How the foods you eat - and don't - keep your arteries young

LESLIE BECK

MARCH 26, 2017

JANUARY 25, 2011

It's something that happens to all of us as we age. Our arteries – the vessels that deliver oxygen-rich
blood to our tissues – stiffen and lose their ability to easily expand and contract.

Having stiffer arteries increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke and cognitive
decline even among people who don't have outward symptoms of cardiovascular problems.

According to a report that will be published in the February issue of The American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition, the foods you eat – and don't eat – can help keep your arteries young by reducing
stiffness.

According to the review, an analysis of 38 randomized controlled trials, fish oil supplements and soy
foods slow down how fast your arteries age, while caffeine and salt seem to accelerate the damage.

With age our artery walls accumulate collagen, a protein that glues the arteries together, making
them more rigid. And the cells that line our arteries produce less nitric acid, a gas that relaxes and
dilates blood vessels. The net result: less elastic arteries that are more challenged to push blood
through them.

Age isn't the only factor in the deterioration of arteries. Smoking, high blood pressure, high LDL
cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and lack of exercise all exacerbate the situation.

Arterial stiffness can't be measured at your doctor's office, at least not yet. In clinical studies,
researchers measure something called pulse wave velocity (PWV) to determine the stiffness of
participants' arteries.

PWV is the time it takes a pulse to travel between two points; the greater the velocity, the stiffer the
arteries. It's a strong predictor of future heart problems and cardiovascular death.

While we don't yet have proof that reducing artery stiffness will ward off heart attack, stroke or
memory problems, there's certainly evidence that the following dietary modifications can help keep
your arteries flexible as you age. And that means a healthier heart.

Add fish oil

Long-term fish oil supplementation has consistently been shown to reduce artery stiffness. Omega-3
fatty acids in fish oil – called DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) – are
thought to improve artery flexibility by reducing inflammation, blood clotting and blood vessel
constriction.

In the latest review of studies, a daily dose of 900 milligrams of EPA and DHA combined provided the
largest benefit. This amount can be achieved by eating six ounces of Atlantic salmon a week
If you don't like fish, supplements are an alternative. Fish oil capsules (one gram each) vary in
dosage. Some provide 300 milligrams of EPA plus DHA, but others have 500 or 600 milligrams.
(Check the label – details are usually in fine print on the back.). Liquid fish oil can deliver as much as
1,300 milligrams of EPA plus DHA a teaspoon.

Consider soy
In the review, all but one study demonstrated the ability of soy to reduce arterial stiffness, perhaps
explaining in part why populations who consume high amounts of soy have less heart disease.

Soybeans are a rich source of isoflavones, phytochemicals thought to protect blood vessels from
damage. Research suggests that consuming at least 80 milligrams of isoflavones a day offers
protection.

Good sources of isoflavones include cooked soybeans (½ cup equals 33 mg), soy nuts (two
tablespoons equals 32 mg), soy beverage (one cup equals 25 mg), firm tofu (½ cup equals 27 mg)
and soy yogurt (¾ cup equals 50 mg).

Drink black tea

Lab research suggests that antioxidants in black tea (orange pekoe, for example), called flavonoids,
reduce artery stiffness. Flavonoids have been shown to increase the production of nitric oxide, which
helps arteries relax.

Green tea, also a rich source of flavonoids, has not been studied in relation to arterial stiffness but
there's no reason to think that its antioxidants wouldn't have the same effect.

Increase fruits and vegetables

If you have hypertension, eating more fruit and vegetables can improve the elasticity of your
arteries. A 2009 study found that people who ate the most fruit and vegetables – six servings a day –
scored highest on arterial function. Even eating one additional daily serving had a beneficial effect.

Aim to get at least seven servings of fruit and vegetables each day. One serving is a medium-sized
fruit, ¼ cup dried fruit, ½ cup of cooked vegetables, one cup of salad greens or ½ cup vegetable or
100-per-cent fruit juice.

Slash sodium
Excess sodium increases artery stiffness. Consuming less sodium reduces stiffness by lowering
elevated blood pressure and affecting chemicals that control how arteries relax and contract.

Adults under 50 need 1,500 milligrams of sodium a day, people aged 50 to 70 need 1,300 mg, and
older individuals need 1,200 mg. (With age, the body becomes more sensitive to the blood-pressure-
raising effects of sodium.) The upper daily sodium limit – an amount we should all strive to consume
less of – is 2,300 mg.

Read nutrition labels on packaged foods and choose brands with lower amounts of sodium a serving.
A daily value of 5 per cent or less for sodium means one serving of the food is low in sodium.
Limit caffeine
Consuming 80 to 300 mg of caffeine – found in one to three cups (eight ounces each) of coffee – can
increase artery stiffness temporarily in healthy people.

The effects of daily caffeine consumption on blood vessel function over the long term isn't known,
but the evidence shows that minimizing caffeine can reduce artery stiffness.

Control your weight

Studies demonstrate that gaining weight makes arteries stiffer while losing excess weight improves
the ability of arteries to relax and contract.

The best way to manage your weight is to monitor your calorie intake and get regular aerobic
exercise (e.g. brisk walking, jogging, cycling). Folks who participate in regular aerobic exercise have
more flexible arteries than those who don't. This type of exercise may even reverse artery stiffness
once it's set in.
How to Lower Cholesterol & Clean Arteries of Plaque
by JERRY SHAW Last Updated: Aug 14, 2017

How to Lower Cholesterol & Clean Arteries of Plaque

You can greatly reduce cholesterol levels by simply changing your diet and knowing the right foods
to eat. Daily exercise also helps to reduce cholesterol. Lowering your LDL, or bad, cholesterol levels
reduces the risk of plaque build-up in the arteries. LDL cholesterol can stick to the artery walls and
form hard, thick plaque that can narrow the arteries and lead to heart disease and heart attack. HDL,
or good, cholesterol fights LDL cholesterol by pushing it into the liver where it is eliminated to
prevent plaque build-up.

Step 1

Get at least 25 to 30 grams of dietary fiber a day from fruits, vegetables, legumes, oatmeal, oat bran
and whole grains, the American Heart Association recommends.

Step 2

Limit your intake of cholesterol from food to less than 300 mg a day, but less than 200 mg per day if
you have high LDL blood cholesterol and you are taking medication for high cholesterol.

Step 3

Avoid the trans and saturated fats in vegetable shortening, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil,
dried foods, potato chips and doughnuts. Stay away from trans fats, which are found in such items as
baked cookies, crackers and cake. Trans fats can raise your LDL cholesterol levels and lower your HDL
cholesterol levels.

Step 4

Lay off of highly processed items, such as soda, refined sugar, sweetened cereals, bakery items and
white breads, advises the Health Services at Columbia University. Replace them with fruits, whole-
wheat breads, whole-grain cereals, whole-wheat pasta, oats, bran, brown rice and barley.

Step 5

Focus on the right fats. Monounsaturated fats are healthy fats found in olive, peanut and canola oils,
and almonds and walnuts. The Mayo Clinic recommends you consume no more than 10 percent of
daily calories from saturated fat, which the body needs, but only to a certain degree.

Step 6

Choose lean meats over organ meats, egg substitutes instead of egg yolks and skim milk rather than
whole milk product.
Step 7

Eat fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids. These include salmon, mackerel, herring and tuna. Also consume
cod and halibut, which have less total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol than most meats and
poultry.

Step 8

Get plenty of exercise. Physical activity improves your HDL cholesterol levels. It is recommended that
you put in 30 to 60 minutes of exercise a day. This may include daily walks, bike riding or swimming.
The Mayo Clinic points out that you don’t necessarily have to do your daily exercise in one session.
You can work out in 10-minute intervals three to six times a day for the health benefits.

Step 9

Don’t smoke, and if you do, quit. Smoking is known to elevate LDL cholesterol and lower HDL
cholesterol levels.
Myocardial Blood Demand
Home Myocardial Blood Demand

1f. Myocardial Blood Demand Normal Range: (0.192 – 0.412)

Definition

Myocardial Blood Demand is the amount of blood the heart uses as it operates as two pumps in one.
One pump pumps blood into the lungs and the other pumps blood to the rest of the body. The heart
is made up of specialized muscle tissue, called the myocardium. The myocardium requires oxygen
and nutrients, just like any other tissue in the body.

The myocardium receives its oxygen and nutrients from the coronary arteries, which lie on the
outside of the heart. When the heart tissue does not receive an adequate blood supply, it cannot
function as well as it should. If the myocardium’s blood supply is decreased for a length of time, a
condition called ischemia may develop. Ischemia is the medical term for what happens when your
heart muscle doesn’t get enough oxygen.

The heart’s primary function is to pump blood throughout the body, so that the body’s tissues can
receive oxygen and nutrients and have waste substances taken away. Like any pump, the heart
requires fuel in order to work. Ischemia can decrease the heart’s pumping ability, because the heart
muscle is weakened due to a lack of food and oxygen.

When an artery supplying blood to the heart becomes completely obstructed, portions of the heart
are deprived of oxygen and die. Heart disease is the silent gradual building-up of plaque.

Hypertension (high blood pressure) occurs when too much force is exerted on the artery walls while
the blood circulates.

One of the best ways to combat this is to infuse a high amount of potassium plus a small amount of
sodium in your diet to lower blood pressure. Pineapples are the perfect food for hypertension
because a cup of pineapple contains about 1 mg of sodium and 195 mg of potassium.

The fatty deposits need years to build up on artery walls, but a blood clot that forms quickly in
people with atherosclerosis (including children) can block an artery and stop the flow of oxygen
immediately.

Recent publications implicate lead and cadmium in the development of peripheral vascular disease
and hypertension (Circulation, 2004). The Journal of the American Medical Association (March 2003)
published an article showing hypertension that develops in patients between age 40 and 60 is due to
lead from their bones.
Levels

High Reading– If your Myocardial Blood Demand readings are higher than 0.412, this indicates a mild
reduction in blood flow. If your reading is higher than 0.571 this indicates a moderate reduction in
blood flow and if your reading is higher than 0.716 this indicates a severe reduction in blood flow
that may indicate that the vessels in the heart are narrowing due to excessive fats, therefore limiting
the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle.

Low Reading– If your Myocardial Blood Demand readings are lower than 0.192, this is generally of no
concern here.

Natural Preventative Measures – See subcategory 1b Cholesterol Crystal

One of the best ways to combat this is to infuse a high amount of potassium plus a small amount of
sodium in your diet to lower blood pressure. Bananas are a good source of potassium.

Pineapples are the perfect food for hypertension because a cup of pineapple contains about 1 mg of
sodium and 195 mg of potassium.

Suggested Supplements

You should always consult your health care professional prior to taking any type of supplement or
herb.

Aged Garlic Extract (AGE): This pungent herb lowers blood pressure, prevents inflammation, and
improves blood vessel elasticity. But its benefits don’t stop there. Scientists recently discovered that
it can significantly reduce coronary artery calcification that contributes to reduced blood flow and
less flexibility.

Alpha-lipoic Acid (ALA): This vitamin-like antioxidant protects against free radicals. According to
scientists from Oregon State University and the University of Washington, it also helps extinguish
inflammation, prevent plaque formation, and lower triglycerides. Preliminary research suggests that
it might even aid in weight loss. Free radicals are everywhere, in the air, our bodies, and the
materials around us. They cause the deterioration of plastics, the fading of paint, the degradation of
works of art, aging related illnesses, and can contribute to heart attacks, stroke and cancers

Fish Oil: Fish oil’s ability to protect blood vessels comes from omega-3 fats: Studies show that it
helps reduce blood pressure and triglyceride levels, and modulate many of the mechanisms of
atherosclerosis, including inflammation and clotting.

Niacin: In an analysis of seven trials involving more than 5,000 patients, researchers confirmed that
taking niacin can raise HDL (good cholesterol) levels by up to 35 percent. Other studies suggest that
niacin prevents cells from clumping together and sticking to artery walls. It’s also wise to take niacin
under a doctor’s supervision since it may affect liver function and interfere with certain medications.

Quercetin: Population-based studies have found that people with high intakes of quercetin—found
in green tea, apples, citrus fruits, and leafy green vegetables—tend to have lower rates of heart
disease. One reason is that this antioxidant has the ability to prevent inflammation, dilate blood
vessels, and reduce plaque buildup.

Resveratrol: Research shows that resveratrol, which is found naturally in grape skin, has a direct
effect on the health of the cells lining blood vessels. It triggers the release of nitric oxide, which plays
a key role in blood vessel relaxation, and it also helps lower LDL (bad cholesterol) cholesterol and
prevents platelets from clumping together inside blood vessels.

Herbs

Hawthorn may be a helpful herb in treating or preventing coronary heart disease. Naturopathic
physician and herbalist Sharol Tilgner, author of “Herbal Medicine From the Heart of the Earth,”
states that hawthorn may be helpful in maintaining healthy blood vessels by improving the integrity
of their connective tissue structures and inner lining. Increased connective tissue strength may help
protect your blood vessels from heart disease, vascular injury and the negative effects of aging.

Exercise

Exercise and losing weight are also very important, a minimum of 3 – 30 minutes exercise sessions a
week, include swimming, cycling, jogging, skiing, dancing, walking and just about any activity that
gets you up and moving so that your joints stay flexible and your blood keeps circulating.

You should always consult your health care professional prior to taking any type of supplement or
herb.

All vitamin supplements and herbs should be non-synthetic Whole-Food or RAW. RAW foods like live
fruits, vegetables, plants, and herbs are unaltered and unprocessed from their natural state and
uncooked, which means they are not exposed to heat above 118ºF.
Why Does Stroke Volume Increase During Exercise?
by JACKIE CARMICHAEL Last Updated: Aug 14, 2017

Why Does Stroke Volume Increase During Exercise?

When you exercise, your cardiovascular system works harder. It needs to deliver oxygen to muscles,
transport heat to the skin, transport hormones to meet metabolic demands and deliver nutrients
and fuel to tissues. The volume delivered by each beat of your heart -- your stroke volume --
increases when you exercise to increase the circulating blood in your system so your body responds
appropriately to exercise.

Stroke Volume

Stroke volume is the amount of blood that is pumped out of the left ventricle to the body with each
heartbeat. Stroke volume increases according to how you exercise because your body needs more
oxygen and nourishment, which are both received from the blood. Stroke volume increases
depending on the type of physical activity your are doing and your training level. For example, during
an upright physical activity like jogging, stroke volume increases from about 50 mL at rest to 120 mL
at maximal exercise intensity. In a trained Olympic runner, stroke volume can increase from 80 mL at
rest to 200 mL during maximal exercise intensity as the heart pumps more efficiently.

Considerations

Your stroke volume increases during exercise but reaches a plateau, as there is a limit to how much
blood your body can pump during physical activity. At this point, stroke volume may remain steady
up to the point of exhaustion, which causes you to stop exercising. It is also important to note that in
supine -- lying on your back with your face upward -- physical activities like certain swimming
positions, there may be a smaller increase in stroke volume. This is because a supine activity
prevents blood from pooling in the lower extremities, which enhances venous return and decreases
the need for increased stroke volume to meet the body's needs.

Frank-Starling Mechanism

One anatomical explanation for the increase in stroke volume during exercise is the Frank-Starling
mechanism. Blood is pumped to the body from the left ventricle and when this ventricle fills more
completely, it stretches further and produces a more forceful contraction. In other words, more
blood entering the heart results in more blood being ejected. This mechanism results in a greater
amount of blood being circulated through your body during exercise.

Anaerobic Exercise

An increase in stroke volume is only seen during aerobic exercises like running, swimming or cycling.
Many anaerobic exercises like weightlifting are of short duration and affect your heart differently.