Eat These 3 Things For a Healthy Heart
Keeping your blood pressure, triglycerides, and cholesterol in a healthy range may cut your heart attack risk, sharpen your memory, and even add some healthy years to your life, suggests JAMA research. And it’s easy! Just try including these three things in your diet for a healthy heart.
Lower blood pressure with olive leaf extract.
A study in Phytomedicine found that taking 1,000 mg. of olive leaf extract daily lowered participating patients’ systolic blood pressure (the top number) by 11 points and diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) by five points in eight weeks — results on par with an Rx. The extract oleuropein and oleacein block enzymes from narrowing blood vessels. One to try: NAOMI BP Advanced.
Tame triglycerides with charcoal.
Animal research published in Frontiers in Nutrition found that activated charcoal can help prevent obesity and insulin resistance in high-fat diet-fed mice. Consuming charcoal just before or after eating may help eliminate artery-hardening triglycerides (or blood fats) during digestion, as the porous material latches onto dietary fats and pulls them out of the body. Try taking 950 mg. of activated charcoal just before or after some of your highest-fat meal daily. Note: while activated charcoal is harmless in small quantities, it’s still not recommended that you consume it daily; over time, it may adsorb crucial nutrients away from the body.
Boost ‘good’ cholesterol with a cranberry sip.
While all berries are heart-smart, cranberries have more cholesterol-helping phenols than 20 of the most popular fruits. University of Scranton scientists found folks who drank three 8-ounce glasses of cranberry juice daily upped their “good” HDL cholesterol by 10 percent, enough to cut heart disease risk by 40 percent.
This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.
A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, Woman’s World.
