The human heart works really hard beating 100,000 times a day pumping blood from the top of our head to the tips of our toes. The 60,000 miles of blood vessels in the human body is a beautifully intricate network that brings oxygen to our cells and carries wastes out, with our heart at its center.
We regularly hear how healthy diets, exercise, stress reduction, smoking cessation, and targeted supplements are the pillars of good heart health. But how exactly do these things make a difference? To answer this, we need to look at the cardiovascular system as a whole.
The Inflammation Beast
It's become increasingly clear that oxidative stress and immune imbalances are the roots of many serious cardiovascular health conditions. Free radical damage to the cells that line our delicate blood vessels can trigger an ongoing cascade of immune activities that can negatively affect the integrity and function of our vasculature and heart.
An effective battle plan for combatting inflammation includes a diet rich in inflammation-busting plant foods and antioxidants like turmeric, resveratrol, olive and pomegranate to name a few.
Blood Pressure
When you partially cover the opening of a garden hose with your thumb, it causes the water to spray out at higher pressure. In the same way, faster than normal blood flow through smaller blood vessel diameters places greater demands on the heart and body.
Stress, nutrient deficiencies, poor immune health, genetic predisposition and a sedentary lifestyle are some of the root causes that can come together to impact blood pressure. A comprehensive strategy to help support and strengthen the circulatory system includes exercise, medication when therapeutically necessary, a nutrient-dense diet, and supportive herbs such as hawthorn berry and grape seed.
Cholesterol Balance
Long thought to be the primary focus for cardiovascular health, we now know that our lipid balance is just one piece of the puzzle. Upholding a healthy heart involves both maintaining balanced cholesterol levels and also promoting optimal immune function to protect and support strong, flexible blood vessels.
The latest nutrition research suggests that maintaining the right ratios and structures of cholesterol molecules is the most optimal way to support health. Apart from being aware of how dietary choices may influence cholesterol metabolism, there are nutrients and herbs like olive fruit and hibiscus that we can include in our daily regimes to help uphold a healthy balance.
Smooth Circulatory Sailing
As we age, blood vessels often get stiff and blood gets more viscous. Red blood cells get increasingly caught in webs of fibrin, a natural clotting agent made by our body. This means our blood isn’t flowing as freely leading to poor circulation, and other health risks. Inflammation can rear its ugly head once again and further contribute to the problem. Slower blood flow can lead to plaque formation and narrowing of the arteries. Not good! The goal is to tip the balance towards healthy blood flow with healthy dietary fats, exercise, inflammation lowering nutrients, and compounds like nattokinase (derived from fermented soy) that can naturally break down fibrin.
From a preventative standpoint, ensuring all the bases of cardiovascular health are covered is the best insurance policy for lifelong heart health. However, it’s not always possible to eat a diet packed with antioxidants and heart-protective nutrition. In this case, a comprehensive, full spectrum supplement, like Heart Protector®, is a great way to show our hard-working heart some love.
