Simple steps you can take today to avoid the nation’s number one killer

The facts are plain as day... according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, with more than 652,000 people dying of heart disease in the U.S. each year. That is more than a quarter of all U.S. deaths.¹ Sadly, the vast majority of these deaths are avoidable. But the general public is so confused by all the expert recommendations and the misinformation regarding the proper functioning of the cardiovascular system that it is easy to overlook and even easier to tune out important advice.

But it needn’t be as complicated as the drug companies and heart surgeons would like you to think. In fact, what follows is a simple primer on the ABC’s of heart health and what you need to know to protect your heart now and for decades to come.

Heart Health ABC’s

• A = arteries: avoiding arteriosclerosis/ atherosclerosis—also known as hardening of the arteries
• B = blood pressure: maintaining healthy blood pressure is critical to heart health
• C = cholesterol: know the difference between good cholesterol and bad cholesterol

Understanding these ABC’s and taking the appropriate steps to ensure you monitor and maintain the status of each of these important aspects of heart health is the key to avoiding cardiovascular disease. Let’s take a brief look at these ABC’s and discuss some nutritional solutions to keeping your heart healthy.

A is for arteries— healthy arteries keeps the blood flowing

Arterial blockage is often the first sign of impending cardiovascular trouble. If your blood can’t get to and from the heart because of calcifi ed plaque build up or blood clots, then it can’t carry the life-giving oxygen your body needs to function properly.

Of course, preventing hardening of the arteries and arterial blockage is much preferred to pharmaceutical solutions or worse, invasive surgeries. Supplements that can keep your blood flowing include:

• B Vitamins—Shown to signifi - cantly reduce the progression of earlystage subclinical atherosclerosis.²
• Emblica Extract—Powerful antioxidant proven to reduce serum cholesterol and aortic plaque³
• EDTA Oral Chelation—Prevents arterial calcification by removing harmful toxins and plaque before they can interfere with the arteries’ endothelial function.⁴
• Hawthorn Extract—The ultimate heart tonic. Hawthorn extract improves blood fl ow by dilating blood vessels.⁵
• L-Arginine—Promotes nitric oxide in the body; an essential compound that helps blood circulation.⁶
• Omega-3 fatty acids—Reduces triglyceride levels and makes the blood less likely to form clots that cause heart attacks.⁷
• Nattokinase—Supports the body’s ability to break up and dissolve the unhealthy coagulation of blood.⁸
• Pine Bark Extract—Helps strengthen blood vessels and increase blood flow.⁹
• Resveratrol—Relaxes the endothelium that lines the arteries, allowing for efficient blood flow.¹⁰
• Salvia miltiorrhiza—Has been shown to be more effective than nitroglycerin for improving heart function and circulation.¹¹
• Taurine—Amino acid that has been shown to prevent the development of atherosclerosis.¹²
• Vitamin K2—Promotes blood vessel elasticity by safeguarding elastin, and prevents arterial calcification.¹³

All the supplements listed above support healthy artery function, but they all work in slightly different ways. As you will see as we move on, some of these supplements also support healthy blood pressure and reduce cholesterol, as well as promoting arterial circulation.

B is for blood pressure— healthy blood pressure safeguards your circulatory system

Medical professionals call high blood pressure (hypertension) the silent killer and are constantly on the look out for it in their patients. Think about it, what’s one of the first things that happens when you visit the doctor’s office? They take your blood pressure, of course.

If your blood pressure is high it causes strain on the vessels carrying blood around your body. This strain can cause vessels to become injured leading to plaque buildup as a response to injury. This can lead to narrow blood vessels and then clotting of the blood passageways, which can cause damage to the heart and/or brain.

High blood pressure also makes your heart muscle work harder. This can ultimately lead to heart failure if the strain on the heart to move the blood through your body becomes too much.

The good news is, high blood pressure is treatable, no matter how old you may be. Simple lifestyle changes can be made like reducing stress levels, eating a healthy diet, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body weight.

If your blood pressure is extremely elevated, your doctor may prescribe pharmaceutical drugs designed to lower blood pressure. Unfortunately, these drugs carry their own health risks in addition to some unpleasant side effects.

Before going the pharmaceutical route, you might want to try some of the supplements listed below which have demonstrated the ability to naturally lower blood pressure.

• Green Coffee Bean Extract—The chlorogenic acid contained in green coffee bean extract has been proven to lower blood pressure in patients with mild hypertension.¹⁴
• EDTA Oral Chelation—Powerful antioxidant protects arteries and blood vessels by chelating mercury, lead, and other heavy metals that can constrict blood flow.¹⁵
• Hawthorn Extract—Acts as a natural calcium channel blocker and an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor.
• Omega-3 fatty acids—Contains anti-inflammatory eicosanoids that support normal blood pressure by relaxing the arteries and blood vessels and decreasing blood lipids.¹⁶
• Nattokinase—Improves blood viscosity to support normal blood pressure.¹⁷
• Pine Bark Extract—Contains oligomeric proanthocyanidin compounds (OPCs) that bind to the collagen in blood vessel walls making capillaries stronger and more elastic, which subsequently improves circulation and reduces blood pressure.
• Salvia miltiorrhiza—Reduces blood pressure by inhibiting angiotensin- converting enzyme (ACE).¹⁸
• Taurine—Lowers blood pressure by facilitating the relaxation of the heart muscle.¹⁹

Medical professionals refer to high blood pressure as the silent killer because there are few symptoms until heart related problems appear. Monitoring your blood pressure is easy as there are inexpensive home blood pressure monitoring systems available.

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References

Articles of Interest from Smart Publications Health & Wellness Update

• Oral Chelation—The Strongest Natural Treatment for Your Heart, Arteries, Memory, and More—Has Just Become Even More Effective
• Policosanol: Start Improving Your Cholesterol Today
• Nattokinase: Powerful Enzyme Prevents Heart Attack and Stroke