Did you know that cardiovascular diseases (CVD) are the leading cause of death in both men and women globally? Statistics on cardiovascular diseases are a reminder of how serious the situation actually is. If you take the United States alone around 610,000 people die of heart disease every year [1]. Also, in Australia, CVD is a major cause of death where it kills one person every 12 minutes [2]. This is something to ponder on. These figures shouldn’t be ignored and drastic measures need to be undertaken for the well being of the society.
Risk factors of CVD generally include lifestyle risk factors and clinical risk factors. Age, unhealthy diet, lack of exercise and smoking are some of the lifestyle risk factors. Clinical risk factors comprise of high blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol. With that in mind, it has become crucial than ever before, that we partake in activities and meals that will keep our heart health at its optimum. The heart requires a lot of energy as it beats 86,400 to 144,000 beats per day, every day, throughout the year. Thus, you need to charge it with nutrients like:
Magnesium
Magnesium is a type of mineral that serves many purposes, including maintaining heart health. This mineral is an important cofactor in more than three hundred enzymatic reactions of your body. Reactions that also help in maintaining your blood pressure, glucose levels and lipid peroxidation. Thus, this mineral is vital for your cardiovascular health. Besides, surveys have time and time again shown that most of us do not get the required levels of Magnesium through our diet alone. That will explain the increase in cardiovascular diseases too, as Magnesium deficiency has been implicated in many heart diseases including hypertension, cardiomyopathy, cardiac arrhythmia, atherosclerosis [3]. In addition to this, western food and diet have low levels of this mineral due to food processing and refining. As hypomagnesaemia often goes undiagnosed, even in hospitalised patients [3], it is time to take action. You can easily incorporate this mineral into your diet, by trying out products the likes of Bioglan Active Magnesium Powder catered to help your heart function at its best.
Omega-3
Another important nutrient that helps keep your heart at its prime even as we age, is none other than Omega-3. Yes, fish oil is key in your diet as it has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular attacks and strokes. So, how does it help your heart? For one, it can lower the risk of having an abnormal heart rhythm which eventually leads to cardiac death. For the other, it can lower triglyceride levels. It doesn’t stop at that, there are more benefits. Omega-3 also help in lowering the growth of plaque which eventually clogs blood vessels. That’s never a good thing, right? On top of that, it can slightly lower your blood pressure and also prevent inflammation in blood vessels which can lead to clot formation [4]. Doesn’t it make sense now, why you see many people invest in fish oil supplements? It is an essential component required for our general well being. We do have more information about Omega 3. Products like Natures way Omega 3….
Coenzyme Q10
Another vital component for your heart is Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10). So, what does this do? It literally takes responsibility in recharging your energy producers, the mitochondria. With the heart having so much to do throughout your life, it really needs the energy, don’t you think? Besides, CoQ10 was also titled the first drug to improve heart failure in over a decade. A study clearly demonstrated that CoQ10 has the capability of reducing patients suffering from serious heart conditions by half, compared to a control group [5]. The benefits of this enzyme are endless, thus it will be time for you to check CoQ10 supplements for a better living. Products like Bioglan CoQ10 300mg 60S caters to just that.
As CVDs are becoming increasingly common in our society, it is best to be armed with the right tools to protect one of the most vital organs in the body, our heart. With the incorporation of the right nutrients in its recommended quantity in your diet, you will be giving your heart the fuel it needs for optimal functioning.
- CDC, NCHS. Underlying Cause of Death 1999-2013 on CDC WONDER Online Database, released 2015. Data are from the Multiple Cause of Death Files, 1999-2013, as compiled from data provided by the 57 vital statistics jurisdictions through the Vital Statistics Cooperative Program. Accessed Feb. 3, 2015.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics 2018, Causes of Death 2017, ABS cat. no. 3303.0, September.
- DiNicolantonio JJ, Liu J, O’Keefe JH Magnesium for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease Open Heart 2018;5:e000775. doi: 10.1136/openhrt-2018-000775
- University of Rochester Medical Centre. Available at: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=1&contentid=3054
- Mortensen, S., Rosenfeldt, F., Kumar, A., Dolliner, P., Filipiak, K., & Pella, D. et al. (2014). The Effect of Coenzyme Q 10 on Morbidity and Mortality in Chronic Heart Failure. JACC: Heart Failure, 2(6), 641-649. doi: 10.1016/j.jchf.2014.06.008
