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High LDL cholesterol and high blood
pressure don't necessarily cause heart disease, by they are
indicators that heart disease is present. Lowering your cholesterol
and blood pressure can reduce your risk of heart disease, but can
increase the risk of developing other problems.
Homocysteine and antioxidant levels
are just as important as cholesterol and blood pressure.
Heart disease is a major problem in
the U.S., because of our diet of unhealthy fats, carbs, and
processed foods. Americans who consume fish, fresh fruits and
vegetables and eat less read meat have much lower rates of death
from heart disease.
Aspirin can help prevent heart
disease and colon cancer, plus it can reduce pain, fever and
inflammation. But, it can also lead to gastric bleeding, ulcers,
macular degeneration and it reduces the ability of the immune system
to work properly. And, it has been shown that even a low dose
doesn't reduce the risk of these problems.
If you use alcohol, such as wine, to
improve your heart's health, please, be careful. Low intakes of red
wine reduces the risk of heart disease. But, if you drink too much,
your blood pressure can go up and it can cause deficiencies in other
areas.
Garlic is a natural herb that reduces
high blood fats, abnormal blood clotting and high blood pressure.
Raw garlic is the best, but any garlic is better than none.
Homocysteines come from methionine,
an amino acid, and is associated with the narrowing of blood
vessels. A high homocysteine level is an accurate indicator of
heart disease. Even more so than high blood pressure or high
cholesterol. Too much homocysteine damages the blood vessels and
may be the main cause of heart disease. If you body is healthy,
homocysteines will move quickly through the system. But, if you are
low in B vitamins or have a family history, your homocysteine level
will rise as will your risk of heart disease. High homocysteine
levels will cause the linings of the arteries to deteriorated,
become thinker and become less flexible. They also cause the blood
to clot more easily which leads to clogged arteries, which can lead
to heart attack or stroke.
High homocysteine levels are also
thought to lead to Alzheimer's. This could be due to the blood
vessels in the brain have deteriorated and can't move blood to the
brain tissue as it should.
Drugs can cause high homocysteine
levels. They often work against the folic acid which combats
homocysteines. Drugs that conflict with folic acid and increase
homocysteine levels are usually prescribed for rheumatoid arthritis,
cancer, psoriasis, epilepsy and cholesterol reduction.
B12 and folic acid seem to lower
homocysteine levels and decrease your chances of developing heart
disease.
Antioxidants dramatically reduce bad cholesterol.
Antioxidants combat free radicals, which are oxygen molecules which
lose an electron (electrons work in pairs) and become unstable.
Antioxidants can donate an oxygen
molecule to this free radical.
Antioxidants are able to work in pairs or alone. If the body
runs short of antioxidants in the diet, the free radicals will
spread. Cancer is caused by free radicals. Cancer rates are lower
in people whose diets are rich in fruits and vegetables.
Antioxidants are found in teas,
fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains, meats, poultry, fish and vitamins.
The best advice, which comes from several
authorities in cancer prevention, is to eat 5 servings of
fruit or
vegetables per day. |
