In the 1950s, cholesterol emerged as a chief player. Later, research revealed that LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, clung to artery walls, contributing to the formation of artery-clogging plaque.

But over the years, research has revealed that cholesterol is just one of many factors that can lead to a heart attack — including diabetes, adipose fat, kidney dysfunction, obesity and lack of exercise, to name just a few.

Then there’s research that uncovers a whole new pathway through which heart disease develops, such as bacteria from the mouth.

Keep that in mind as you read how bacteria, hidden for years in artery plaque, can trigger heart attack, and why this knowledge may make them easier to prevent…

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Infectious processes can trigger heart attack cascade

Scientists from Finland and the United Kingdom have uncovered previously unknown evidence that heart attacks may be triggered by infectious processes, rather than just by cholesterol and other lifestyle factors.

Biofilms are sticky, protective layers that shield bacteria from immune responses and antibiotics. In this recent research, such biofilms have been discovered inside atherosclerotic plaque, where they likely formed over and protected bacteria for years, even decades.

These bacteria can remain dormant for years, but can be activated by external forces, such as a viral infection.

Scientists observed that when this happened, the person’s immune system responded, triggering inflammation, which ruptured arterial plaque and caused blockages that led to heart attack.

“Bacterial involvement in coronary artery disease has long been suspected, but direct and convincing evidence has been lacking. Our study demonstrated the presence of genetic material — DNA — from several oral bacteria inside atherosclerotic plaques,” explains Professor Pekka Karhunen, who led the study.

These findings pave the way for the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to prevent or treat heart attacks — including, the researchers say, the possibility of preventing coronary artery disease and heart attack by vaccination.

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A missing step for heart protection

As odd as it seems, this isn’t the first time I’ve encountered research linking immune response and inflammation to heart attacks.

In 2020, researchers from Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK) discovered that in approximately 25% of heart attack patients, the trigger was activated immune cells — specifically, T-lymphocytes (T cells).

According to that research, a “misguided adaptive immune response” activated T cells to accumulate on the inner lining of the artery wall, where they damaged the lining and contributed to the formation of a blood clot. Following an inflammation cascade, the plaques erode, resulting in debris in the bloodstream and artery-blocking clots that trigger a heart attack.

That research, like this newest one, was significant for demonstrating that heart attacks can have different pathophysiological origins — including an immune-mediated mechanism.

So, in addition to doing all the right things to promote heart health, it may be time to add “promoting a healthy and balanced immune system” to that long list.

 A balanced immune response activates T cells in a measured response to pathogens without creating so much inflammation that it harms the body’s own tissue.

The opposite of this is what we see in autoimmune conditions, where the immune response becomes overly active and goes rogue. Specific nutrients have been found effective at dialing it back, including one that strengthens the immune system and one that reduces inflammation: Vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids.

Plus, both of those are also known to support heart health. Are you starting to see how it all comes together?

Sources:

Heart attacks may actually be infectious — Science Daily

Viridans Streptococcal Biofilm Evades Immune Detection and Contributes to Inflammation and Rupture of Atherosclerotic Plaques — Journal of the American Heart Association

The post Newly discovered cause of heart attack hides in plaque appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Sometimes, an observational study is convincing enough to be considered a valid source of evidence.

And while it may not offer “cause and effect” proof, an observational study, when done well, gives us enough information to convince us that changing our behavior could benefit our health.

This is especially true when it comes to what we eat.

I’ve often said here that “food is medicine.” Well, here’s an observational study that has convinced me eating a little differently will add some years to my life…

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Women need more vitamin K1 to keep arteries flexible

A study at Australia’s Edith Cowan University has shown that eating just an extra cup of leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables each day could save your life.

These vegetables, including spinach, kale, and broccoli, are rich in vitamin K1.

The researchers investigated whether eating more vitamin K1 was linked to better heart and blood vessel health in older women.

Older women were chosen as subjects because they have a unique risk for atherosclerotic vascular disease (ASVD), a type of cardiovascular disease where plaque builds up inside your arteries, narrowing them and restricting blood flow.

This is one reason that women are known to be at greater risk of heart attack and stroke than men. Hormonal factors also contribute to this increased risk level.

The study participants were 1,436 women, who averaged 75 years of age. A food questionnaire assessed their vitamin K1 levels at the start of the study.

Then, the researchers followed them for 14.5 years using hospital and death records.

In general, women who ate more vitamin K1 had thinner carotid artery walls, reflecting less early-stage atherosclerosis.

More specifically, women with the highest K1 intake (120mcg) had a 43% lower risk of dying from ASVD.

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Are you getting enough K1?

If you’re following the recommended daily guidelines, you’re probably not getting that 120mcg of K1 that lowered the risk of dying from ASVD.

The recommended daily intake of K1 in the U.S. is only 90mcg for adult females.

In Australia and New Zealand, it’s even lower: only 60mcg for females.

But you know what? It doesn’t take much to get to that 120mcg mark. Let me show you…

• A cup of raw kale provides 472mcg
• A cup of raw spinach offers 145mcg
• Just half a cup of cooked broccoli provides 110mcg
• A half-cup of cooked Brussels sprouts contains 109mcg.
• A half-cup of cooked cabbage provides 82mcg.

The point is, you won’t have to try too hard to get to that goal of eating 120mcg of K1 per day.

The study authors noted they did not investigate the other vitamin K component — vitamin K2 — even though it may impact heart health, only because estimating intake and availability of vitamin K2 is difficult to determine, since intestinal bacteria are involved in the synthesis of K2.

But if you’d like to know more about this form of vitamin K (found in much different food sources than K1), check out how vitamin K2 fights a common contributor of unhealthy aging — calcification.

Sources:

An extra cup of leafy greens each day reduces heart disease death risk — New Atlas

Higher vitamin K1 intakes are associated with lower subclinical atherosclerosis and lower risk for atherosclerotic vascular disease-related outcomes in older women — European Journal of Nutrition

The post The vitamin to help women avoid a fatal arterial disease appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

They become harder, narrower, and filled with a sticky plaque that slowly chokes your blood flow. These changes are known as atherosclerosis, and they occur in more than 3 million Americans each year.

Most people with atherosclerosis don’t know they have it until it’s too late, because it doesn’t have any obvious symptoms until the blockage becomes severe. But your doctor can check for it.

The thing is, whether you have atherosclerosis or not, everyone’s arteries harden some with age. That means, it’s a good idea to proactively protect your arteries, pronto.

So, what can you do to keep your arteries clear?

Eat your vegetables, that’s what. But what if you are just not a fan of the plant stuff? No problem — there’s just one kind you really need to get a little of every day for clear arteries…

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The artery-clearing power of cruciferous vegetables

In 2018, Research at the University of Western Australia in Crawley found that older women who eat their vegetables have much clearer arteries.

The study included 954 women aged 70 or older. They were asked to fill out a food questionnaire and received sonograms to gauge the thickness of their carotid arteries.

Carotid arteries are in the neck, and like the arteries in your heart, they can develop atherosclerosis. The difference is that when carotid arteries get blocked, blood flow to the brain gets cut off, and you have a stroke rather than a heart attack.

The good news is that atherosclerosis can be prevented by pumping your body full of one kind of fresh produce…

The women in the study who ate a lot of vegetables had thinner artery walls than women who didn’t, meaning less atherosclerosis or buildup. Their arteries were 0.05 millimeters thinner. This may not sound like a lot, but researchers say every 0.1-millimeter decrease in carotid wall thickness lowers your risk of having a stroke or heart attack by 10 to 18 percent.

The food questionnaire asked women about their intake of five different types of vegetables. But, researchers determined that there was one type that was doing all the heavy lifting… cruciferous vegetables.

They found that every 10 grams of cruciferous vegetables women ate per day reduced the thickness of their carotid artery wall by 0.8 percent. Since a typical serving of broccoli is about 36 grams, that probably leads to a nice reduction in stroke and heart attack risk.

Additional research in 2020 revisited this data and also found the women who consumed the highest amounts of cruciferous vegetables had less abdominal aortic calcification (an early warning sign of heart trouble) than the women who ate less.

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Plenty of Cruciferae to choose from…

Research says the positive effect of cruciferous vegetables may be due to their abundance of vitamin K, including phylloquinone (vitamin K1) found in leafy green vegetables, broccoli and Brussels sprouts and menaquinones (vitamin K2) found primarily in animal-based foods.

Phylloquinone can break down to menadione, an intermediate that is then converted to menaquinone, a form believed to reduce vascular calcification.

Broccoli is probably the best-known member of the Cruciferae family and a well-known superfood. But there are plenty of other cruciferous vegetables to choose from (even a few surprising ones) if you want clear arteries, like:

• Arugula
• Bok choi
• Broccoli
• Broccoli rabe
• Brussel sprouts
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Chinese Broccoli
• Collard Greens
• Horseradish
• Kale
• Radish
• Turnips and turnip greens
• Wasabi
• Rutabaga
• Horseradish

Sources:

1. “Vegetables may help protect elderly women from hardening of neck arteries.”  https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-04-vegetables-elderly-women-hardening-neck.html. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
2. MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/atherosclerosis.html. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
3. P. Toth. “Subclinical atherosclerosis: what it is, what it means and what we can do about it.” International Journal of Clinical Practice. 2008 Aug; 62(8): 1246–1254.
4. “Carotid Artery Disease.” MedlinePlus. https://medlineplus.gov/carotidarterydisease.html.Retrieved April 12, 2018.
5. “Cruciferous Vegetables: Cruciferous Definition And The List Of Cruciferous Vegetables.” Gardening Know How. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/vgen/cruciferous-vegetables.htm. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
6. Cruciferous Vegetable Intake Associated with Abdominal Aortic Calcification — Natural Health Research

The post Not a veggie fan? Eat just this ONE for clearer arteries appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

The fact is that the world operates in my favor. I mean, unless you work the night shift, most jobs happen during the day. And night owls aren’t built for this.

And this is more than an annoyance. It affects the amount and quality of sleep that people can get.

And this, in turn, can have disastrous consequences for their health…

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What’s your chronotype?

A recent study that builds on past research shows that paying attention to your sleep pattern can help save you from hardened arteries, heart disease and stroke.

Every one of us has a chronotype, and according to sleep scientist Dr. Matthew Walker, it’s something we’re born with.

“It’s genetic,” says Dr. Walker. “You don’t get to decide whether you’re a morning type or an evening type. It’s hard-wired into your  genes.”

Past research shows that night owls are more likely to die early and one reason is that poor sleep can harden your arteries.

But a new study goes even further…

Night owls at more risk for hard arteries

Based on their study results, two researchers at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden propose that night owls may have a far greater likelihood of developing hardening of the arteries, better known as atherosclerosis.

The study involved 771 adults aged 50 to 64 who are part of a larger population study known as the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study, or SCAPIS study.

SCAPIS studies cardiovascular disease (CVD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the Swedish population.

After evaluating the degree of artery calcification through the use of a CT scan, participants were asked to rate their chronotype on a five-point scale: extreme morning type, moderate morning type, intermediate type, moderate evening type, or extreme evening type.

Among participants in the “extreme morning type” group, only 22.2% showed pronounced artery calcification – the lowest percentage of all chronotypes – while the “extreme evening” group showed almost double that percentage, or 40.6%.

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And in case you’re wondering, this was after the researchers looked at other factors connected with atherosclerosis, such as blood pressure, blood lipids, weight, physical activity, stress level, sleep and smoking.  

“Our results indicate that extreme evening chronotype may be linked not only to poorer cardiovascular health in general, but also more specifically to calcification in the coronary arteries calcification and atherosclerosis,” says Mio Kobayashi Frisk, a doctoral student at Gothenburg and the study’s first author.

Chronotype should be considered for disease prevention

“We interpret our results as indicating that circadian rhythms are more significant early in the disease process. It should therefore particularly be considered in the preventive treatment of cardiovascular diseases,” says Ding Zou, another study author.

In other words, knowing that you’re a “night owl” can help your doctor guide you toward preventive measures to avoid heart disease.

What preventive measures are those?

A great place to start is the advice laid out by the American Heart Association in their program, Life’s Essential 8. This advice offers key measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health that consist of health behaviors and health factors that are modifiable and if improved, can reduce the risk for heart disease, stroke and other major health problems.

But any conversation about artery health wouldn’t be complete without mentioning vitamin K2. Emerging evidence from animal and clinical studies has associated low K2 levels with calcification and an elevated risk of heart problems.

And my last piece of advice would be to drink tea daily — black or green. Teas and foods like berries, apples, grapes and dark chocolate are rich in flavonoids that in studies cut down on artery calcification.

Sources:

Artery calcification more common in night owls — Eureka Alert

Eveningness is associated with coronary artery calcification in a middle-aged Swedish population — Sleep Medicine

Chronotypes: Your natural propensity to be an early riser or night owl — Found My Fitness

The post The sleep habit that calcifies your arteries appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But don’t relax too soon…

Lead poisoning and its effects are still going strong.

And according to researchers, they’re to blame for approximately 5.5 million heart deaths each and every year — more than smoking or high cholesterol.

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Lead’s heart-related death rate six times higher

Toxic metals, including heavy metals, are metal compounds that negatively impact human health. And lead is among the most notorious affecting heart health.

For the research, published in the Lancet Planetary Health, researchers used estimates of blood lead levels in 183 countries taken from the landmark 2019 Global Burden of Disease study. Specifically, they set out to nail down the impact of lead on both adult heart health and IQ in children.

While previous research had delved into lead’s contribution to heart disease, this was the first study to take a holistic look at the multitude of ways lead contributes to heart damage and death, including the hardening of arteries that can lead to stroke.

They discovered that lead is responsible for a frighteningly high number of deaths due to heart problems — or approximately 30 percent of all deaths from cardiovascular disease. This is a number six times higher than previous estimates.

According to lead author Bjorn Larsen, that would mean lead exposure is a bigger cause of heart disease than smoking or cholesterol.

None of this is surprising to me. Just this past summer the American Heart Association called out three specific metal contaminants for doing the most harm in the form of ischemic heart disease, stroke and peripheral artery disease. One of them was lead.

A first-world problem

Of course, it could be easy to assume this threat mainly affects developing countries, since it was a global report, and mark ourselves safe from the lead problem. That would be a mistake…

In fact, many studies have shown that those of us in the U.S. are at risk of heightened lead exposure from multiple sources:

• Common spices like cumin and coriander
• Decorative plates and glassware (especially the ones we put out during the holidays)
• Dark chocolate
• Drinking water (due to a combination of lead in pipes plus a compound in a chemical used for water treatment)
• Juices and some plant-based milks have been found to contain both lead and arsenic
• Rice grown in the U.S. has been found to contain toxic metals, including lead.

And those of us born before 1996 were exposed to significant lead pollution in the air from leaded gasoline, which can create a harmful legacy not just for our hearts, but also for our brains.

And lead is still in the air we breathe…

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, at the national level, major sources of lead in the air are ore and metals processing and piston-engine aircraft operating on leaded aviation fuel. Other sources are waste incinerators, utilities and lead-acid battery manufacturers. The highest air concentrations of lead are usually found near lead smelters.

No wonder researchers have identified exposure to air pollution as a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

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How to get the lead out

Knowing how you’re exposed to lead and reducing that exposure where possible is only the first thing you can do to protect your heart health.

The next is removing as much lead (and other heavy metal contaminants) from your body, as possible.

When sailors painting military ships were contaminated with lethal levels of lead during the 1950s and after WWII, the U.S. Navy relied on a newly discovered treatment to quickly eliminate the deadly toxins from their bloodstream.

The medical use of EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid) was introduced as a lead chelating agent to treat lead poisoning in employees of battery factories and in the sailors exposed to lead paint.

Chelation is simply the process of chemically binding onto heavy metals in the blood so that they can be excreted through the urine.  

And while other compounds can be used as natural heavy metal chelators, the most well-known is EDTA.

In cases of acute lead poisoning, EDTA chelation can be done through IV, but it’s also available in supplement form. You can read more about its other benefits here.

Sources:

Global health burden and cost of lead exposure in children and adults: a health impact and economic modelling analysis — The Lancet Planetary Health Journal

Exposure to One Metal May Cause More Heart Disease Than Smoking or Cholesterol — Science Alert

The post The toxin worse on your heart than smoking or cholesterol appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

One method measures biological age, or how old your cells are, by using so-called epigenetic clocks. These clocks track chemical changes in your DNA that occur naturally as you age.

Epigenetic clocks can better predict both your health and your lifespan in ways that go beyond chronological age, or the number of years you’ve lived.

There are a few conditions that can affect your epigenetic clock. Obesity, for one, can induce epigenetic changes that may accelerate tissue aging and make the liver age faster. Stress can also speed up the aging process as measured by your epigenetic clock.

Now, researchers have discovered there’s another condition that could send your epigenetic clock into hyperdrive…

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The aging effects of atherosclerosis

Since 2010, the PESA-CNIC-SANTANDER study has been analyzing the progression of subclinical atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) in more than 4,000 Santander Bank employees. Subclinical atherosclerosis is atherosclerosis that hasn’t yet progressed to a symptomatic stage.

Dr. Enrique Lara Pezzi, an author on the study, says the research has helped them learn more about the causes and consequences of subclinical atherosclerosis and provide key information for more personalized treatment in the early disease stages.

But they also stumbled across a link between atherosclerosis and accelerated aging…

Employees participating in the joint venture were between the ages 40 to 54 at the start of the study, with no history of cardiovascular disease. Data on the progression of atherosclerosis was collected using advanced imaging techniques, detailed information on participants’ lifestyles and molecular omics studies. Omics is the comprehensive study of molecules such as DNA, RNA, metabolites and proteins.

During 3-year follow-up examinations, the researchers found that low-grade systemic inflammation spiked in participants with a high burden of atherosclerotic plaques, accelerating epigenetic aging in otherwise healthy adults.

In other words, long before the appearance of symptomatic cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis is harming our health.

Lead author and General Director at Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares Carlos III (CNIC), Dr. Valentín Fuster emphasized the benefits of reducing low-grade chronic inflammation by adopting a healthy lifestyle or taking specific medications like cholesterol-lowering statins, “that can block, or at least slow, the transition from the subclinical phase of atherosclerosis to the appearance of severe cerebrovascular events, like myocardial infarction or stroke,” he says.

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Winding back your epigenetic clock

Lara Pezzi notes that it is possible to “slow down” our epigenetic aging. Luckily, the steps to slow your epigenetic clock are similar to the steps for lowering chronic inflammation in the body, which helps to protect against atherosclerosis.

Because science isn’t new to the inflammation theory of disease, much research has looked into how to tamp it down…

The Mediterranean diet, which focuses heavily on plant-based foods, healthy fats and fish, has been shown to reduce subclinical inflammation. That’s a great start.

But it gets better…

The fruits and vegetables consumed as part of the Mediterranean diet contain plenty of inflammation-fighting antioxidants called carotenes — bioactive compounds found in yellow, orange and green fruits and vegetables, that have the potential to check atherosclerosis. One study found the greater the concentration of carotenes in the blood, the lesser the atherosclerotic burden.

Add in a little exercise and you could be all set…

Studies have shown endurance sports like cycling, swimming and running and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) both slow signs of aging on the cellular level. If that seems like too much, don’t worry — even getting 20 minutes of moderate exercise a day can go a long way toward lowering inflammation.

Sources:

Atherosclerosis accelerates aging — EurekAlert!

Subclinical atherosclerosis and accelerated epigenetic age mediated by inflammation: a multi-omics study — European Heart Journal

The post The common condition aging you before you know you have it appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

For decades environmentalists have sounded alarms about it and the harm it’s doing to our planet.

But a more dire warning may be that an estimated nine million people each year die prematurely because of the damage it does to the human body, making up a whopping 16% of all deaths worldwide.

Can you guess what it is?

Pollution.

And while we’ve long understood many of the health effects of air pollution — with scientists warning about airborne Alzheimer’s, pollution-induced diabetes and effects worse on the heart than smoking or cholesterol — it seems that the dangers of the toxic metals, pesticides, and micro- and nanoplastics that have leached into our soil and water may have been overlooked.

And it’s now been revealed that the most significant dangers occur in the vessels that keep your blood flowing and heart beating.

Here are the details…

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Pollution is hardening our arteries

In the scientific journal, Nature Reviews Cardiology, an International research team is sounding an alarm in regards to the soil that grows our foods and the water we drink every day.

 “Soil contamination is a much less visible danger to human health than dirty air,” warn Dr. Thomas Münzel and Dr. Andreas Daiber, Head of the Molecular Cardiology Research Group at the Department of Cardiology at University Medical Mainz.

“But the evidence is mounting that pollutants in the soil as well as in water may damage cardiovascular health through some central mechanisms that have been identified to play a key role in the atherosclerotic process such as inflammation of the vasculature, increased oxidative stress, but also the disruption of the body’s natural clock causing vascular (endothelial) dysfunction that may lead to the initiation or progression of atherosclerotic disease.”

The formation of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is an early step in the development of heart disease. The process begins with endothelial dysfunction, mainly in medium- and large-sized arteries.

Normally it’s a slow process, with plaques building over years, but who knows if considerable exposure to pollution speeds up the process.

Additionally, the scientists say that the ever-present health risks that come with air pollution are now being compounded.

That’s because contaminated airborne dust (also known as Sahara or desert dust) is predicted to significantly increase, further deteriorating air quality.

This is especially alarming when you consider that already, 770,000 cardiovascular deaths per year are due to dust pollution.

Finally, the researchers point out that exposure to chemicals in the workplace, through consumer products (such as deodorants) or indirectly via environmental contamination also contributes to endothelial (blood vessel) dysfunction and cardiovascular disease.

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Reduce pollution’s threat to your heart

An important reason the researchers brought this information to light was to strongly encourage cardiologists to consider environmental factors that could influence their patients’ risk.

But the prevention necessary to avoid this newly identified risk will fall on our shoulders. There’s not much we can do to avoid the pollution that threatens our cardiovascular health, but there are ways to combat the specific ways it causes harm.

As a doctor who’s spent years reading and writing about these threats and potential solutions, I’m sharing with you advice that I’ve been putting into action for years in hopes of preventing some of the damage…

• Buy organic – To eliminate as much toxins as possible from the food you eat, look for organic fruits and vegetables rather than the conventional variety which is generally sprayed to within an inch of its life with harmful pesticides.
• Use a water filter – Installing a reverse osmosis water filter at home can allow you to filter your family’s drinking water and reduce your use of plastic water bottles that leach micro-particles into your water.
• Take antioxidants – Because oxidative stress is one of the ways researchers know pollution damages the cardiovascular system, it’s vital to up your antioxidant levels. You can get higher levels of antioxidants from foods like berries, leafy greens and green tea. Or, you can take a quality antioxidant supplement, such as resveratrol (the antioxidant found in the skin of grapes).
• Supplement B vitamins – One study found that individuals who took 2.5 mg per day of folic acid, 50 mg per day of vitamin B6 and 1 mg per day of vitamin B12 were able to almost completely reverse the pollution damage caused to their immune and cardiovascular systems.
• Practice chelation – Chelators are organic or inorganic compounds that can bind to different types of toxins found in pollution, like chemicals and toxic heavy metals, and promote their elimination from the body as waste. The less that’s in your body, the less there is to contribute to artery plaque. Resveratrol and EDTA are two that have been widely used and are available in supplement form.
• Supplement vitamin D – Close to half the adult population doesn’t take in adequate levels of the sunshine vitamin and low levels are linked to endothelial dysfunction.

Sources:

Road traffic injuries – World Health Organization

Number of worldwide air traffic fatalities from 2006 to 2021 – Statista

Influenza – Our World In Data

The true death toll of COVID-19 – World Health Organization

Soil and water pollution: An invisible threat to cardiovascular health – EurekAlert!

The post The environmental threat hardening our arteries appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

And since women experience heart attack differently than men, it may follow that their cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks are different as well. In some ways they are…

According to one study, depression and high levels of LDL (or bad) cholesterol were more significant risk factors for men, while the link between a poor diet and CVD was closer in women. Smoking was also a bigger risk for women.

Women’s heart health is also impacted later in life and they have more risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes and heart failure.

But if researchers get caught up in the difference, they may miss lifesaving similarities…

Like a CVD biomarker already identified in men that could one day fight atherosclerosis via vaccine…

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Low anti-PC levels signal high CVD risk

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden followed 932 women from the Swedish Mammography Cohort with an average age of 66 over 16 years. During that period, 113 women developed CVD.

They identified low levels of antibodies to the fatty substance phosphorylcholine, called anti-PC, as a new independent risk marker for CVD in older women. This is the same risk marker already seen in men.

Results showed that women with a high level of anti-PC had a 25 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack.

“We can show that a low level of the natural antibody to phosphorylcholine can be used as a risk marker for cardiovascular disease also in women, independent of previously known risk factors,” says study author Johan Frostegård, a professor at the Karolinska Institutet.

“We have previously shown that the antibody has an anti-inflammatory effect, which means that it protects against atherosclerosis, which is a chronic inflammation of the vessel wall,” Frostegård adds.

The researchers hope this finding can contribute to the development of a vaccine that can raise anti-PC levels in those who show a risky shortage benefitting men and women.

But first, they’ll have to determine what level of anti-PC is protective. “We are now working on an even larger study that includes both men and women where we hope to establish such a level,” Frostegård says.

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What to do until a vaccine is available

While right now there is no known way for women (or men) to raise their levels of anti-PC, its link with inflammation is further indication that managing chronic inflammation must be an essential component of warding off CVD.

The best place to start is by ditching the standard American diet. It’s a risk factor intrinsically linked to CVD — because it’s filled with foods that increase pro-inflammatory biomarkers, including:

• Refined sugars
• Refined grains
• Fried foods
• Sodas
• Processed, red and organ meats

The exact opposite of that is the Mediterranean diet — which always tops the list of best diets for heart health. If you haven’t guessed, that’s because it’s also an anti-inflammatory diet.

In fact, according to research, the Mediterranean diet is comparable to other interventions such as aspirin, statins, physical activity, and even antihypertensives such as ace-inhibitors or beta-blockers in terms of reducing the risk of CVD severity, mortality, and events like heart attack or stroke.

The same research listed specific nutrients and foods in the diet responsible for its anti-inflammatory heart-healthy effects, including:

• Omega-3 fatty acids, such as from fish
• Olive oil
• Fruits and vegetables
• Whole grain foods high in fiber
• Nuts and legumes

Editor’s Note: You’re invited to join a tiny handful of Americans who enjoy rare, fresh-pressed olive oil all year long. Take my word for it, there’s a difference in taste, quality and benefit! Click here to learn more…

Sources:

New cardiovascular disease risk marker discovered in older women — EurekAlert!

Antibodies Against Phosphorylcholine in Prediction of Cardiovascular Disease Among Women: A Population-Based Prospective Cohort Study — JACC: Advances

Heart Attack Symptoms in Women — American Heart Association

The post The biomarker that could lead to a heart disease vaccine appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Inflammation is a characteristic of RA and a host of other diseases. One of those other diseases is heart disease, which people with RA are more susceptible to.

All this inflammation may be why people with RA are also twice as likely to develop blood vessel disease, which can lead to serious complications, as well as an increased risk of premature death.

One such blood vessel disease is atherosclerosis, also known as hardening of the arteries, which occurs when sticky fatty plaques build up on the walls of the arteries, restricting blood flow. These blockages can also break free and cause a heart attack or stroke.

Researchers want to understand why RA patients are at a higher risk of these health problems so they can develop better treatments. One recent discovery they’ve made could mean there’s good news on that horizon…

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The magic of molecule RvT4

To better understand the causes of blood vessel disease in people with RA, a team of UK researchers explored the role of a group of molecules called 13-series resolvins (RvTs). Studies in arthritis have found that levels of one of these molecules, RvT4, are significantly reduced, which indicates a higher degree of blood vessel disease.

In the study, the researchers treated arthritis mice with RvT4. This resulted in reduced blood vessel inflammation through the reprogramming of macrophages, a group of white blood cells accumulated in the diseased vessels, to release stored lipids.

The team observed these lipids were preventing the macrophages from doing their usual tasks of clearing dead cells and reducing inflammation in the blood vessels. Once they released these lipids, the macrophages were able to move and work more effectively to reduce the causes of atherosclerosis.

To put it simply, treatment with RvT4 could enhance the body’s natural defenses against atherosclerosis.

“The study is important because it identifies for the first time the loss of RvT4 production as a potential new cause of blood vessel inflammation in the context of arthritis, offering a mechanistic explanation on the cause of this important disease in RA patients,” says Jesmond Dalli, a professor at Queen Mary University of London.

Often, RA patients also have metabolic dysfunction, which is thought to make vascular disease worse. So, the researchers gave RvT4 to mice engineered to develop characteristics of metabolic dysfunction, advanced atherosclerosis and arthritis. And this led to an overall decrease in lipoprotein-associated cholesterol and an increase in the ratio of HDL cholesterol to total cholesterol.

This is a breakthrough in understanding the processes involved in atherosclerosis in RA patients and could lead to better treatments for people who have RA and are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

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Getting resolvins naturally

As exciting as this research is, it will be years before its medical potential is realized. Until research into this molecule discovery results in new treatments, you may find it helpful to add omega-3 fatty acids to your diet.

One study found resolvins are formed from omega-3s and bind to a receptor called GPR32. This activates the receptor’s ability to counteract inflammation in blood vessels essentially switching off the inflammation and stimulating tissue repair and healing.

Omega-3s are primarily found in oily fish, like mackerel, sardines, salmon, herring and oysters. If you don’t or can’t eat seafood, you can also get omega-3s from flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts and soybeans.

Unfortunately, you’d have to eat large amounts of these foods to get the recommended amount of omega-3s.

But supplementing is safe and easy, especially if it contains krill oil, which has a structure that makes it easier for cells to absorb, which also equates to little or no “fish burps.” Also, krill oil tends to be cleaner, lacking the high mercury levels and other contaminants often found in fish oil.

Sources:

Study finds new treatment to reverse inflammation and arterial blockages in rheumatoid arthritis — ScienceDaily

Resolvin T4 enhances macrophage cholesterol efflux to reduce vascular disease — Nature Communications

Rheumatoid arthritis — World Health Organization

Rheumatoid Arthritis — Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The post The weird connection between RA and atherosclerosis appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

This means that in just one year, 805,000 people will have a heart attack, with 605,000 of those being first-time heart attacks and the other 200,000 being repeat heart attacks.

It’s no wonder then that heart disease — the root cause behind heart attacks — is the leading cause of death in our country.

And it’s a clear warning that if you want to live a longer life, knowing whether or not you’re at risk for a heart attack is a must. That’s one reason regular checkups are important.

But understanding your heart risks may have just gotten simpler…

Swedish scientists have created a 14-question at-home test that takes 5 to 8 minutes — and they say it can identify up to two-thirds of people who could be in the sights of a heart attack.

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Detailed questions plus advanced algorithm

The researchers based their study on data from 25,000 people aged 50–64 who underwent computed tomography, which can measure a person’s degree of atherosclerosis — the buildup of plaque on artery walls that can cause them to narrow and block critical blood flow.

When this happens it deprives your heart of oxygen-rich blood and can lead to a heart attack. It can also increase risk of stroke.

By comparing the images of the participants’ hearts with questionnaires they completed, the researchers were able to narrow in on which factors had the closest links with the degree of atherosclerosis, including:

• Age
• Gender
• Weight
• Waist circumference
• Smoking (If you smoke, work on quitting now)
• High blood pressure
• High blood fats (cholesterol)
• Diabetes
• Family history of cardiovascular disease

From there, answers are fed into a special algorithm, which the scientists say can detect 65% of individuals at the highest risk of cardiovascular disease.

“A heart attack often comes out of the blue,” he says. “Many of those who suffer heart attacks are apparently healthy and asymptomatic, but have fatty deposits in the coronary arteries, known as atherosclerosis,” said lead researcher, Professor Göran Bergström.

“The results show that our home test is as accurate as a clinic examination using blood tests and blood pressure measurements. If we can make the test widely available within healthcare, it can save lives and prevent suffering by helping us to identify those who are at high risk of heart attack or who are currently undertreated.”

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Gauging and reducing your heart attack risk

Their test may not be available yet, but there’s an online test you can take right now to see where your risk falls when it comes to metabolic syndrome.

You may notice that several of the health concerns on their list — waist size, blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar — make up the cluster of conditions that define metabolic syndrome, a surefire precursor to heart attack or stroke.

But test or no test, consider metabolic syndrome as the one thing to avoid or reverse. There are a few ways to do that…

• Exercise: A study found that even light exercise can counteract the heightened heart disease risk caused by metabolic syndrome. If you can exercise a little harder, the lower your risk can go. Exercise can lower your risk even with a family history of heart problems.
• Diet: The good news is you have choices. Harvard has identified 4 eating patterns that can lower heart disease risk.
• Ditch ultraprocessed foods: They’re tied to metabolic syndrome. Nuff said.
• Support your arteries with vitamin K2: Emerging evidence from animal and clinical studies has associated low K2 levels with calcification and an elevated risk of heart problems.
• Take advantage of Mediterranean spices: If free radicals overwhelm the body, oxidative stress leads to diseases, like type 2 diabetes. A handful of spices were found to greatly improve glycemic index.

Sources:

Home test reveals the risk of heart attack in five minutes – EurekAlert!

Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics – 2022 Update – American Heart Association

Heart Disease Facts – CDC

The post The at-home test that determines heart attack risk in minutes appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

All olive oils are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), particularly oleic acid. This omega-9 fatty acid may improve heart health by lowering cholesterol and reducing inflammation.

But if you want to reap the full health benefits of this miracle oil, not just any olive oil will do…

Differentiating olive oil

You can usually find two types of olive oil on your grocery store shelves: regular olive oil and extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO). There is also virgin olive oil, but that version is much less common.

EVOO is “cold pressed,” meaning that it’s made by grinding olives into a paste, then pressing them to extract the oil. No heat is used in this lengthy process. The resulting oil is green in color and has a pleasant, fruity odor and grassy, peppery flavor.

To call this cold-pressed olive oil EVOO, it must be certified, which takes time and involves meeting a lot of rigorous standards. If the oil fails to meet all these standards but is still judged to maintain the purity and taste of the olive, it receives the label “virgin” olive oil. Virgin olive oil often has a little EVOO mixed in.

Any cold-pressed olive oil that fails to meet these virgin or extra-virgin standards is usually heat-refined to get rid of impurities. Not only does that process degrade the color and taste of the oil, but it can also reduce the number one reason you should choose EVOO…

Go extra-virgin

Unlike regular refined olive oil, EVOO contains more than 200 antioxidant plant compounds, including polyphenols. And it’s the polyphenols that account for many of EVOO’s health advantages as well as its delicious flavor.

Polyphenols can help reduce inflammation, which is thought to contribute to a wide range of chronic conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.

Here are just some of EVOO’s health benefits:

• In one study, participants who consumed more than half a tablespoon of olive oil a day — about the amount used in a serving of salad dressing — had a 28 percent lower risk of dying from dementia compared with those who never or rarely consumed olive oil. Also, people who replaced just one teaspoon of margarine and mayonnaise with a teaspoon of olive oil each day had an 8 to 14 percent lower risk of dementia-related death.
• Research published in the journal Nutrients concluded that consuming two tablespoons of EVOO a day can improve blood pressure and HDL and LDL cholesterol levels in as little as three weeks. It also found that two tablespoons of EVOO a day could reduce fasting blood glucose in as little as two weeks.
• A study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed those who had 1½ tablespoons of EVOO per day were 57 percent less likely to die of cardiovascular disease and 34 percent less likely to die from all causes compared with those who consumed none. Regular olive oil didn’t have this benefit.
• According to a study published in the journal Foods, Greek men and women over age 70 who exclusively used olive oil in food prep and cooking had higher scores on a scale of successful aging attributes such as a good body mass index (BMI) and participation in social activities, compared with those who used no olive oil and those who used olive oil and other fats.
• Researchers from Temple University discovered that EVOO helps reduce tau build-up in the brains of mice. Accumulation of tau has been connected to cognitive decline and dementia.
• A team of international researchers found that consuming 1.5 tablespoons of EVOO a day led to a whopping 68 percent reduction in invasive breast cancer risk.
• A study found that when combined with dark chocolate, EVOO slows or prevents atherosclerosis, the narrowing of the arteries due to plaque build-up.
• Harvard researchers followed a group of 90,000 for two decades and found EVOO reduced mortality from four major health threats.

Does cooking hurt EVOO?

One of the downsides of EVOO is that it has a relatively low smoke point, meaning it’s not good for high-heat cooking. And there has been a question as to whether the health properties of EVOO are lost when it’s heated.

Researchers studied the impact of cooking with EVOO on its health benefits, and what they found was reassuring. Even when heated to 338°, around the temperature at which food is commonly sauteed, the concentration of antioxidants in the EVOO, while reduced, still met all the parameters set for good health, including heart protection.

Still, if you’re going to consume EVOO for health reasons, it’s probably best to consume it raw. Aim for two tablespoons a day and use it in salad dressings, as a dip for bread, drizzled over your meals or even mixed into a smoothie. It is also tasty drizzled on roasted vegetables after they come out of the oven.

Also, make sure when storing your EVOO that you keep it in a dark glass bottle or tin and store it in a cool, dark place since light and heat can shorten its lifespan.

Editor’s Note: You’re invited to join a tiny handful of Americans who enjoy rare, fresh-pressed olive oil all year long. Take my word for it, there’s a difference in taste, quality and benefit! Try it for $1! Click here to learn more…

Sources:

Are all olive oils equally healthy for you? A look at the research. — Washington Post

Regular Vs. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: What’s The Difference? — Tasting Table

Regular Olive Oil vs. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Is There Actually a Difference? — The Kitchn

Oleic Acid – Uses, Side Effects, and More — WebMD

Is Extra Virgin Olive Oil the Critical Ingredient Driving the Health Benefits of a Mediterranean Diet? A Narrative Review — Nutrients

Only virgin type of olive oil consumption reduces the risk of mortality. Results from a Mediterranean population-based cohort — European Journal of Clinical Nutrition

The Effect of Exclusive Olive Oil Consumption on Successful Aging: A Combined Analysis of the ATTICA and MEDIS Epidemiological Studies — Foods

Mediterranean Diet and Invasive Breast Cancer Risk Among Women at High Cardiovascular Risk in the PREDIMED Trial — JAMA Internal Medicine

The post 8 proven benefits you only get from extra-virgin olive oil appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In fact, a couple of years ago, pharmaceutical companies even joined in and developed prescription-strength omega-3 supplements specifically designed for patients with very high triglycerides.

After a massive meta-analysis of 120,000 people across 13 separate randomized trials worldwide confirmed its benefits, I assume they felt “If you can’t beat ‘em, you might as well join ‘em.”

Now, however, there’s another marine oil that could give fish oil a run for the money when it comes to transforming the health of your heart…

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Avoiding atherosclerosis with mussel oil

Only about one-third of Americans eat seafood once a week, while nearly half eat fish only occasionally or not at all.

So supplementing to get those valuable omega-3 fatty acids is the right choice for most of us. But until krill oil, you may have thought fish oil was your only supplement source.

Krill became popular a few years ago as we learned how rising pollution levels in our oceans were hitching a ride in wild-sourced fish — and about the antibiotics and nasty conditions farm-raised fish live in.

But hold on to your hat… there’s a third contender in the ring.

Aside from fish, other sources of omega-3s include clams, lobster, shrimp, scallops and squid. But among these alternate sources, ounce-for-ounce mussels come out on top with a whopping 700mg per serving.

But how does it compare to fish oil?

A study published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition compared the efficacy of mussel oil against fish oil, corn oil and even aspirin for preventing atherosclerosis, also known as hardening of the arteries, in mice.

The results of the study showed that taking mussel oil resulted in:

• Fewer atherosclerotic plaques than in mice taking fish oil, comparable to the levels of these lesions in mice with healthy hearts
• Lower lipid (cholesterol) deposition
• Reduced macrophages in the aortic sinus — these are immune cells that release molecules such as chemokines and cytokines that accelerate inflammation and arterial plaque formation
• Lower levels of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in arteries. SMCs appear in areas within arteries that eventually develop atherosclerotic plaques.

Pretty impressive for the new kid on the block.

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Supplementing for heart health and longevity

So clearly, it’s time to swap out your old fish oil for the new cardiovascular kid on the block — mussel oil — right?

Well, maybe not.

Unfortunately, while the results of this study show that mussel oil may be superior than regular old fish oil when it comes to your heart, the oil isn’t widely available here in the United States.

In fact, when I searched Amazon for the oil, I found a couple of possibilities (which at up to $57 a bottle could be out of reach of many budgets). And, most of them were made up of only a fraction of mussel oil, with the rest being flaxseed and kiwifruit seed oils.

That’s why when it comes to supplementing omega-3s, krill oil is still my favorite choice.

There are several reasons why, including these:

1. The omega-3 fatty acids in krill oil are easier to absorb thanks to their phospholipid shell.
2. A dose of 1 to 1.5g of krill oil a day was seen to lower LDL (bad cholesterol) more than three times that dose in fish oil.
3. Unlike fish oil, krill capsules leave no fishy burps or aftertaste and are generally smaller in size so they’re easier to take.
4. The clean and sustainable factor. Krill are at the bottom end of the ocean’s food chain, they are less likely to accumulate high levels of mercury or other contaminants.

And a small study published in 2013 found that after 4 weeks of taking only one of the supplements, krill oil led to higher levels of EPA and DHA blood levels compared to fish oil.

For me, this makes krill oil an easy and accessible choice when it comes to caring for my heart and blood vessel health.

Sources:

Mussel oil is superior to fish oil in preventing atherosclerosis of ApoE^−/− mice — Frontiers in Nutrition

Mussel oil beats fish oil in atherosclerosis prevention, animal study finds — News Medical Life Sciences

Enhanced increase of omega-3 index in healthy individuals with response to 4-week n-3 fatty acid supplementation from krill oil versus fish oil – BMC

Research uncovers key therapeutic target for reversing accelerated atherosclerosis in diabetes – News Medical Life Sciences

Role of Smooth Muscle Cells in the Initiation and Early Progression of Atherosclerosis – AHA Journals

The post Move over fish and krill oil: Is this the omega-3 for you? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

I’m also going to get myself a Fitbit or other device that will count my steps.

It seems that, for people in my age group who want to move forward into our older years with a healthy heart, adding additional steps to our day is pretty much a no-brainer.

If you’re 70 or older, you’ll want to hear about this research.

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Study looks at walking and heart health

In a recent study, walking an additional 500 steps each day (only about a quarter of a mile!) was associated with a 14 percent lower risk of heart disease for people over 70.

The research was presented at the American Heart Association’s conference, Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2023, in Boston earlier this month.

A group of researchers from major medical centers including Johns Hopkins and the University of Massachusetts analyzed data from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study.

ARIC is a long-term (36 years) study that investigated the causes of heart disease and atherosclerosis.

In the current study, researchers analyzed health data from 452 ARIC participants who used a device that measured their daily steps. They wore the devices for at least three days and for at least ten hours per day. Their average step count was about 3500 steps per day.

During a 3.5-year follow-up, 7.5 percent of the participants experienced heart disease, stroke or heart failure.

Add 500 steps a day to lower your risk

There was one really useful finding that came out of this study:

For every additional 500 steps a person took each day, their risk of a cardiovascular event when down by 14 percent!

Folks, 500 steps is only about a quarter of a mile… I could do that by walking to my local grocery store and back once a day. Not a big deal!

And if you want to walk more, the benefits stack up:

• Compared to adults who took less than 2,000 steps per day, adults who took about 4,500 steps per day had a 77% lower observed risk of experiencing a cardiovascular event.
• Only about 3.5% of participants who took around 4,500 steps per day had a cardiovascular event, compared to 11.5% of those who took less than 2,000 steps per day, over the 3.5-year follow-up period.

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You don’t need a Fitbit to do this!

It’s NOT necessary to go out and buy yourself a step-counting watch or other fancy device to start acting on these findings.

There are free apps on your phone that count steps. The one I use is called “Daily Step Tracker.”

Or, if you don’t want to carry your phone with you all the time, here’s a better idea.

Take a walk in your neighborhood with a destination in mind: the grocery store, a friend’s house, or the local library.

Take your phone with you just this once and use a step tracker to map out exactly how many steps it takes to arrive at that destination.

Then, once a day, take a walk to that spot.

Bonus: you’ll get another 500 steps in on the way back!

Not convinced? Here’s more research that says that a good brisk walk can slow down the aging process.

And finally, if you’re afraid you’ll find walking a bore, try walking backward for even better health outcomes!

Sources:

For older adults, every 500 additional steps taken daily associated with lower heart risk  — Eureka Alert

Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study — National Institutes of Health

The post The significant impact 500 steps has on your heart appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

This dangerous buildup of fatty plaques on the inner walls of the blood vessels can cause a narrowing of the vessel’s internal diameter, restricting blood circulation. These plaques can also rupture and form clots that obstruct blood flow, which can lead to stroke and heart attack.

Generally, this fat buildup is formed by low-density lipoprotein (LDL), the “bad” form of cholesterol. Therefore, targeting LDL is believed to be one way to prevent atherosclerotic plaques from forming in the first place.

A great place to start is with diet.

For example, when choosing fats for cooking, seed oils have proven to be most effective at lowering LDL levels. A diet high in pulses like beans, legumes, lentils and peas also has shown the ability to reduce LDL, due in part to the fiber they contain.

As far as nutrients go, omega-3 fatty acids are crucial for anyone looking to lower LDL. Omega-3s raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL), the “good” type of cholesterol that helps shuttle LDL through the body for processing and excretion.

There’s another dietary nutrient that’s been investigated for lowering cholesterol — and it looks quite promising in the battle to combat atherosclerosis…

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Carotenes help fight artery-clogging fat

Carotenes, bioactive antioxidant compounds found in yellow, orange and green fruits and vegetables, are believed to have the potential to check atherosclerosis. But many studies have been inconclusive on this point.

That’s why a team of researchers from IDIBAPS and the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) studied 204 people between the ages of 50 and 70. The researchers measured two parameters in these participants: the concentration of carotenes in their blood and the presence of atherosclerotic plaques in their carotid arteries.

“The study concludes that the greater the concentration of carotenes in the blood, the lesser the atherosclerotic burden, particularly in women,” says Gemma Chiva Blanch, a professor and researcher at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC). “So, we can confirm that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables and thus in carotenes lowers the risk of suffering from cardiovascular diseases.”

The study results showed elevated levels of carotene in those who followed diets rich in fruits and vegetables, such as the Mediterranean diet. In fact, the researchers found a higher adherence to a Mediterranean eating pattern was linked with increased alpha-carotene, beta-carotene and total carotene blood concentrations. That’s good news because previous research found it’s also one of the easiest diets to stick to.

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A double-whammy against cholesterol and inflammation

This study didn’t present any reasoning as to why carotenes protect against atherosclerosis. But past research in humans and mice found the conversion of beta-carotene to vitamin A helps protect against atherosclerosis development by reducing the amount of LDL in the blood.

Another theory has to do with the anti-inflammatory action of carotenes. For years, the cause of atherosclerosis was believed to be the cholesterol ingested from high-fat foods like red meat and dairy products. However, more recently it’s been theorized that cholesterol is always in the body and doesn’t cause much harm until combined with inflammation.

Where the problem starts, according to inflammation theory, is when systemic inflammation impacts the walls of the arteries. This inflammation causes LDL to stick to the artery walls, leading to the clogging that’s characteristic of atherosclerosis.

The researchers suggest further studies with a larger group are needed to establish causality between increased carotenes and lower atherosclerotic plaque.

But carotenes have shown anti-inflammatory properties in numerous studies, so their protective effect against atherosclerosis could be due to this action as well as LDL reduction.

Regardless of the mechanism, the research indicates that getting plenty of carotenes in your diet can benefit your cardiovascular health. Strive for five daily servings of fruits and vegetables, especially from these sources that are high in carotenes:

• Carrots
• Spinach
• Kale
• Lettuce
• Broccoli
• Sweet potatoes
• Bell peppers
• Pumpkins
• Tomatoes
• Cantaloupes
• Mangoes
• Papayas
• Apricots

In this study, researchers discovered only 10 participants were taking antioxidant supplements, meaning these high concentrations of carotenes were mainly being achieved through food intake. But if you can’t manage enough servings, supplements are a great option.

Sources:

Carotene-rich diet linked to lower fat levels in arteries — Universitat Oberta de Catalunya

Total carotene plasma concentrations are inversely associated with atherosclerotic plaque burden: A post-hoc analysis of the DIABIMCAP cohort — Clinical Nutrition

The post Carotenes: A double-whammy against atherosclerosis appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Those plaques are made up of cholesterol, phospholipids and other miscellaneous fats, immune cells and fibrous components.

Obesity and a diet high in fat and cholesterol are all established risk factors for atherosclerosis. In fact, some studies have shown that being obese makes a person two and a half times more likely to develop heart disease.

But the mechanics behind why have not been fully understood, until now…

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The window to the body and hard arteries

“The gut is the dietary window to the body,” said Srinivasa Reddy, professor of medicine at the University of California Los Angeles and corresponding author on the study.

It also appears to be the window through which bacterial toxins leave the gut and make their way into the bloodstream to cause systemic inflammation that turns up the thermostat on atherosclerosis…

Using a mouse model, the researchers found that on a high-fat high-cholesterol diet, the cells that line the small intestine churn out reactive phospholipids that make the intestinal lining more susceptible to invasion by bacteria in the gut.

“The normal defenses for intestinal lining cells to keep bacteria in the lumen of the intestine are reduced when they take up large amounts of cholesterol and fat,” said Alan Fogelman, a professor of medicine at UCLA and project supervisor.

“This also results in bacteria being able to come in direct contact with the cells lining your intestines called enterocytes. Without those defenses, this results in more bacterial products, like bacterial cell membranes that contain a toxin called endotoxin, getting into the bloodstream to cause inflammation.”

This is known as leaky gut syndrome.

“People who are obese and people eating high-fat, high-cholesterol diets have higher levels of endotoxin in their blood,” Fogelman adds. “It’s not at the level of causing sepsis, but it causes a low level of inflammation. When the cholesterol and fat come into the mix, the endotoxin kind of turns up the thermostat on inflammation and that accelerates atherosclerosis and leads to increased heart attacks and strokes.”

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Help your gut protect your arteries

First thing: stop allowing the worst offenders into your diet…

“We study natural emulsifiers in the diet called phospholipids,” said Fogelman. “For example, if you look at salad dressing and shake it up, it is the phospholipids, or emulsifiers, that keeps the oil in globules. Those emulsifiers can get modified by specific enzymes in the intestinal cells into very potent pro-inflammatory molecules in the body.”

He and the research team are looking for ways to reduce the phospholipid derivatives that cause endotoxin to enter the bloodstream. In the meantime, you can reduce bringing them into your body by shying away from the Western diet and leaning towards a Mediterranean diet.

Gut bacteria produce something called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). SCFAs feed the cells in your gut. In fact, they’re their main source of food.

In previous studies, SCFAs were also able to reverse leaky gut syndrome — and SCFAs are key mediators of the favorable effects of the Mediterranean diet on intestinal barrier integrity and cardiovascular health.

Here are a few tips on helping your body produce a healthy supply of SCFAs:

• Plant-based fiber produces more SCFAs.
• Whole grains produce more SCFAs than grain that has been ground into flour.
• Starchy foods, like cornmeal, potatoes, pasta, peas and lentil are also superstars in SCFA production.

Sources:

High-fat diet ‘turns up the thermostat’ on atherosclerosis — Eureka Alert

Role of enterocyte Enpp2 and autotaxin in regulating lipopolysaccharide levels, systemic inflammation, and atherosclerosis — Journal of Lipid Research

What to know about short chain fatty acids in food — WebMD

The post The gut problem that hardens your arteries appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It’s a mineral that’s known for keeping your bones and teeth strong but can sometimes end up in places it doesn’t belong — and that can be a problem.

Yes, we’re talking about calcium.

You may have read about what happens when calcium is deposited in arteries, the heart and kidneys, and even joints. But you may not have heard of the cancer connection…

For years tiny calcium deposits known as microcalcifications have been seen on mammograms. Often they’re harmless, but in some cases can signal the risk of developing breast cancer. But too little has been known about them.

Hopefully, that’s about to change. Researchers from Cornell University realize there’s much more they can tell us, including clues about the progression of breast cancer and other diseases…

The microcalcification connection to cancer

According to study co-senior author Lara Estroff, she and her team hope to look beyond the resolution of the mammogram, at the microscopic and chemical level, to gain a better understanding of microcalcifications in the breast.

More than a decade ago, Estroff was involved in collaborative research exploring the metastatic spread of breast cancer to bone. It was then that a bizarre phenomenon was discovered in which bone-like mineral appeared at primary tumor sites.

That led the researchers to believe that these microcalcifications could be capable of capturing elements of the tissue microenvironment where they form, almost like a snapshot.

“Minerals have different rules than biology,” explains lead author Jennie Kunitake, Ph.D. “Minerals forming in breast cancer could be trapping chemical information that reflect their formation environment, and that could potentially have clinical value and relevance.”

Estroff and Kunitake connected with researchers at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, who provided tissue samples containing microcalcifications from 40 breast cancer patients. After obtaining high-resolution, three-dimensional maps of the chemistry of the mineral and the organic matrix of microcalcifications in the samples, the researchers found that:

• Cancer-associated microcalcifications cluster into distinct groups that reflect the tissue type and local malignancy.
• Malignant calcifications contain higher levels of trace minerals including zinc, iron and aluminum.
• The ratio of lipids to proteins within microcalcifications is lower in patients with poor prognoses.

While the researchers are not sure if the microcalcifications form before cancer develops or because of it (think the old chicken and the egg question), these findings indicate there is a definite correlation between tissue calcification, breast cancer and the severity of the disease.

It’s a correlation that the researchers hope may also one day help in other types of cancer, such as thyroid and ovarian cancer.

They also plan to study and apply their approach to other pathological mineralization diseases, such as calcific aortic valve disease, in which mineral forms in the heart valve, or as Estroff says, “the mineral is the disease.”

When calcium goes bad

When processes in your body are working optimally, the calcium you take in on a daily basis — whether through diet or supplementation — is directed to your bones and teeth where it can do the job it was meant for.

But, everything doesn’t always go as planned. Different factors can affect the deposition of calcium in various parts of the body including:

Inflammation: Inflammation can damage tissue anywhere in the body. When it does, the body releases proteins that cause the calcium to bind together in clumps.

Calcium metabolism disorders: These can lead to hypercalcemia, which occurs when there is too much calcium in the blood.

Some autoimmune disorders. Because they can affect the skeletal system and connective tissues, they can cause calcification.

Smoking: Smoking causes an increase in calcification in the heart and arteries.

Aside from calcification in breast tissue as a marker of underlying cancer development, Breastcancer.org lists other reasons calcification may be seen in a mammogram, including calcium buildup in blood vessels of the breast. This is the same process that causes calcium to build up in blood vessels throughout the body, a condition called atherosclerosis.

Many experts believe calcification should be viewed as a contributor to the pathological aging process, which includes diseases of aging. That’s why an emerging group of vitamins is getting a log of attention for their impact on this common contributor of unhealthy aging, including K2 and MK7.

Sources:

Microcalcification ‘fingerprints’ can yield info about cancer – EurekAlert!

Calcium Deposits – Cleveland Clinic

The post Microcalcification: When minerals build up to disease appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Surprisingly, it wasn’t until June of 2022 that sleep habits were added to that list.

Studies had already shown that not sleeping enough and having irregular bedtimes and wake-up times can put your heart at risk.

Now, researchers from major medical centers across the country have used a large body of research to connect poor sleep habits with a health condition that’s a major risk for heart disease and stroke.

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Poor sleep = poor artery health

“This study is one of the first investigations to provide evidence of a connection between irregular sleep duration and irregular sleep timing and atherosclerosis,” says Dr. Kelsie Full, an assistant professor of medicine in the division of epidemiology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

Dr. Full is lead author of a study by doctors from major universities and teaching hospitals including Johns Hopkins, Brigham and Women’s, and Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

The study analyzed data from the Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), which ran from 2010 to 2013 and included over 2000 adults with an average age of 69. All were free of atherosclerosis.

For three years, participants wore a wrist device that recorded when they were awake and asleep. They also completed a sleep diary. All participants also completed a one-night sleep study at home to detect any possible sleep disorders.

Here are some of the most significant results of the MESA study:

• Participants whose length of sleep time varied by more than two hours within a week were 1.4 times more likely to have high coronary artery calcium scores (a measure of the amount of calcified plaque in the arteries, which is the main cause of heart attacks and strokes).
• These same participants were 1.12 times more likely to have plaque in the carotid artery (the major blood vessel supplying blood to the brain).
• They also were twice as likely to have abnormal results from an ankle-brachial index, which tests for stiffness in the blood vessels by comparing blood pressure at the ankle to blood pressure in the arm.
• Participants with sleep timing (the time they fell asleep) varying more than 90 minutes within a week were 1.43 times more likely to have high coronary artery calcium scores.

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But what’s the connection?

Dr. Jose Ordovas of Tufts University, who was not involved in the study, explains it this way…

“Our bodies have a natural 24-hour internal clock, known as the circadian rhythm, that regulates many physiological processes, including sleep-wake cycles. When we consistently go to bed and wake up at different times, it can disrupt our circadian rhythm and lead to what’s called ‘social jet lag.’

“The authors suggested that disturbance in sleep regularity promotes cardiovascular disease by disturbing the natural circadian rhythm of the body, thereby affecting inflammation, glucose metabolism and sympathetic neurohormonal response. All of these factors are known to cause cardiovascular disease.”

Granted, this study doesn’t prove that poor sleep causes atherosclerosis. But the connection is strong, and there are lots of other reasons you’d want to do a “check-in” with yourself on your sleep habits.

Matthew Walker, director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at UC Berkeley, has these suggestions for getting more restful sleep:

Vitamin D is important to maintaining your body’s sleep cycle. It is available from food (fatty fish like salmon and sardines, eggs, and dairy products) or through a supplement. Vitamin D helps the body produce the sleep hormone, melatonin.

Exposure to sunlight. Morning sunlight helps reset your body’s sleep clock and increases the likelihood of a good night’s sleep. Conversely, exposure to artificial light, especially blue light that emits from smartphones and other devices, in the evening can disrupt your body clock making it harder to fall asleep.

Get moving! – Even a brief and easy walk each day will have a positive effect on your sleep. Get your exercise earlier in the day so your body has a chance to calm down for sleep.

Watch those bedtime snacks! Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and spicy foods 4-6 hours before bed. Try a light bedtime snack like warm milk or a banana.

Sources:

Irregular sleeping habits may increase risk of atherosclerosis in older adults — Eureka Alert

Sleep Irregularity and Subclinical Markers of Cardiovascular Disease: The Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis — JAMA

Cardiovascular health: Irregular sleeping habits may increase atherosclerosis risk — Medical News Today

The post How irregular sleep hardens arteries appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

If so, you could be at risk for far more than low blood sugar.

In fact, according to a new study, skipping the most important meal of the day could leave you at an increased risk of atherosclerosis, or the hardening and narrowing of your arteries due to a build-up of plaque.

And, although you’ve probably never heard it from your doctor, eating a healthy, high-energy breakfast has been shown to promote greater heart health, including healthier weight and better cholesterol levels.

Let’s take a look at what the latest study found.

A high-energy breakfast for a healthy heart

The research, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, examined healthy volunteers. A computerized questionnaire was used to estimate the usual diet of the participants, and their breakfast patterns were classified based on the percentage of total daily energy intake they consumed at breakfast.

Three groups were identified — those consuming less than five percent of their total energy intake in the morning (skipped breakfast and only had coffee, juice or other non-alcoholic beverages); those consuming more than 20 percent of their total energy intake in the morning (breakfast consumers); and those consuming between five and 20 percent (low-energy breakfast consumers).

And, it was clear that eating a high-energy breakfast came with big benefits.

Not only was atherosclerosis observed more frequently among participants who skipped breakfast and or chose low-energy breakfasts compared to high-energy breakfast consumers, cardio-metabolic risk markers were also increased.

In fact, participants who skipped breakfast had the greatest waist circumference, body mass index, blood pressure, blood lipids and fasting glucose levels of all groups.

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5 Artery-healthy breakfast ideas

So, what are some great high-energy breakfast ideas to promote better heart and arterial health?

#1 — Ginger Mango Smoothie

Combine one cup of vanilla yogurt with a cup of chopped mango, one teaspoon of crystallized ginger and a pinch of ginger in a blender and puree until smooth. This yummy breakfast treat will become your go-to way to start your day.

#2 — Peanut Butter and Jelly Pancake

Start with pancakes – you can choose whole wheat, protein or gluten-free depending on your dietary needs and top with two tablespoons of peanut butter, a teaspoon of honey and your favorite jelly. You’ll love this grown up PB & J.

#3 — Oatmeal and Berries

Combine oatmeal with almond milk and your choice of a sweetener, like stevia or agave syrup. Add in dried cranberries, raisin and even some nuts for a tasty high-energy breakfast treat.

#4 — Breakfast Taco

Wrap scrambled eggs in a whole-wheat tortilla with cheddar cheese and salsa to get your morning protein along with complex carbohydrates for a great morning boost.

#5 — Yogurt Parfait

Layer a low-sugar yogurt with your favorite whole-grain cereal for carbohydrates. Add some sliced berries or bananas and top with a handful of sliced almonds. This is so good, it’s hard to believe it’s healthy for you.

Eating a high-energy breakfast could keep you slimmer, your heart healthier and your arteries clear. Try the high-energy options above for the most important meal of the day and start your day right.

Sources:

Skipping breakfast associated with hardening of the arteries — American College of Cardiology

The post Eat this every morning for less arterial plaque appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Take my friend’s mom, for instance. She was perfectly healthy… then one day, out of nowhere, she had a stroke that put her in the hospital.

With rehab, my friend’s mom made a complete recovery. But others aren’t so lucky. Survivors of stroke often have to live with partial paralysis, speech problems, memory loss and vision problems. The stroke can even affect their personality.

Some risk factors make it more likely for you to experience a stroke. Some of them are within our control, like high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, poor diet, high cholesterol, obesity and lack of exercise.

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One condition that can really up your stroke risk is atherosclerosis, a narrowing and hardening of the arteries resulting from deposits of plaque. Plaque consists of cholesterol, fatty substances, cellular waste products, calcium and fibrin (a clotting material in the blood).

These plaque deposits can rupture or break off and travel to other parts of the body — like the brain — where the fragment blocks blood flow.

Scientists know this is how atherosclerosis can lead to stroke. But they haven’t been clear as to exactly why these plaque deposits suddenly become unstable and burst or break away. That may change thanks to a recent study by researchers at Tulane University and Ochsner Health….

It’s all in the RNA

The inability to study plaques during a stroke has been a key obstacle preventing researchers from identifying the trigger for plaque rupture.

Blockage of the carotid artery is a common cause of some ischemic strokes. Previous studies have had to rely on carotid artery samples obtained after the patient’s death or months after the stroke or heart attack.

In this more recent study, the research team was able to collect carotid plaque tissue from patients within days after a stroke. Then, they genetically sequenced that tissue.

When comparing these samples to stable plaque, researchers discovered the tissues from recent stroke victims contained messenger RNA that can cause inflammation, a known risk factor in atherosclerosis. The messenger RNA can also trigger processes that degrade a portion of the plaque that protects against rupture.

“Carotid and coronary plaques develop a protective cap that, for unclear reasons, thins, making strokes and heart attacks more likely,” says study co-author Dr. Hernan Bazan of Ochsner Health.

“The genes identified in our study could be used as targets to develop new drugs or diagnostics to help prevent strokes and heart attacks,” says study senior author Dr. Cooper Woods, a professor at Tulane University School of Medicine.

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Attack that plaque

Even if you don’t already have atherosclerosis, chances are you have at least some plaque in your arteries. What can you do to keep it from getting worse?

For starters, you can follow the top 8 lifestyle changes that can keep stiff arteries from making a stiff of you.

Next, consider an artery-clearing cocktail that’s gotten a lot of attention: fish oil, cocoa extract and phytosterols. Here’s why…

• Because of its high content of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, fish oil has been linked to helping prevent and reverse atherosclerosis for over 20 years. Fish oil may also help stabilize vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque and resolve inflammation.
• Due to its high flavonoid content, cocoa has developed a reputation as an anti-inflammatory hero that keeps arteries clear and hearts healthy.
• Plant phytosterols have been added to the atherosclerosis-fighting arsenal because they contain fatty acid esters, which are proven to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, when phytosterols are combined with omega-3 (DHA) they not only lower LDL but also improve HDL (good cholesterol) and lower triglycerides. They also note that the omega-3s in krill have greater bioavailability.

Finally, consider having a glass or two of red wine each day to benefit from its high resveratrol content. Drinking red wine daily is said to cut heart attack and stroke risk by as much as 50 percent and reduce arterial plaque buildup by more than 30 percent. And like pomegranates, red wine stimulates the body’s production of nitric oxide, which helps improve blood flow.

Sources:

Study uncovers what happens inside artery plaque to trigger strokes — Tulane News

A pro-inflammatory and fibrous cap thinning transcriptome profile accompanies carotid plaque rupture leading to stroke — Scientific Reports

Risk Factors Under Your Control — American Stroke Association

Atherosclerosis and Stroke — American Stroke Association

The post Stroke danger: Why plaque thins and breaks off appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Coronary arteries are the small (slightly bigger than cooked spaghetti noodles) blood vessels that provide the heart muscle with its own blood supply. Just like the arteries in your legs supply blood to the leg muscles so you can walk or run, the coronary arteries supply blood to your heart muscle so it can beat.

Coronary artery disease is the process by which gunk (“atherosclerosis”, “plaque”) builds up in the walls of the coronary arteries. This gunk is made up of many different components including cholesterol, fat, inflammatory cells, calcium, muscle cells, and fibrous tissue. As more and more gunk builds in the arteries, the lumen of those arteries (the hole/channel through which blood flows) becomes progressively smaller such that eventually, the flow down the artery is insufficient to meet the demands of the heart muscle. That’s when people start to experience chest pain or shortness of breath with activity.

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What’s happening below the surface

Here’s what happens with exercise: as we begin to get active (eg. Go for a brisk walk), our leg muscles demand a more robust blood supply to get the oxygen and nutrients that the leg muscles need to allow us to move. This means that our heart has to pump faster and with greater pressure to get that blood to the legs. This in turn means that the heart muscle works harder and the heart muscle itself begins to make its own blood flow and nutrient demands.

As the heart muscle works harder, the coronary arteries respond by dilating so that the artery lumen increases in size and more blood can flow down the arteries to get oxygen and nutrients to the heart muscle. Using this mechanism, blood flow down normal coronary arteries can increase up to 5 times over flow at rest. Even with strenuous exercise, we don’t demand much more than a 2-3 fold increase in flow over the baseline so we have a big reserve built-in. 

Here’s the most important point about all of this — because we have a big reserve built-in, it takes A LOT of gunk to overwhelm the supply/demand balance — especially if we don’t demand much from the heart in the first place. By the time patients feel chest pain or shortness of breath with activities, by the time they have an abnormal stress test, they often have blockages that have obstructed over 70 percent — even over 90 percent — of the lumen of their arteries. And guess what? That gunk didn’t build up overnight — it takes YEARS, even decades to get to this point.  This is why someone can be fine until “out of the blue” they fail a stress test and need quintuple bypass surgery.  That person hadn’t actually been “fine” for many years — they had just been slowly losing their reserve.

But here’s the good news:  Because this buildup takes years, we have LOTS OF OPPORTUNITY to alter this process if we jump on the bandwagon early enough.  And how can we affect this?  By addressing all the modifiable risk factors for plaque building up, which includes:

• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• High blood sugar/diabetes
• Excess weight
• Poor diet
• Smoking
• Inactivity

But many patients assume that this process, carried to the extreme (gunk slowly building up until it causes a 100 percent blockage), is what causes a heart attack. Actually, this is NOT the way heart attacks happen. Heart attacks happen by a different mechanism — endothelial injury…

A blood clot — out of nowhere?

The endothelium (en-dough-THEEL-yum) is the innermost lining inside coronary arteries. It is a very thin delicate layer of cells that covers up the tissues which make up the artery wall — much like skin covers the tissues of our hands. As gunk builds up within the artery walls (and here’s the major point) — ANY amount of gunk — the endothelium gets stretched and becomes more vulnerable to injury/to breaking down/to sloughing. So, as plaque builds up it might not necessarily do so quietly. Sometimes plaque deposits (even minor ones) will burst open into the lumen of the artery — like a boil bursting. 

And here’s where those modifiable risk factors come in again — the presence of ANY uncontrolled risk factors makes plaque deposits more unstable — more likely to rupture. It’s like those risk factors are pins floating around in the bloodstream.  A pin hits a plaque boil, and it bursts open.  The more uncontrolled risk factors you have, the more pins are floating around.

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And this can set off a whole series of unfortunate events…

If the endothelium breaks down or the plaque ruptures, the raw tissue underneath is exposed to the inside of the coronary artery — much like if you burst a boil on your hand and the raw tissue underneath was exposed to the air.  The body’s automatic reaction would be to try to heal that area of raw tissue. On your hand, you would form a scab so the tissues underneath had a chance to heal and the skin would have a chance to grow back. On the inside of a coronary artery, the body responds by making a little blood clot at the site of injury so it has a chance to heal and the endothelium has a chance to grow back. That blood clot is the body’s equivalent of the scab on your hand. 

But remember that coronary arteries are small blood vessels — only slightly larger than spaghetti noodles. So – if the blood clot is big enough, it can completely block flow down the coronary artery — an inadvertent bad consequence of an initially self-healing response. This is how a heart attack happens — by a SUDDEN CHANGE in blood supply to the heart muscle. 

This explains why someone could pass a stress test with flying colors on Monday and then drop dead on Wednesday. That person did not have significant blockages (so they passed the stress test), but they did have a vulnerable endothelium or unstable plaque which broke down and caused a heart attack.  

5 take-aways to reduce your risk   

The reason why people who have extensive coronary disease (and fail a stress test) are at higher risk of having a heart attack is that they have more gunk in their arteries in general, more of their endothelium is at risk for breaking down and more of their plaque could be unstable. They also start off with smaller coronary lumens, so a smaller clot could plug up the flow.

Here are some important messages to take away:

• A normal stress test, though reassuring and a good baseline, does NOT mean that you don’t have ANY coronary artery disease.
• A normal stress test result is NOT a free pass to poor lifestyle choices or to ignoring any risk factors you may have for developing heart disease.
• Even if you do not have any symptoms of heart disease, the process may be progressing inside your body and you could be faced with a sudden major life-altering event OUT OF THE BLUE if you continue to ignore any risk factors you have.
• The SAME risk factors which cause gunk to build up inside our arteries also make the endothelium more vulnerable to breaking down and make plaque unstable.
• Controlling your risk factors not only prevents the need for bypass surgery and stents but also prevents the occurrence of heart attacks (and strokes).

And this is where nutrition comes in and why it’s so critical: What we eat affects 5 out of the 7 modifiable risk factors for heart disease we listed above — high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugar/diabetes, excess weight, poor diet!

Every time you make a better food choice (learn more about how to do that with Step One Foods), know that you’re not just merely eating better, you’re actively helping to prevent heart disease — in ALL its forms.

The post When a heart attack ‘comes out of the blue’ appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That may be surprising because so many experts tell us that we should be able to get all the nutrients the human body requires by eating a whole food diet.

These same experts will tell you that vitamin supplementation isn’t necessary. But what if your body just can’t convert the nutrients from food into the vitamin form your body needs?

Well, if that nutrient is beta-carotene, you could have a hard time managing your cholesterol levels…

Unlocking conversion of beta-carotene to vitamin A

Beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A, is one of a group of red, orange and yellow pigments called carotenoids. Beta-carotene and other carotenoids can be found in fruits, vegetables, salmon, eggs and whole grains and provide roughly half of the vitamin A needed in the American diet.

Beta-carotene helps maintain good eye health. It reduces sensitivity to sunlight in people with the inherited disorder erythropoietic protoporphyria and helps prevent vision loss and worsening of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in people with more severe AMD. Consuming beta-carotene also has associated with reduced breast cancer risk in high-risk, premenopausal women, as well as an increased chance of survival in women who already have breast cancer.

Beta-carotene also contributes to good cardiovascular health. While studying the conversion of beta-carotene to vitamin A and its impact on atherosclerosis, scientists discovered an active enzyme that’s necessary to produce vitamin A from beta-carotene in carrots.

Atherosclerosis, one of the more dangerous forms of cardiovascular disease, is a primary cause of death worldwide. In atherosclerosis, high levels of cholesterol in the blood result in the accumulation of fat and cholesterol deposits in the arteries, hardening and narrowing them and restricting or blocking blood flow. This can lead to heart attack, stroke and peripheral vascular disease.

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Previous studies with humans and mice have found that the conversion of beta-carotene to vitamin A helps protect against atherosclerosis development by reducing the amount of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad” cholesterol in the blood. This lowers the risk of developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and myocardial infarction, or heart attack.

In conducting two studies to further understand the effect of beta-carotene on cardiovascular health, researchers confirmed its importance and identified an enzyme called beta-carotene oxygenase 1 (BCO1) that helps convert beta-carotene to vitamin A.

They also found a genetic variation determines whether people have a more or less active version of BCO1. People with less active BCO1 may need to add other sources of vitamin A to their diet to benefit from what this vitamin has to offer.

Making up for less-active BCO1

The first study analyzed blood and DNA samples from 767 healthy young adults aged 18 to 25 and showed people who had a genetic variant associated with making the enzyme BCO1 more active had lower cholesterol in their blood.

As a follow-up, the researchers conducted a second study using mice, and it reproduced what they found in humans, according to study co-author Jaume Amengual, assistant professor of personalized nutrition in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at the University of Illinois.

“We saw that when we give beta-carotene to mice, they have lower cholesterol levels,” Mr. Amengual says. “These mice develop smaller atherosclerosis lesions, or plaques, in their arteries. This means that mice fed beta-carotene are more protected against atherosclerosis than those fed a diet without this bioactive compound.”

In the second study, the researchers also investigated the biochemical pathways to determine where in the body the effect occurs. They determined the liver is the organ in charge of producing and secreting lipoproteins to the bloodstream, including LDL cholesterol. “We observed that in mice with high levels of vitamin A, the secretion of lipids into the bloodstream slows down,” Mr. Amengual notes.

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Getting enough vitamin A

Understanding the relationship between BCO1 and cholesterol has important implications. For example, typical thinking would associate high beta-carotene levels in the blood with health benefits. However, this new research indicates this can also be a sign of a less-active BCO1 that isn’t converting the beta-carotene consumed from carrots into vitamin A.

It’s recommended that adult men get 900 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin A daily, while adult women get 700 mcg per day. If you eat three to five servings of vegetables a day and your body is effectively converting beta-carotene to vitamin A, this shouldn’t be a problem. However, according to Mr. Amegual, up to half of the population has the less-active variant of BCO1, which means the body is slower at producing vitamin A from plant sources.

Instead, these people may need to get this nutrient directly from an animal source such as liver or whole milk. Preformed vitamin A can also be found in fish and poultry, as well as fortified foods like edible oils and fats and cereal grains.

It’s also possible to get vitamin A through supplements, though they mainly benefit people with a poor or limited diet. Supplementation also may be necessary for people who have a condition that increases the need for vitamin A, such as pancreatic disease, eye disease or measles.

Sources:

Carrots are healthy, but active enzyme unlocks full benefits — University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences

β-Carotene Oxygenase 1 Activity Modulates Circulating Cholesterol Concentrations in Mice and Humans — The Journal of Nutrition

Atherosclerosis — WebMD

Beta-Carotene — WebMD

Vitamin A — MedlinePlus

Vitamin A — Mayo Clinic

The post Is your body blocking this cholesterol-lowering nutrient? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

After all, healthy blood pressure equals a healthy heart. Or so we’ve been told.

But, according to the latest findings, relying on normal blood pressure as a sign that your heart is healthy could be a big mistake.

It could even be a deadly one…

The problem, according to the research published in JAMA Cardiology, is that for years we’ve been told by the medical community that if your blood pressure is less than 120/80 mmHg, your heart is in good shape.

This leads to the assumption that your blood vessels are healthy, you’re unlikely to have a heart attack or stroke, and that in general, you’re doing all the right things.

Well, think again…

The new research — a long-term multiethnic study of otherwise healthy adults — actually found that you can have completely normal blood pressure, yet still be at high risk of hardening of the arteries caused by calcium deposits and suffering a cardiovascular event.

120 isn’t low enough

That top number — known as your systolic pressure reading that measures the pressure within your arteries as your heart pumps (compared to your diastolic pressure, or lower number, that measures your resting heart rate) — is the one that the so-called experts have told us is just fine as long as it stays below 120 mmHg.

But the results of the new study found that for every 10 mm increase in your systolic pressure above 90 mmHg, the risk of damage to your coronary arteries, as well as your chances of having a heart attack or stroke, rises steadily.

And specifically, the damage to your coronary arteries is the risk of calcium deposits that can lead to hardening of your arteries — something you and your doctor won’t see without performing a Coronary Artery Calcium Scan. And if your numbers are looking “normal” your doctor won’t think to have a scan done.

In fact, The New York Times reports that the study proved that “Compared with people with systolic pressures of 90 to 99 mm, those with pressures of 120 to 129 mm were 4.58 times more likely to have experienced a cardiovascular event.”

Taken together, the team says that all of these findings show that even when your doctor considers your blood pressure normal, you can still be at risk.

A two-pronged attack for healthier blood pressure

As this research brought to light, working to maintain lower blood pressure may not be enough — though you still need to try, and I’ll get to that shortly…

But clearly, you need to consider the health of your arteries — and that means doing what you can to prevent the unseen calcium buildup that leads to atherosclerosis.

Of course, the number one thing a doctor or nutritionist will recommend is a heart-healthy diet. Recently a study proclaimed the Pesco-Mediterranean diet the best at promoting heart health.

So that’s a recommendation I whole-heartedly endorse. But this latest research proves that’s not all you should do. You need to go straight after the invisible culprit attacking your arteries — calcium.

Start with vitamin K2

The first thing you should do is look at how much vitamin K2 you get in your diet. I’ve studied the relationship between vitamin K2, calcium and heart health rather extensively, that’s why I can say this.

Vitamin K2 is associated with artery health because it activates a protein that inhibits the deposits of calcium on vessel walls. It also helps direct calcium to the bones where it is beneficial.

You can find vitamin K in green leafy vegetables, but K2 (also known as menaquinone) is found in animal sources like beef liver, pork and chicken. Eggs and hard cheeses are also excellent sources.

Next step?

Increase your nitric oxide

Nitric oxide — NO, for short — is a small messenger molecule in your blood that helps the blood vessels relax and is involved in the regulation of blood pressure.

When your NO levels go up, your heart doesn’t have to work as hard to pump blood through tight arteries — think of it like sucking water through a straw, versus a milkshake.

This means that raising your NO is a great way to help keep your pressure healthy.

Your body converts nitrates to nitrites and then to NO so adding more natural nitrates to your diet could help keep your blood vessels healthy and blood pressure in the healthy range. And one of the best sources of these beneficial nitrates is beets or fermented beetroot powder.

Fermented foods, like the Japanese specialty, natto, made from fermented soybeans, are also rich in K2 and also possess a circulation-boosting enzyme known as nattokinase I’ve written about before.

Sources:

Association of Normal Systolic Blood Pressure Level With Cardiovascular Disease in the Absence of Risk Factors — JAMA Network

Think You Have ‘Normal’ Blood Pressure? Think Again — The New York Times

High Blood Pressure Symptoms and Causes — CDC

Managing Stress to Control High Blood Pressure — American Heart Association

Here comes the sun to lower your blood pressure — University of Southampton

15 natural ways to lower your blood pressure — MedicalNewsToday

The post Why ‘normal’ blood pressure readings set you up for a false sense of security appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But it turns out there’s not much good news about it…

Approximately 1 out of every 4 Americans has an HDL number below 40 mg/dL. From a previous blog, you might recall that an HDL above 40 mg/dL is acceptable for men and a value above 50 mg/dL is acceptable for women. But the higher the better.

An HDL value exceeding 67 mg/dL in women and 53 mg/dL in men is considered a “negative risk factor,” meaning it’s like having a bit of an insurance policy against atherosclerosis. Low baseline HDL numbers, especially if values fall below 35 for men or 45 for women, are a potent risk factor for developing early or more aggressive heart disease.

Compared to other cholesterol particles, HDL levels are often more difficult to budge, but changes CAN be made.

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8 things that can raise HDL levels

Exercise raises HDL levels. One of the best ways to try and raise your HDL, regardless of where you’re starting from, is to participate in regular physical activity. Both aerobic (cardio) and strengthening (weight training) forms of exercise improve HDL levels, though aerobic exercise tends to be more potent in this regard. To make up for eight hours of sitting (which is very much the norm for most Americans) you need to get at least one hour of aerobic activity every day— which is far more than the 150 minutes per week recommended by the government. If one hour of aerobic physical activity per day seems daunting right now, don’t give up. Even small increases in exercise can yield proportional HDL improvements.

A healthy diet helps raise HDL cholesterol. We are back to a nutrition plan that supports healthy longevity — whole food plant-based and brimming with healthy fats (those omega-3 fatty acids found in nuts, seeds and oily fish — and Step One Foods!). Avoiding simple, processed carbohydrates (like white bread, white rice, cakes, cookies and most boxed cereals) and avoiding trans fats (hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils) can also have a big impact on HDL levels.

Weight loss, if required, tends to improve HDL readings. Excess weight causes insulin resistance, meaning you need more insulin to store circulating blood sugar. Insulin is a storage hormone and shifts our body into storage mode — that means increased LDL (the storage form of cholesterol) and lowered HDL (the elimination form).

Quitting smoking can have a significant positive impact on HDL levels. As if you needed another reason to quit!

Managing stress can help raise HDL. When we are stressed, our bodies release cortisol which blunts insulin sensitivity. And just like for weight gain, lower insulin sensitivity leads to higher LDL and lower HDL levels.

Alcohol consumption raises HDL. However, given that alcohol is a double-edged sword, I never advise patients who don’t drink to start consuming alcohol, even if their HDL levels are low. For those who do drink, moderate consumption (defined as 1-2 drinks/day for men, 1 drink/day for women) may have beneficial effects on HDL while being relatively safe from a general health perspective.

As far as which wine or alcohol product is best, there have been studies to suggest that any alcoholic beverage will do when equivalent in alcohol content to the moderate definition. But there’s a tremendous difference between drinking a piña colada and a glass of merlot. Even moderate alcohol consumption can lose any potential benefit if various additives and mixes come along for the ride. The extra calories and sugars that come with the piña colada will annihilate any benefits of the alcohol content.

There may be additional benefits from drinking wine specifically — especially if it is dry and if it is red. Dry wine is relatively low in sugar and red wine has a relatively high content of flavonoids (compounds with antioxidant properties).

Estrogen tends to raise HDL levels and once women go through menopause it’s typical to see their HDLs fall. Women who undergo removal of both ovaries (as part of a complete hysterectomy, for example) before natural menopause will experience the same cholesterol alterations. It’s why one of the biggest hopes for preventing heart disease in women had been hormonal supplementation following menopause. And when women were supplemented with estrogen, we indeed saw their HDL numbers go up.

Unfortunately, modern medicine is not that good at replicating nature, and any benefits seen in cholesterol profiles were far outweighed by higher rates of blood clots and overall mortality. It’s for this reason that hormone supplementation cannot be viewed as an aid in preventing heart disease — and certainly not as a reasonable method to raise HDL levels. For women experiencing perimenopausal symptoms, hormonal supplementation appears to be safe so long as it is prescribed at the lowest effective dose and for the shortest possible period of time.

The corollary to the estrogen story is also important to keep in mind — testosterone tends to lower HDL. As testosterone supplementation has come into vogue, I’ve seen many men who have ended up with very low HDL levels. The data on whether testosterone supplementation affects heart disease risk is mixed, but it’s reasonable to rethink taking them if your HDL falls through the floor.

So, to raise your HDL, eat right, exercise daily, attain/maintain a normal weight, manage your stress better, quit smoking and, if appropriate for you, consume moderate amounts of alcohol.

But what if…

Despite all these efforts, you might not see much of a change in your HDL number. A couple of things to keep in mind. First, HDL changes tend to be small (a 5-point increase is considered a big deal). Second, even small differences in HDL translate into big benefits. A 1 mg/dL increase in HDL translates into a 2-3 percent decrease in cardiovascular risk.

And remember that healthy longevity is dependent on much more than just one cholesterol number. So even if you see little to no change in HDL levels, know that all the lifestyle changes you have made will support your broader efforts to live long well.

The post 8 ways to raise your good HDL cholesterol appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But experts do agree that most healthy, recently menopausal women can safely choose to use HRT to relieve symptoms such as hot flashes, mood swings, dry skin, sleeplessness, irritable bladder and vaginal dryness.

However, HRT is not without its risks. Like birth control pills, both estrogen and estrogen with progestogen regimens raise the risk of blood clots in the legs and lungs, although the risk is rare in women between the ages of 50 and 59.

There is also an increased risk of developing breast cancer with 5 or more years of continuous estrogen/progestogen therapy. The risk drops as soon as HRT is stopped. In studies, the use of estrogen alone for an average of 7 years was not shown to increase breast cancer risk.

The bottom line appears to be that the use of estrogen in HRT is relatively safe for most women. And that’s good news because there’s another reason besides menopause relief that women should consider estrogen HRT…

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Estrogen therapy and your blood vessels

A new study has confirmed that HRT with estradiol, a form of estrogen, can slow the progression of atherosclerosis. The study was based on data from the Early Versus Late Intervention Trial With Estradiol (ELITE), which compared estradiol with placebo in postmenopausal women.

Most cases of cardiovascular disease center on atherosclerosis, a chronic inflammatory process of the blood vessels characterized by a buildup of fats, cholesterol and other substances. Women’s risk of cardiovascular disease greatly increases after menopause, and cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in U.S. women.

Data from ELITE had already shown the benefits of HRT in reducing the progression of atherosclerosis in relatively younger, healthy postmenopausal women. In this new study, researchers specifically looked at the effect of HRT on 12 inflammation biomarkers in 643 postmenopausal women involved in ELITE.

The analysis confirmed that HRT significantly reduced the circulating concentrations of several key biomarkers. Women who were less than 6 years into menopause showed the greatest anti-inflammatory benefits from estradiol compared with women more than 10 years after menopause.

“This study helps us better understand the potential physiologic mechanisms that could explain why hormone therapy slows the progression of heart disease early after menopause, but not in women more distant from the menopause transition,” says Dr. Stephanie Faubion, medical director of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS). “Additional research is needed to more fully understand how time since menopause alters the impact of hormone therapy on heart disease risk.”

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Other benefits of HRT

This is not the first study to note HRT’s heart health benefits. A study published in 2017 observed that HRT lowered coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores in a large cohort of postmenopausal women and that it was associated with lower mortality from all causes. High levels of CAC can indicate there’s a buildup of plaque in the arteries.

In addition, research has demonstrated that estrogen HRT increases HDL cholesterol, the “good” kind of cholesterol, and decreases LDL cholesterol, the “bad” kind that can lead to atherosclerosis. Estrogen HRT also has been connected with increased elasticity of the blood vessels, which allows for better blood flow throughout the body.

Some other benefits of HRT include a lower risk of osteoporosis and fractures and decreased incidence of colon cancer. Estrogen has long been used for the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis because of its ability to preserve bone mineral density (BMD) at all skeletal sites. And a study found that oral HRT use was connected with a 63 percent reduction in the risk of colorectal cancer in postmenopausal women after adjustment for other known risk factors.

If you’re a woman in menopause and have no risk factors, you can obtain a prescription for estrogen HRT from your doctor. Or you can raise your estrogen levels through more natural means…

Natural sources of estrogen

Studies indicate that eating plant-based foods rich in phytoestrogens may help women raise their estrogen levels. Try adding the following foods to your diet:

• Seeds such as flaxseeds and sesame seeds
• Fresh and dried fruits like apricots, oranges, strawberries and peaches
• Vegetables such as yams, carrots, alfalfa sprouts, kale and celery; soybeans and soy products
• Legumes like lentils, peas and pinto beans
• Chickpeas
• Olives and olive oil
• Dark rye bread
• Herbs like turmeric, sage and thyme

Try to maintain optimum levels of vitamins B and D, both of which play a role in estrogen creation and activation. And consider taking herbal supplements like black cohosh, which may stimulate estrogen receptors; red clover, which contains isoflavones that may act like estrogen in the body; and the traditional Chinese medicine dong quai, which contains two compounds that exhibit estrogenic activity.

Sources:

How Hormone Therapy Slows Progression of Atherosclerosis — North American Menopause Society

The Experts Do Agree About Hormone Therapy — North American Menopause Society

Hormone replacement therapy is associated with less coronary atherosclerosis and lower mortality — Journal of the American College of Cardiology

Coronary Calcium Score and Cardiovascular Risk — American College of Cardiology

Estrogen & Hormones — Cleveland Clinic

Hormone replacement therapy and the prevention of postmenopausal osteoporosis — Przeglad Menopauzalny

Foods that May Help Boost Your Estrogen and Testosterone Levels — MDVIP

12 Natural Ways to Boost Estrogen in Your Body — Healthline

The post What women should know about the estrogen-atherosclerosis connection appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

According to Michael Gregor, MD, erectile dysfunction and early death go hand in hand, especially for men who begin to experience erectile problems when they are relatively young. In fact, 40 percent of men older than 40 are intimately familiar with this sexual issue, so it may be time to explore the relationship between ED and the possibility of dying before your time.

Erectile dysfunction and early death connection

The relationship between erectile dysfunction and early death has a common factor: vascular disease, or more precisely, coronary artery disease.

Men who experience erectile dysfunction should consider it a warning sign of impending heart disease because both conditions involve inflamed and blocked arteries — atherosclerosis — of the penile arteries and coronary arteries.

The difference is that the penile arteries are typically affected first since they are narrower than the ones servicing the heart. Therefore, plaque accumulation in the penile arteries will manifest as erectile dysfunction often long before plaque lining the coronary arteries will signal heart disease.

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This intimate relationship between constriction of blood flow in the penis and the heart has led some experts to call erectile dysfunction “penile angina.” In fact, doctors can predict the results of a man’s cardiac stress test with an accuracy of 80 percent if they measure the blood flow in his penis.

I mentioned that ED affects a significant percentage of men older than 40, but even younger men should be aware of their eating habits and the risk of high cholesterol since it predicts erectile dysfunction, as well as stroke, heart attack, and a shorter lifespan, in future years. It would be shortsighted to depend on taking ED drugs for erectile challenges when there is a potentially deadly underlying reason for those problems.

Reduce the risk of erectile dysfunction and early death

One effective way to reduce the risk of penile angina, ED, and coronary artery disease is through diet.

Researchers have shown that adopting a Mediterranean diet, which focuses on fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, olive oil, and legumes, can help support and promote heart (and penile) health. One study, for example, looked at the impact of this dietary plan on men with metabolic syndrome, which is a risk factor for heart disease. Half the men followed the diet and half were a control group.

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After two years on the Mediterranean diet, those men showed improvements in endothelial function and inflammatory markers (C-reactive protein), while these elements remained unchanged in the control group. In addition, scores on the International Index of Erectile Function were 22 or higher (indicative of no erectile dysfunction) in 13 of the men on the Mediterranean diet but only two in the control group. The authors concluded that following this dietary plan “might be effective per se in reducing the prevalence of ED in men with the metabolic syndrome.”

The post Erectile dysfunction and early death: What’s the link? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

A lot, it turns out.

In fact, a new study says that even being mildly dehydrated as a healthy young man plays a role in developing heart disease.

Stavros Kavouras, associate professor and coordinator of the Exercise Science Program at the University of Arkansas, led the study. He said, “You could be mildly dehydrated without knowing it while you have endothelial impairment similar to smoking a cigarette. The degree of dehydration when these changes occur is at less than 2 percent dehydration, which is around the threshold when people start feeling thirsty.”

The endothelium is the one cell-thick lining of your blood vessels that allows them to expand and contract as needed. Atherosclerosis happens when your blood vessels lose the ability to expand and you get hardening of the arteries, a known contributor to cardiovascular disease.

Imagine how much more impact a lack of hydration has as you grow older… more inflammation and less flexible arteries can spell heart disaster.

The question has always been, how much should you drink?

The answer is, it depends. Your body uses up and can process much more water if you live in a warmer climate, for example. Dr. Mark Wiley has some good advice on what causes us to lose water and how to retain more. A good rule of thumb is to drink to excess of thirst so that you don’t get even the mild dehydration that can harm your heart.

The post Dehydration affects your heart like ‘smoking a cigarette’ appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It has no visible signs and symptoms in and of itself and so unless there is a blood test, it is difficult to know you have it.

However, it can lead to a heart attack, which itself is a big symptom that there is a problem.

While statin drugs are the mainstay of modern medicine for lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, they are not the only option…

Cholesterol basics

I think it is fair to assume that most people understand now that there are two types of cholesterol in the body. The “good” HDL and the “bad” LDL kinds. Overall, cholesterol is naturally produced by the liver and plays an important role in the body. It helps build new cells, insulates nerves and produces hormones. Cholesterol also comes from the food we eat, such as animal-based products (meat and dairy). When too much cholesterol builds up in the arteries, it can lead to heart disease and heart attack.

How cholesterol builds up

It has been hypothesized for a long time that the cause of atherosclerosis, the build-up of cholesterol in the arteries, was caused by the ingested cholesterol found in high-fat foods, such as red meat and dairy products like milk, eggs and cheese.

A more recent hypothesis suggests that cholesterol is always present in the body and does not cause significant harm. However, when the body has systemic inflammation, it is the inflammation that cholesterol sticks to, thus causing narrowing and clogging of arteries. It has been found that what causes the low-grade, systemic inflammation is processed foods and trans fatty acids, like hydrogenated oils, used to keep processed foods “shelf stable” in stores.

What past research has revealed about statins

About a decade ago, the journal Atherosclerosis published a study that found the use of statins could significantly increase coronary artery calcification. The research found that “statin use is associated with an increased prevalence and extent of coronary plaques possessing calcium.” Furthermore, it found that those taking statins to lower cholesterol had a 52 percent greater prevalence and extent of calcium-containing coronary arterial plaque. This has potentially deadly effects because once the calcification is in place, the arterial opening cannot continue to expand to allow for increased blood flow. Statins also increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, deplete the heart muscle of Coq10, weaken muscles and can cause vascular weakening.

Natural solutions are best

When it comes to lowering cholesterol buildup, drugs are not your only choice. Here are some of the tried and true solutions that have been observed for lowering cholesterol…

Diet and exercise– It is well established that simply losing weight has cholesterol-lowering effects. Much of this success could be due to the nature of how weight is lost: through exercise and diet. Exercise metabolizes fats in the body, and a healthy diet should decrease inflammation-causing processed foods from entering your body.

A diet high in soluble fiber is also associated with a decrease in cholesterol, as fiber reduces the absorption of LDL in the bloodstream. 5-10 grams of fiber daily does the trick. Foods like oat-based cereals, lentils, flax, beans, psyllium, apples, oranges, prunes, blueberries, strawberries, cucumber, celery, and carrots are perfect ways to increase fiber naturally.

Omega-3 fatty acids—The omega-3s help increase the HDL “good” cholesterol. This is important because HDL helps to shuttle LDL through the body for processing. Omega-3s can be increased via supplementation and consuming fish, especially wild salmon, albacore, halibut, herring and sardines two to three times per week.

Olive oil and nuts—Olive oil helps reduce LDL cholesterol and nuts, especially walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds, are rich in polyunsaturated fat and help reduce cholesterol while maintaining vascular health.

Bergamot extract—The oil from bergamot produces the unique flavor found in Earl Grey tea. It is an antioxidant with high levels of flavonoids that protect cells from oxidation and free-radical damage. In the body, it blocks an essential enzyme in the production of cholesterol. In studies, participants took 500-mg doses of citrus bergamot polyphenolic extract for 30 days, resulting in 40 percent increases in HDL, decreases in blood triglycerides and a nearly 40 percent decrease in LDL.

Conclusion

Overall, there are many natural ways to reduce bad cholesterol and not prevent it from clogging your arteries. If you are currently taking a statin drug, please discuss with your physician your ability to change your lifestyle a bit to embrace the natural solutions while weaning off the statin. And if you don’t have high cholesterol, including these natural solutions into your daily life will just improve your health overall.

Sources:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22981406

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