How to Prevent Heart Disease Naturally: 5 Surprising Doctor-Backed Tips That Really Work
No time to work out? Learn how simply taking the stairs can help
You know how important it is to keep your heart healthy. And that’s especially true for women, since the odds of developing heart trouble increase after menopause. Having a healthy eating plan and staying active are smart first steps when considering how to prevent heart disease. But it turns out there are some surprisingly simple tricks you can add to your daily routine that can make a big difference. Here, discover the best doctor-approved heart disease prevention strategies to help keep your ticker in tip-top shape.
How to prevent heart disease: 5 expert tips
When it comes to heart health, you know the basics of a healthy lifestyle: Eat a balanced diet, stay active and get sound sleep. But to reduce your risk of heart disease even further (especially if you have a family history of the condition or other risk factors), give these easy lifestyle habits a try:
1. Take the stairs
Choosing the stairs over the elevator helps keep your heart and blood vessels strong. A study in Atherosclerosis followed nearly 459,000 adults for more than 12 years and found that those who climbed more than five flights of stairs a day (about 50 steps) had a lower risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), a hardening of the arteries from gradual plaque buildup, compared to non-climbers.
Woman's World Answers
Study author Lu Qui, MD, PhD, explains how stair climbing can help. “Short bursts of high-intensity stair climbing are a time-efficient way to improve cardiorespiratory fitness and lipid profile,” he says, especially if you’re not able to hit the recommended 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week.
Bonus: It also helps you maintain a healthy weight, which reduces strain on your heart. (Learn more about stair climbing for weight loss here.)
2. Season with turmeric
The warm, earthy taste of turmeric makes it an ideal seasoning for curries and marinades. And every delicious bite helps prevent heart disease.
“Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties, which can help protect you from heart disease,” says cardiologist Joyce Oen-Hsiao, MD, associate professor of clinical medicine at Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, CT. “High inflammation in the body can lead to increased plaque depositing on the heart’s arteries, which can cause heart attacks.” Try adding turmeric and garlic (another anti-inflammatory food) to your favorite marinade.
Tip: Use the mixture on chicken and you’ll boost the heart-smart benefits. Chicken contains vitamin K, and a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that those who eat a diet rich in vitamin K have up to a 34 percent lower risk of atherosclerosis-related cardiovascular disease.
3. Try meditation
Practicing meditation is linked to a lower risk of heart disease, according to a study of more than 61,000 people in the American Journal of Cardiology. Scientists found that people who meditated had lower rates of high blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes, stroke, and coronary artery disease than non-meditators.
Meditation can also decrease stress, anxiety and depression, all of which can increase your risk of heart attack or heart disease over time. “Meditation is a tool to become more mindful and teach you how to relax your system,” says Bibhu Mohanty, MD, a cardiologist and associate professor in the department of cardiovascular sciences at the University of South Florida Health Sciences Center. “It brings your heart rate and stress hormones down and allows the mind to find more clarity.”
Not sure how to get started? Check out the beginner-friendly, five-minute guided meditation video below.
4. Take a warm bath
Enjoying a steamy soak is a relaxing way to help prevent heart disease. A study in the journal Heart found that people aged 40 to 59 who took a daily hot or warm bath had a 28 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 26 percent lower risk of stroke than those who soaked twice a week or less.
“When you take a hot or warm bath, the heat allows blood vessels to relax and dilate,” explains Dr. Mohanty. “This allows for a period of enhanced blood flow, similar to the effects exercise has on the body.”
5. Lend a helping hand
Whether you pitch in with your church’s annual fundraiser or make sandwiches at a local food bank, doing good for others can help you prevent heart disease. “Volunteering can improve cardiac health because giving to others helps keep people happier and reduce anxiety,” says Dr. Oen-Hsiao. “These can lead to individuals staying active, thus reducing their blood pressure.”
Research backs this up. Scientists at the University of Massachusetts found that adults 50 and older who regularly volunteered lowered their risk of high blood pressure and were less likely to be carrying extra fat around their mid-sections (another risk factor for heart disease) than those who didn’t volunteer.
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