Recommendations for Cardiovascular Health
Every year more than one million Americans die because of cardiovascular diseases. There is an estimated of 50 million Americans that do not know they have heart and blood vessel diseases because they have no symptoms.
The coronary arteries provide blood to the heart and if the blood vessels narrow the blood supply will become insufficient to supply oxygen to the heart. The oxygen deprivation causes angina pectoris also known as chest pains. The heart attack or myocardial infarction happens when the coronary arteries responsible for delivering oxygen and nutrients gets blocked.
Here are the common heart problems:
Hypertension: Hypertension happens when the interior diameter of the arteries reduces because of high blood pressure due to stress, nutritional deficiencies, sodium metabolism and enzyme imbalances.
Arrhythmias: Arrhythmias are the disturbances in the normal rhythm of heartbeat and can be dangerous and even life threatening.
Vascular disease: Vascular disease happens due to an impaired function of the heart’s valves.
Other factors include adverse cholesterol level, diabetes, obesity and unabsorbed Calcium due to lack of vitamin C and vitamin D, lack of exercise and excessive bad cholesterol (LDL). These conditions can promote plaque buildup in the arteries specially in people above the age of 50.
Useful Herbs:
- Cordyceps is a Chinese herb that can slow down heart rate and blood pressure and increase the blood supply to arteries and heart.
- Ginkgo biloba can increase cardiovascular health by preventing accumulation of free radicals. Green Rooibos Tea with Lemon Grass is also a great source of antioxidant.
- Grape seed extract can lower high blood pressure and improve cardiovascular health and hawthorn can increase the blood flow and lower blood pressure. Click here to find more about the powerul antioxidants in Grape seed extract.
- People with cardiovascular health can benefit from herbal tea, barberry, black cohosh, cayenne pepper, dandelion, ginseng, valerian root and butcher’s broom.
- Do not use black cohosh and barberry during pregnancy and do not use ginseng if you have high blood pressure.
Avoid ephedra and licorice if you have cardiovascular problems because they can increase blood pressure.
- Herbal extracts including Cardio Package, Co-Enzyme Q10, Heart & Lung Plus, Herbal CardioCare and Vari-Plex can promote healthy veins.
Other recommendations:
- Eat plenty of organic raw foods and include raw cashew nuts, wild salmon or turkey breast for protein in your diet. A diet high in fiber can be very beneficial and beside organic fruits and vegetables, organic brown rice has lots of fiber.
Click here to find more about a diet high in fiber and nutrition
- Include garlic and onion in your diet; they have compounds that can reduce bad cholesterol. If you don't like the smell of garlic you can take garlic capsules.
- Avoid consuming coffee or clack tea that have caffeine and drink spring water or distilled water instead.
- Eliminate sodium completely from your diet and avoid processed foods and refined sugar in foods like baking soda, canned foods, prepared foods, and foods with MSG, HFCS, GMO foods and saccharin.
- Avoid foods high in vitamin K. Too much vitamin K can increase the blood’s tendency to clot. Alfalfa, broccoli, egg yolk, liver, spinach and dark green vegetables have high amounts of vitamin K and should be consumed in smaller portions if you have cardiovascular problems.
- Keep your weight down. Obesity increases the chances of heart attacks and high blood pressure.
