easily deliver. Arterial blood vessels carry our blood from the heart while blood vessels carry our blood to the cardiovascular system.

Diagnosing of coronary heart disease happens once the affected individual has exhibited coronary heart problems signs or symptoms. These are a few heart disease signs or symptoms your physician may possibly overlook. Talking of the signs or symptoms, typically the heart disease warning signs in males are very totally different from those in females. For certain cases, routine lab tests may well display the problem developing before virtually any heart disease warning signs usually are experienced. For certain cases, individuals may have a heart attack with out any signs or symptoms.

Associated risk issues for blood clots include things like high blood pressure level and cholesterol levels, diabetic issues, smoking, as well as genealogy and family history. A lot of these include things like life style, family history, personal history, nutritional habits, excess weight, levels of cholesterol, high blood pressure, tension levels, and smoking/drinking habits. Individuals should check their own cholesterol levels and blood pressure levels. Medications like Rooibos will help you to manage blood sugar levels, reduce blood pressure levels and improve immune functioning.

Treatment methods would depend on no matter if you need primary or secondary prevention. Therapy is actually dependent upon the kind of heart problem you have. Therapy is conducted two times a day for ten minutes every time. Treatment could be given at any time and whenever.The diagnosis of heart disease takes place as soon as the affected person has exhibited coronary heart related illnesses signs or symptoms.

The following are a couple of heart disease warning signs your physician may possibly overlook. Speaking of the warning signs, the heart disease warning signs in males are usually not the same as those in females. In certain cases, routine lab tests may well indicate the problem building before any sort of heart disease signs are actually experienced. In some instances, individuals may have a heart attack without experiencing any signs or symptoms.

High cholesterol this also contributes to constricted arteries, high blood pressure and increased work for the heart. Levels of cholesterol in your blood increase somewhat as we grow older, and also women over 55 are apt to have an increased cholesterol levels. High cholesterol is a young man’s problem generally speaking.

There are many ways to totally control your bad cholesterol levels and good cholesterol levels. Knowing and understanding what is high cholesterol is key to proper management of cholesterol levels and the reduced chance of heart failure.

Poorly controlled diabetes increases cholesterol levels. With improvements in control, cholesterol levels can fall.

The key to managing cholesterol levels in your diet is not only portion control but Exercise, weight loss, and a diet low in saturated fats.

knowing and understanding what causes coronary heart disease will help you live a longer and healthier life.

Cholesterol-lowering medication may work best for you when combined with a low cholesterol diet. A low-cholesterol diet is not difficult to follow. There are foods which increase your cholesterol levels, and foods which can help you to minimize and manage your cholesterol. Many food manufacturers have low-fat and low-cholesterol foods that are available to people who are concerned about their cholesterol levels. When you buy packaged foods always look at the labels.

A low cholesterol diet should include plenty of fruits and vegetables. They are low in calories and fat and will help decrease your cholesterol levels. Lower your intake of saturated fats as they will increase your cholesterol levels, and increase your risk of heart disease.

You should avoid packaged foods which state they contain “partially hydrogenated” or “hydrogenated” vegetable oils. Examples of these oils are those used in many margarines and shortenings that contain a form of saturated fat known as trans fats.

Cooking with oil is quite normal. But not all oils are the same. You should use olive and canola oils which are high in monounsaturated fats. Saturated and trans fats are generally not good for your health. However unsaturated fats can help to lower your cholesterol.

The use of whole grain foods is better than foods containing white processed flour. Whole grain foods contain complex carbohydrates whereas the refined processed grains are quite different and are made up of simple carbohydrates. Research shows that ingesting high amounts of simple carbohydrates can increase cholesterol levels and raise the risk of heart disease. Consume low-fat or skim dairy products instead of the full-fat varieties. You will find that this will also be beneficial for weight management. Cook with lean meats, such as chicken without the skin, turkey, and fish. Leaner meats will not contribute as much to high cholesterol levels as red meat.

Exercise is another important component of managing cholesterol levels. But it does not need to be exhaustive. Frequent activities that include working all parts of your body will be beneficial to your blood circulation and respiration. Walking is an excellent and simple activity that will give you great benefits.

Armed with the right information and the desire to be healthy and well will enable you to manage and control your cholesterol levels safely. You can quite effectively lower cholesterol by diet supplemented with physical activity.

Did you know that lack of physical exercise can actually increase your risk of heart disease? Lack of physical exercise is also related to many chronic and even debilitating diseases. Obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure may actually be prevented or at least minimized with an adequate amount of daily or weekly exercise.

Did you know that the best type of exercise for your heart is regular aerobic exercise? Activities involving continuous movement, such as dancing, skating, bicycling, swimming, running, jogging and even walking, can build up your endurance and improve the functioning of your heart as well as your breathing capacity.

Resistive exercises, especially utilizing free weights or weight bearing machines, help you develop muscle tone and stronger muscles in your entire body and especially in your heart. A lifestyle that includes a variety of physical activities, such as gardening, housework and specific workout routines, are essential for maintaining good health throughout the years.

At this point, you may be saying to yourself, “I know all that. I’ve heard this before.” Yes, we have all been told that exercise is important for all of us to maintain good health, regardless of our age and physical condition. However, there may be something about our magnificent hearts that you do not know. This important awareness could literally save your life.

I am talking about Broken Heart Syndrome.Most of us, at one time in our life, may have suffered from an unrequited love, an unexpected and unwanted breakup or the sudden loss of someone we deeply loved. Any one of us could suffer from Broken Heart Syndrome. I am not talking about just an emotional breakdown.

Doctors have actually discovered that a broken heart can be dangerous for your health. The condition was originally called takotsubo, cardiomyopathy. Now it is often called stress cardiomyopathy, stress-induced cardiomyopathy or apical ballooning syndrome. This is a temporary heart condition brought on by an emotionally painful and stressful situation, such as the loss of a loved one or a severe breakup.

People with broken heart syndrome may feel severe chest pain and think they are having a heart attack. What is actually happening is an intense increase in stress hormones causing your heart to temporarily enlarge (balloon) which prevents it from pumping well. Sometimes, the stress of a broken heart can trigger a real heart attack if your blood vessels have been building up plaque and you didn’t know it.

Broken heart syndrome is treatable and the condition usually is eliminated in about a week. If not, there may have been an underlying heart condition that has surfaced because of the heartbreak. So the emotional pain may actually become a gift that saves your life.

You will find lower cholesterol information revolving around both drugs and diet. The truth is that it all depends on your own unique case. If your case is pretty serious you might need to resort to taking medication. However if your case isn’t that sever then there is no need to go for drugs. You can very well lower you cholesterol simply through a few changes in your lifestyle and diet. This article will help you get some of the information that you need. Once you get tested you will know where you stand. If your cholesterol level is very high, you should consult with your doctor and consider getting a prescription for a medication that will help you control it. However even along with medication you should follow the rules mentioned below so that you can get the proper lower cholesterol information to keep on track for the rest of your life.

Most often you will want to start making changes to your diet. The safest and most natural lower cholesterol information you will get is to start following a diet that is low on the bad fats and high on the good fats. Basically our body contains cholesterol in two forms, LDL and HDL. The LDL is the bad cholesterol that we need to remove since it is the main cause of clogged arteries, ruptures etc. however the HDL is the good cholesterol that our body actually needs in order to function properly. Therefore in following lower cholesterol information make sure you don’t deprive your body of this good cholesterol. So the main thing you have to check out when consuming food is whether it contains the good cholesterol or the bad cholesterol.

Regarding lower cholesterol information, you should know that there are two types of fat present in our food. We have saturated and trans fats and we have monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats. The saturated and trans fats are the bad fats that we need to avoid. They are mainly present in butter and margarine, meat and other full fat dairy products that you need to avoid. On the other hand lower cholesterol information you will find includes the healthy fats which are basically olive and canola oil and is present in foods like nuts, flaxseeds, etc.

Before you start to use the device, you need to visit a doctor to determine the most appropriate intensity for you based on your fitness level and needs. During the consultation session with your doctor, you will learn about the most appropriate heart rate for you and how long you can do the exercises for. If you suffer from a heart condition, your doctor will advise you not to go beyond a specific heart rate. This device is essential for this type of situation because it ensures you do not overdo things. It will be able to monitor your heart rate continuously.

It is ideal if you have a heart condition and your doctor has advised you to take part in an exercise program in order to improve your health. The device will help you to keep checking your heart rate and ensure you adjust the intensity to make sure your heart rate is safe.

It is also useful for people who have enrolled in weight loss programs and those who have high blood pressure to ensure they achieve their exercise goals.

For people who have suffered from heart attacks, exercise is an important part of the rehabilitation process. Most doctors recommend that patients take part in supervised physical activities. A stress test is usually carried out to determine a safe heart rate.

This type of monitor is better because it provides an accurate measurement of your heart rate. This is better than trying to check your heart rate manually and you do not have to interfere with the workout in the process. It always works better if you determine what your goals are before you get started.

Pain in Heart Attacks: Causes
From those who survived heart attacks we now know that they are a very unpleasant and painful experience.. Myocardial infarction, as the name says it, is the necrosis of the heart muscle due to the absence of blood flow to the heart muscle. As a sign that the ischemia is already started and that the muscle is dying servse the severe pain.

In some cases the pain may be lasting for many hours, as the ischemia continues. When the factor that was blocking the normal blood flow in coronary arteries was successfully removed, and the blood flux was reestablished, the pain usually disappears suddenly. The heart attack pain is composed of three elements, as specialists say: the pain from the heart itself, the pain from the entire organism response to the changes that take place in the heart and the psychological factor – a fear of imminent death, known also as “angor animi”.

In some cases (up to 20% or more) the heart attack may be painless. As pain in the heart is a response of the nervous terminations to the stimuli, in cases when the nervous sensitivity is affected, the pain may not be felt so acute. This usually happens in elderly persons, or in diabetics, whose nervous sensors not only in the heart but all over the organism are affected and the pain sensation may be absent or diminished.

Heart Attack pains’ treatment
As you already may know, staying at home without calling an emergency service is highly dangerous and can threat your life. If you are travelling often, please refer to some emergency phone numbers in different countries and try to have a mobile phone at hand.

The first thing you can do at home when you experience pains that you think might be resembling a heart attack is to lie down immediately, in horizontal position, control your breath and remember to breath rhythmically, call for any help and drink an aspirin if you are not allergic to it. The pain in heart attack is a severe event, and the medications of choice to cut the pain remain narcotics. Morphine is gien in most of cases to help both cut the pains and calm the emotional stress. Also, nitroglycerine remains a drug that continues to be used, you can take a nitro at home while you wait for the ambulance, but in hospital conditions, they will administer it intravenously as the effect is faster.

Sadly, many children are born with heart defects, things that went wrong in development, and have to have surgery. Additionally, the wear and tear of poor life choices and other stresses frequently result in adults having to undergo surgical treatment as well.

After having any type of heart surgery, taking care of your heart the rest of your life is extremely important. Heart health supplements that are taken and used correctly can strengthen your heart, keep it healthy, and most of all help you feel so much better and able to live your life to the fullest.

Whether a person has had surgery or has decided it’s just time to throw away the bad habits and start living healthy, start off with supplements that have been proven to positively impact heart health. It should go without saying, but it does need to be said: before using or taking anything always consult with your doctor first. (Hopefully, you have been wise and chosen a doctor who understands the value and importance of nutrition for heart health.)

Omega-3 is one heart-healthy ingredient. Eating fish is an easy way to put Omega-3 into your blood stream to reduce deadly blood clots that can cause devastating strokes and heart disease. The Omega-3 will also reduce a person’s blood pressure and high triglycerides. If bypass or angioplasty surgery is performed, this powerful nutrient will also prevent arteries from clogging.

Recent studies have even shown Omega-3 helps slow and even reverse the aging process of heart cells. So, if a person doesn’t eat fish, choose a healthy Omega-3 heart health supplement and put your heart back on the road to being healthy. The recommendation is between 1-3,000 milligrams a day.

If a person likes cocktails, there is one that has been proven to work naturally and effectively for the heart. This heart health supplement cocktail consists of four of the most powerful antioxidants: Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Selenium, and Coenzyme Q10. This clever combination has been proven to reduce and improve blood sugar and lipids. It even brought down blood pressure and kept it under control, while also increasing maintenance of arterial flexibility. This is extremely important as everything above mentioned can cause coronary artery diseases and all are considered biomarkers for heart disease.

Another natural heart health booster is flavonoids. This one is very easy. If you drink red wine or green tea, eat any kind of citrus fruits, nuts, chocolate, and onions you are helping your heart with a juicy dose of flavonoids. Consumed in a daily diet, flavonoids can make capillaries strong, be a great antioxidant, help reduce inflammation from past heart disease, and blood vessels will be able to relax normally. Try a great blended mix of cranberry, Goji and Acai berry, green tea, and blueberry extracts or even add in grape seed extract.

With the latest heart health research and exciting supplemental solutions available today, the savvy consumer can take back control of their own heart health. Are you doing enough to strengthen your body’s most important muscle? Tired of wondering whether your heart is a ticking time bomb?

Atherosclerosis and Heart Disease

Cholesterol can accumulate onto the walls of the arteries, causing them to become more rigid and narrow. This is called atherosclerosis, and is a condition that can increase blood pressure and reduce blood flow. When this condition affects the coronary arteries, the heart can be starved of oxygen, and cardiac arrest may ensue.

Lipoproteins

Cholesterol is a lipoprotein that is produced through liver function. Lipoproteins are not water-soluble so they do not dissolve in the bloodstream. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is reported by the American Heart Association to help reduce the risks of atherosclerosis because it aids in removing Low-density lipoproteins (LDL). LDL distributes cholesterol to other tissue and can contribute to atherosclerosis.

Testing

A lipid panel is a test that measures the amount of HDL, LDL, and triglycerides. A lipid panel is performed on a blood sample that is typically taken during a physical exam. Patients who are candidates for heart disease are often given this test.

Levels

The amount of HDL and LDL present in the blood is measured in units of mg per dL of blood. LabTestsOnline states that a high LDL level is indicated by a score above 60 mg per dL of blood, and preferred levels fall below 100. HDL is considered high above 60mg per dL of blood.

Improving Cholesterol

High HDL and low LDL levels are optimal. Physical exercise and weight loss will contribute to the ideal levels. Lowering the amounts of saturated fats in the diet also plays a role. Medications can be prescribed from doctors, as well.

Chronic acid reflux is caused by the disorder in stomach which passes the acids into to an attached muscular valve called esophageal sphincter. Common symptoms of chronic refluxes are directly linked with the displacement of the juices and acids to some other organ where these shouldn’t be. Stomach acids are essential to carry out the process of digestion in the body, thus these can’t be avoided or minimized anyway.

There are artificial ways to reduce stomach acids by using medications like Prilosec, Zantac and Nexium etc. Such medications do nothing special but act as the best money spinners to the indulged pharmaceutical companies. One should stick to natural remedies to prevent reflux, as it a very common problem which can be treated naturally. Using artificial acid regulators can prove expensive both in terms of money and health. They have associated side effects thus, should be used in a limited quantities only.

One should no get addicted of them in any case. One of the very effective natural remedy for treating chronic acid reflux is to eliminate the factors which cause acid reflux. Beverages containing caffeine and carbonated contents should be avoided to procure and maintain healthy well being in long run.

If you are one of those individuals who would rather go for the natural remedy for heartburn, the following are some tips that you can try:

Water
Drinking water can contribute to the dilution of stomach acids. That’s why folks experiencing acid reflux prepare a glass of water at their bedside just in case. It will help wash down anything that might stay and inflame your esophagus. Although the effects of heartburn may not be that serious for most people, the feeling is something one is not looking forward to experience.

Milk
If you think that a glass of water is not enough to alleviate the symptoms, you may try a glass of milk. There’s been a debate whether you should go for whole milk or skim milk. What’s more important though is that it can help you get rid of heartburn.

Apple
Why don’t you try eating an apple after your every meal? This has been suggested by some folks. Remember to chew well so that you won’t worsen the problem.

Apple cider vinegar
Pour 2-3 tablespoons of undiluted apple cider vinegar in warm water. Dissolve it and drink.

Gum
There are those who recommend chewing gums after meals for about 30 minutes. When you do this, you stimulate saliva production and that can help wash down stomach acids from your esophagus.

It’s possible that there isn’t a single medication for acid reflux in your home or current location. If that is the case, you can go for natural remedy for heartburn.

According to doctors, to keep a healthy heart you want to maintain a colorful diet. What does this mean? This means that you want to consume a variety of fruits and vegetables, of all different colors. Different colored fruits and vegetables provide us with different nutrients, minerals, and vitamins. Therefore, the best way to get a mixture of these essential nutrients, minerals, and vitamins is to eat a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables.

On top of these things, you also want to make sure that you intake plenty of fiber. Fiber can be found in fruits and vegetables, but can also be found in a variety of whole grain foods. How does fiber benefit your health? Fiber benefits your health in two ways. Firstly, it helps to lower the bad cholesterol within our bodies. Secondly, it helps us to control our weight by making our stomachs feel fuller, faster. According to health care professionals, the best health care diets include at least three servings of whole grain foods (and fibers) per day.

Maintaining a healthy diet not only requires consuming the right foods, but also includes cutting out the wrong foods. The healthiest diets are ones that are low in unhealthy fat, sodium, and cholesterol. Consuming too much of any of these components can lead to heightened cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, inflammation of the arteries, and heart attack. For complete health benefits, replace all saturated fats with unsaturated fats, limit your sodium intake to less than one teaspoon a day, and try to keep your daily cholesterol consumption under 300mg.

What foods should you be eating? Let’s take a look at some examples of how healthy, whole foods can benefit your diet. Red fruits and vegetables (beets, raspberries, red apples, strawberries, kidney beans) help to lower blood pressure. White foods (garlic, white onions) help to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. Dark foods (blueberries, blackberries, purple grapes) help to reduce the risk of heart disease. Finally, both orange and yellow foods (carrots, mangos, peaches, lemons, pears, yellow peppers, sweet potatoes) also help to reduce risk of heart disease.

Continue to research healthy dieting today, and be on your way to a healthier -happier – you!

Even though it is in charge of moving blood from place to place, your heart needs blood to keep it functioning. This is provided via your coronary arteries, of which there are four. They provide nourishment and oxygen to this vital organ.

Several things can go wrong with these arteries. The most common threat is when they are restricted by plaque, causing them to become hard. Cholesterol is usually the culprit in these cases. If the blood flow is low enough, parts of your heart will actually die. It can also cause an aneurysm, or a break in the arterial wall. That can cause you to bleed to death.

Prevention is the best bet, and it is possible even if you have a family history of this condition. Some of it will probably have to come from your doctor, but there are others you can do at home. It’s a good idea to sit down with your doctor and discuss exactly what is necessary.

At Home

Diet: Burgers and fries taste great, but they are very high in fat and cholesterol. A heart healthy diet includes lean protein such as boneless/skinless chicken and turkey or fish. Lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains are also essential.

How you cook is going to be as important as what you cook. There are three safe methods of food preparation: water, oven or grill. Frying is out unless you do it in a non-stick skillet or use cooking spray instead of oil. Steaming, boiling, braising, baking, roasting and grilled are better choices.

If you are already overweight, you may be tempted to skip meals and keep your calorie consumption far lower than what you burn. That is not going to be helpful at all. Keep your calorie deficit no higher than fifteen percent.

Exercise: You should get into the practice of doing a cardio type workout a minimum of three times a week for at least twenty minutes per session. Ideally, this would be done with two days a week of toning exercises. This helps your body burn excess fat.

Herbs: The most important thing about using herbs is that you coordinate it with your doctor. It would be a good idea to consult a qualified herbal practitioner as well. This is even more true if you already have a medical condition and take medication.

Garlic is very good in this area. It can help lower blood pressure and may help reduce LDL cholesterol. Although it’s a blood thinner in its own right, it usually is safe to take with other medications.

Red yeast rice may be another option, but this is controversial. It is a natural statin, and has the same side effects and drug interactions as the prescription medications. If you wish to use it, check with your doctor and be sure to get regular blood tests to make sure your liver is functioning properly.

Doctor’s Orders

Angiograms: An angiogram can find blocked arteries. A dye is inserted into your blood stream. A camera is then inserted into an artery in your groin and threaded up to check out the condition of your arteries. If blockages are found, they can be opened via angioplasty, usually at the same time. Stints may be put in to keep them open.

Blood Tests: Lipid panels can help you find conditions known to cause hardening of the arteries before any damage is done. Lipids include cholesterol and triglycerides.

Medications: There are several categories of medications that can help reduce your risk of having or repeating coronary artery disease. They include such categories as blood pressure, cholesterol reducing and blood thinning medications. In fact, aspirin is usually on that list.

Preventing a heart attack is doable, but you will have to work at it. It’s easy to get lulled into complacency and slip back into old habits. Doing so could mean your life.

Let’s say you are trying to hail a cab when the arteries of your major city are clogged with cars. Finally, a cab stops but it is loaded with overweight people. You decide what the heck, there looks like there is at least room for one skinny person. So you climb in and off you go traveling through those congested arteries. One by one your overweight co-riders are dropped off finally leaving just you and your equally lean cabbie heading to your destination.

This is how fatty bad cholesterol known as LDL finally transforms itself into HDL or good cholesterol. As you can see it is simply a progression starting with a heavy load of fat and gradually whittling it down. This process for the most part begins in the liver and ends with fat either being recycled, stored, deposited in our arteries, or taken out with the trash in the form of solid waste.

For cardiovascular health the best result is obviously to be taken out with the trash. But it is also helpful to having fewer people in the LDL cab to start with.

Now by this point you probably have had enough of metaphors and cabs so why don’t we move on to some concert ideas as to how to improve good cholesterol.

Watch what you eat: Certain types of foods are notaries for lowering HDL while other may actually have a positive effect. Examples of foods that may HDL levels are high saturated delights such as full fat dairy, fatty cuts of meat, organ meats, and processed meats. Foods that may be able to boost good cholesterol are dark skinned grapes/ grape juice, cold water fatty fish (salmon, sardines), flax, walnuts, and possibly some foods high in monosaturated fats such as avocados and olives.

Lose those extra pounds: Generally speaking as the number on the scale declines your good cholesterol levels will start to rise.

Stay away from cigarette smoke: When it comes to asking how to improve good cholesterol for smokers there is no quicker path to answering this question than to quit smoking. Non-smokers should be aware that even moderate exposure to secondhand smoke can dramatically reduce HDL levels.

Medications: Diuretics, beta blockers, estrogen, and corticosteroids all can lower good cholesterol. Talking to your doctor about alternatives could be worth exploring if bolstering good cholesterol is your goal.

Becoming more active: Increased activity levels seem to coincide with an overall improvement in cholesterol ratios. Put simply daily exercise has been shown to increase good cholesterol and decrease bad cholesterol.

Natural supplements: The two most talked about supplements for answering the question as for how to improve good cholesterol levels are omega 3 rich fish oil and natural cholesterol supplements containing policosanol or red yeast rice.

Eat the right kind of chocolate, in moderation of course, and you just might find you’re doing your heart a huge favor, and prevent heart attacks and failure according to intriguing new research.

While earlier short term studies have found chocolate to be beneficial to blood pressure, this is the first to show long term outcomes that are related specifically to heart failure which can be the result of untreated high blood pressure over time.

About 1% of Americans over the age of 65 experience heart failure. Contrary to the name, heart failure does not mean your heart has stopped or won’t work anymore. It simply means your heart isn’t able to pump blood the way it used to… the way it should. As the U.S. population ages, rates of heart failure are expected to rise as well.

The most recent research looked at the effect of eating chocolate on heart disease. A team examined information from a nine-year Swedish study of 31,823 women participating in a research project. The subjects, all between the ages of 48 and 83, reported their chocolate eating tendencies and the team combined the results with data from hospitalization and death registries between the years 1998 and 2006.

Women who ate one to two servings of high quality chocolate (30% cocoa solids) per week had a 32% lower risk of developing heart failure. Women who had one to three servings per month had a 28% reduced risk. Interestingly, those who at least one serving daily didn’t appear to benefit from a protective effect, the reason may be due to the added calories that come from eating the chocolate in place of more nutritious foods.

You must remember that the difference in the quality of the chocolate is likely quite important. In the U.S., chocolate that has 15% cocoa solids can be sold as dark chocolate. In Sweden, even milk chocolate has more cocoa (30% cocoa solids) than dark chocolate sold in the U.S.

It’s the higher cocoa content that’s been associated with all the health benefits, and in fact the milk seems to keep the good-for-you nutrients from being absorbed by the body.

What’s more, the serving size the Swedish subjects enjoyed ranged from 19 grams among those over 62 years old, to 30 grams for those 61 years old and younger. In the U.S., the standard portion size is 20 grams.

Because chocolate is a rather calorie dense food, eating lots over the long term is certainly going to increase the chances you’ll gain weight. We chocolate lovers know this all too well. Which is why the experts caution this is not an “eat all you want” message. If you must indulge, dark chocolate, in small, limited amounts, appears to be a rather nice tasting, good for you option when trying to prevent heart attack or failure from occurring.

Chocolate health benefits outweigh any negatives as long as other bad behaviors (weight gain or increased intake of lots of empty calories) don’t take over.

The differences between chronic and mild heartburn can be vast.  With around 15% of the worlds population being afflicted with Heartburn, treating chronic heartburn symptoms are much more complicated.  Mild symptoms can be cured with over the counter medication like tums, rolaids, Prilosec, and other similar antacids.  Lifestyle changes in diet can also make a huge difference.

Chronic heartburn can be caused by other more serious medical conditions.  For example Hiatal hernia, GERD, Barrett’s esophagus and in very rare cases cancer of the esophagus.

The symptoms of heartburn are unmistakable.  A burning sensation can be felt behind the breast bone.  This pain is caused by undigested food and stomach acids bypassing the esophageal sphincter and burning the esophagus.  Untreated this can lead to chronic heartburn symptoms down the road.

The average person may have heartburn symptoms very occasionally.  But if you have these symptoms more than 2-3 times a week then you probably have chronic heartburn or possibly GERD.

Woman tend to get Chronic Heartburn more often than men.  There are many opinions about this phenomenon. Their lower esophageal sphincter seems to malfunction more due to unknown reasons and allow stomach acids to travel up the esophagus.

Pregnant women have a higher instance of getting chronic heartburn.  This is due to more pressure being placed on the stomach and pushing acid juices against the esophageal sphincter causing it to leak into the esophagus.

The same goes for obese and overweight people.  Abdominal fat puts pressure on the stomach and pushes stomach acids into the esophageal area causing heartburn.  The easy cure for this is to lose weight.  Most overweight people who lose weight also lose their heartburn symptoms.

One interesting fact is that Caucasians and Hispanics have a greater instance of having Chronic Heartburn over Asians and African Americans.  This is an area of genetics still being researched.

Treating Chronic Heartburn is not an option.  If allowed to persist, it can cause significant damage to the esophagus and even result in cancer. While over the counter medications may help someone who has occasional heartburn, they will most likely not any effect over chronic heartburn.

Chronic Heartburn can be treated with many prescription medications.  In most cases you may be prescribed proton pump inhibitors, histamine 2 blockers, ranitidine, or Metoclopramide for more serious cases.  Also, your Dr. may have you take up to two different types of these medications depending on your symptoms and esophageal damage.  It is possible for your esophagus to actually heal itself if you can give it enough protection from stomach acids for a long enough period of time.

Occasionally a Hiatal Hernia may cause Chronic Heartburn. Hiatal hernia is a condition in which a portion of the stomach protrudes upward into the chest, through an opening in the diaphragm. This requires surgery to fix this condition.

Some of the best ways to prevent heartburn are lifestyle changes.  Eating less fatty foods, less acidic foods, avoid spicy foods, lose weight, don’t smoke, don’t drink alcohol and eat smaller portions at meal time.  Become a 6 meal a day person and  eat less at each sitting.

Curing Chronic Heartburn symptoms may require a multi-faceted approach. It is recommended to talk to your Dr about your condition and symptoms.  Trying to cure heartburn symptoms naturally before it turns into a Chronic Heartburn diagnosis is the best course of action.  But if you are having Heartburn pain 3 or more times a week you may need to take a more aggressive approach.  The bottom-line is get it fixed or suffer greatly down the road.

The human body is made up of trillions of cells, each one working around the clock to make the body work in the clockwork way that it does. These trillion cells are essentially fueled by CoQ10 that acts as a catalyst for the manufacturing of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), a unit of energy that ultimately feeds the cells.

As a person ages, their production of natural CoQ10 decreases. This decrease shows in the body as you age as well, you just see the effects and do not know what causes it. With the decrease of your Coenzyme Q10 production you have less energy, your skin begins to wrinkle and your blood pressure can increase.

CoQ10′s main purpose is to fuel the body’s cells, but it also acts as a combatant against cells that are referred to as “free radicals”.

Free radicals are cells that have become unstable within our bodies. In efforts to gain stability, the unstable cells attempt to grab onto the stable cells. Instead of gaining stability by doing this, the cells cause the the other cells to become free radicals as well.

Although this instability of cells sounds like a bouncing child mistakenly pulling another child down with them – the consequences of free radicals in our bodies is vastly different. Many of these free radicals can develop into certain diseases or illnesses.

The effects of Coenzyme Q10 has become the focus of many medical trials that involve medical conditions such as:

• Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• Cardiovascular Illnesses
• Gingivitis
• Cardiac Arrest
• Chest Pain
• Heart Attacks
• High Blood Pressure
• Chronic Migraines
• Obesity

Coenzyme Q10, comes in a supplement version, but it can also be incorporated into your diet; however, to get the levels that a supplement supplies would be difficult. This diet would involve eating plenty of beef muscle, beef heart and eggs which contain plenty of cholesterol and saturated fats. Coenzyme Q10 can also be found in very small quantities such as spinach, a few grains, beans and specific oils.

Everyone is familiar with the feeling of being under pressure and studies recommend that moderate amounts can be a good thing at times, as it keeps us motivated, makes us more alert, and drives us to perform better. The bad side of the coin is, if we are subjected to pressure too much and too often, it can lead to stress. One of the best natural heart remedies is to learning how to manage stress.

Stress can be detrimental to your heart’s health as it can have a real impact to it. To make matters worse, the methods that most people do to deal with it like smoking, not having time for exercise, and consuming unhealthy foods can adversely affect our health.

If you don’t take the necessary steps to address stress, you will find that it will not only affect just your emotional wellness but your overall heart health. Here are some natural heart remedies and a few tips on how to reduce your stress levels and enjoy life more for a healthy heart:

1. Create a list of all the things that will trigger stress. Is it a traffic jam or a situation at work? Identifying what triggers stress is a great step to managing it. Once you acknowledge your stressors you can takes steps to manage it.

2. Learn some strategies for coping with stress like relaxation techniques, meditation, massage, yoga, or breathing exercises.

3. Set aside a special time to unwind; even for just a few minutes. Use these times wisely to do things that you love such as giving yourself a bath, read a good book or write on a journal. If you go to work everyday, make sure that you really take a break during lunchtime.

4. Exercise regularly. For starters, use gentle exercise techniques like walking, cycling, swimming or jogging. This will not only lift your spirits, it will help you cope better with stressful situations.

5. Try not to multitask all of the time. Learn how to prioritize things and plan ahead instead of procrastinating or doing everything at the last minute.

6. Remember to pause and take a deep breath. Allow yourself to feel relaxed.

Heart failure is the condition when a heart doesn’t pump enough oxygenated blood to the other organs. This leaves the body in a weakened state and requires medical attention. Since nearly 5 million American adults suffer from heart failure each year, it is a good idea to get to know more about this dangerous condition to avoid a visit to a cardiac rehab program.

If you are experiencing heart failure it doesn’t mean that the heart will stop pumping, per se. A heart going through it will continue to beat, just not as well as a healthy heart would. If your heart is not pumping as good as it should, this generally means that you have some kind of other underlying heart problem.

The causes are many, and many of them you can control. The two types of causes can be narrowed down into two categories: lifestyle choices and medical conditions. You might notice that the lifestyle choices that can cause failure are quite similar to those that cause heart disease. Being overweight, high blood pressure and eating food high in fat and cholesterol are all types of lifestyle choices. Your Bourbonnais Illinois healthcare provider will tell you that by simply switching up your daily eating habits you can help prevent it. Smoking, lack of exercise and drug or alcohol abuse are also different choices you can choose to turn around now. There are numerous medical conditions that can cause heart failure, but the most commonly known are: previous heart attack, diabetes, infection of the heart itself and an arrhythmia.

All of those causes being said, it would also be good to know who is more at risk than others. While heart failure can happen to anyone of any age, it is more common in those over the age of 65. A heart attack, enlargement of the heart, diabetes, anemia and high blood pressure are all preexisting conditions that can contribute to your risk. If you fall into one of these categories, you should know what the symptoms are. Shortness of breath, weight gain, swelling of the legs and ankles, fatigue and loss of appetite are all signs of heart failure. If you experience any of these symptoms it might be a good idea to talk to your doctor. If you do have heart failure, medications, surgery and changing your everyday habits can help to treat heart failure. You might find that a cardiac rehabilitation program is just what you need to help get you back on track.

If you are over the age of 65 and have been feeling a bit “off” lately, visit your Bourbonnais Illinois healthcare provider and get your annual checkup. In cases like this it is better to be safe than sorry and sitting in the Riverside Medical Center with even more severe symptoms. While the cardiac rehabilitation program at Riverside Medical Center is one of the best out there, no one wants to go through the pain and anguish of recovery. A cardiac rehab program is something that can be avoided.

Heart Disease & Stroke

In the 1990s, publications showed that drinking coffee increased the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) by 40% to 60%, especially in those who drank five cups or more of coffee. However, since then, there is burgeoning evidence that drinking cappuccino is not associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, as evidenced by the following high-quality studies. In a study where over 85,000 women aged 34 to 59 were followed for 10 years, authors found no evidence for any association between coffee drinking and the risk of CHD-even in those who drank more than six cups of coffee a day.

In another U.S. study involving over 44,000 men and over 84,000 women who were followed for up to 20 years, the authors concluded: “These data do not provide any evidence that coffee consumption increases the risk of CHD.

A study involving over 127,000 individuals found that coffee was not associated with an increased risk in nonsmokers, but was associated with an increased risk in current or ex-smokers. Coffee drinking was not associated with an increased risk of CHD, stroke or sudden death among 11,231 Italian patients who had suffered a recent heart attack. Coffee drinking was not associated with an increased risk of heart disease or premature death in diabetic women. In fact, much to the contrary, there is evidence to suggest coffee drinking may even have a positive and protective role in cardiovascular disease. Here is a glance at
some interesting results:

• In a Japanese study involving over 76,000 individuals who drank coffee, green tea, black tea and oolong tea daily, caffeine intake was associated with a reduced risk of all types of cardiovascular disease (stroke or CHD) in men (38% reduction)and women (22%)

• Coffee drinking was associated with a reduced risk of and death from cardiovascular diseases in 3,837 Finnish patients with type 2 diabetes.

• Among 1,369 Swedish patients hospitalized for his or her first acute myocardial infarction and then followed for the next three months after discharge, the researchers reported these key findings: 1) the more cups of coffee drank, the less likely the risk of death; and 2) coffee intake was not associated with subsequent heart failure or stroke

• Coffee drinking was not associated with an increase risk of stroke in the “Nurses’ Health Study” (83,076 women)-in fact, coffee drinking lowered the risk of stroke

• In a Finnish study involving 26,556 male smokers aged 50 to 69, drinking coffee and tea was associated with a reduced risk of “routine” strokes, but not those due to hemorrhage in the brain

Calcium & Bone

It has long been known that caffeine from coffee or tea can lead to calcium loss in the body. It is estimated that for each cup of coffee drank, less than 5 milligrams (mg) of calcium will be lost from the body. It is of no surprise to read reports linking coffee drinking and bone loss- especially in postmenopausal females. A report from the U.K. reported such an association in 205 healthy, nonsmoking, postmenopausal women.11
In this study, the key findings included:

• In women with optimal calcium intake (744 mg/day), the body mineral density was not affected by caffeine intake

• Women on less than optimal calcium intake and the highest caffeine intakes (more than 450 mg/day) had the most significant bone loss as compared to those women consuming less caffeine; these authors concluded that drinking two to three cups of brewed coffee may increase bone loss from the spine in women who are not taking in the optimal calcium This early study was later confirmed in a U.S. study involving 489 elderly women aged 65 to 77.12 In this study, women who drank 18 ounces (oz) of brewed coffee containing 300 mg of caffeine a day showed accelerated bone loss at the spine. Examining all of the risk factors for osteoporosis in women, researchers concluded: “Life study modification emphasizing bone-healthy habits such as adequate calcium and vitamin D nutrition, regular exercise, limitation of caffeine and alcohol consumption and avoidance of tobacco are essential to the management of osteoporosis risk.”