Heart disease prevention
Original article published in MailOnline.
We have all heard the saying ‘we are what we eat’, with a belief that a good diet can help protect us from ill-health.
Dr. Carl Pfeiffer, a pioneer in nutritional medicine
believed that ‘with adequate intake of micronutrients, most chronic disease
won’t exist’.
We live in a world where our food is heavily processed, laden
with sugar and artificial chemicals.
We exercise less, have more stress, and spend less time in
the sunshine.
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the
UK and the US, yet we can all do more to help prevent it.
I believe eating a healthy, home-cooked diet rich in
nutrients are the key to not only protecting our heart but fortifying our bodies
against a variety of ill-health.
Ditch the junk and processed options, stop counting calories
and switch to eating real food
I have put together a list of foods that can help protect
your heart, but overall you will see a pattern – fresh fruit and vegetables,
oily fish, grass-fed meat, nuts, and seeds are the real superfoods.
Here are 13 nutrients you can mix into your meals to
achieve a heart-healthy diet:
1.Omega 3 essential fatty acids
Think of the Mediterranean diet, rich in oils and fresh
fish.
You gain the short-chain monosaturated fatty acids (oleic
acid) from the olive oil which has been shown to help reduce LDL (bad)
cholesterol and triglycerides.
Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids such as EPA and DHA
can help prevent inflammation throughout the body as well as protect against
cardiovascular disease.
Found in: Oily Fish, nuts and seeds, seed oils.
2. Magnesium
Magnesium plays a vital role in the production of a type of
energy called ATP.
Muscles need this energy in order to relax – the heart is a
muscle and studies have shown that good levels of magnesium can help prevent
stroke, and heart attacks.
Magnesium is vital for good health and somewhat neglected in
the western world.
Women tend to be more deficient than men.
Stress also depletes our reserves of magnesium so topping up
is vital.
Found in: Nuts, Seeds, Green Leafy vegetables, pulses
such as red lentils.
If you are concerned about your magnesium levels, take a
daily supplement, but ensure it is magnesium citrate as this is the most bioavailable
form.
You can also add Epsom salts to your bath as you will absorb
their magnesium through the skin.
3. Co-Enzyme Q10
Known for helping with energy production alongside
Magnesium, Co-Q10 is also a powerful antioxidant and can work well with
selenium, vitamin C, vitamin E and zinc to help protect our arteries from
damage.
It is also worth noting that anyone taking statins will have
lower levels of CoQ10 so may need to take a daily supplement.
Found in: Meat, eggs, and fish.
4. Vitamin D
We are starting to recognize the benefits of vitamin D from
sun exposure to help protect us from a variety of diseases, but particularly
heart disease, high blood pressure, and strokes.
In fact, research has shown a 40 percent higher risk of
heart disease when deficient of vitamin D and a massive 81 percent higher
chance of dying from heart disease.
Found in: The best source is sunshine, but you can also gain
a little from fish (especially fish liver), some mushrooms and eggs.
5. Zinc
Just like Omega 3 oils, zinc can help prevent inflammation
though the creation of anti-inflammatory cytokines.
Zinc has also been shown to have protective properties,
particularly for coronary artery disease and can help improve cardiac function.
Found in: Pumpkin seeds, nuts, and seeds, shellfish.
6. Vitamin C
A powerful antioxidant, vitamin C, alongside vitamin E, Zinc
and Co-Q10 work together to help protect you from cardiovascular disease and
cellular damage.
Vitamin C has also been shown to help lower LDL cholesterol,
whilst also significantly helping to improve HDL levels, as a result, those who
have higher levels of vitamin C in their diet, have less risk of heart attacks
and strokes.
Found in: Fresh fruit, particularly berries, parsley,
red onions.
7. Vitamin E
Known for its antioxidant and protective properties, Vitamin
E can also help reduce LDL cholesterol and increase HDL levels.
It can also help improve endothelial cell function.
However, to gain optimum benefit from vitamin E, you also
need to have a good source of vitamin C, selenium and Co-Q10 in your diet.
Found in: Avocados, nuts, and seeds.
8. Selenium
It has been documented that those who have a low level of
selenium has a higher risk of heart disease.
Selenium needs to work alongside vitamin E, vitamin C and
Co-Q10, so before you reach for a selenium-rich supplement, you may want to
consider a more general antioxidant as well as increasing your antioxidant-rich
foods.
Found In: Brazil nuts, seaweed.
9. Probiotics
You wouldn’t necessarily relate a lack of healthy gut
bacteria and heart disease, however, studies have shown that poor gut health
(especially leaky gut syndrome which many of us suffer due to overexposure to
wheat) can create systemic inflammation.
Weakened gut health can also lead to poor absorption of
nutrients, which in turn can also affect heart health as well as lower the
immune system.
Found in: Fermented foods such as yoghurt, sauerkraut,
tempeh, kefir.
Beware that supermarket probiotic yogurt drinks can contain
a huge amount of sugar and research has shown the active probiotic may not
reach the lower intestine.
If you’re concerned about gut health, I would advise taking
a probiotic capsule. I would recommend Nutrigold Acidophilus.
10. Allicin
This is the compound found in garlic, the one responsible
for the garlic smell.
However, it also has a powerful effect on our heart health
and blood pressure, as it can help relax the blood vessels and improve blood
flow.
Eat garlic every day in foods, crushing it gently and
leaving for 15 minutes before using is said to enhance its effects
Found in: Garlic. I prefer to use garlic in my food, but
you can take a daily supplement, though I would not recommend an odorless
variety as this may reduce the allicin content.
11. Lycopene
Lycopene is a carotenoid, which has been shown to help
protect against a range of cancers as well as heart disease.
There is strong evidence to show that the intimal wall
thickness and risk of myocardial infarction are reduced with higher adipose
tissue concentrations of lycopene.
It has many benefits including helping to increase the flexibility of our arteries and improve the function of the endothelial tissue,
protecting against arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
Found in: Cooked tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, peppers,
papaya, watermelon, red cabbage, and asparagus.
For real benefits, I would recommend a daily supplementation
of at least 15mg.
One capsule delivers the equivalent of 6lbs of tomatoes.
My favorite is cardiomato as it also contains the essential
fats in the form of Vitamin E to aid absorption alongside phytosterols and
beta-carotene, one a day high strength capsule.
12. L-Arginine
Studies have shown that L-Arginine can help lower blood pressure.
It can also help protect us against heart disease.
It’s abundant in nuts and research has shown that those who
eat more than 5oz of nuts a week have significantly less heart disease.
Found in: Beans, nuts (such as almonds and walnuts),
oats and cold-water fish such as salmon, tuna and mackerel.
13. L-Taurine
Taurine plays a vital role in the health of our arteries and
general heart health.
Studies have shown that those with lower L-Taurine levels
are more susceptible to heart disease.
Found in: Red meat, eggs, seafood.