Heart disease treatment
WHO found that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in people around the world. The group of these dangerous diseases includes ischemic heart disease, deep vein thrombosis, peripheral arterial disease, rheumatic heart disease, myocarditis, heart attacks and strokes.
Timely treatment of heart diseases and their prevention is the key to a long human life. After all, most cardiovascular pathologies can be prevented or halted by their progression by eliminating risk factors for their development. Most often, this does not require expensive drugs, since the means to fight the main killers of humanity are at hand.
Content:
- Garlic prevents heart attack and blood clots
- Home remedies to strengthen the heart
- 3 essential foods for the heart and blood vessels
- Potassium for the heart
Garlic prevents heart attack and blood clots
Since ancient times, the beneficial properties of garlic for the human body have been known. Modern scientists have scientifically confirmed that this plant allows you to fight not only with colds. It turns out that garlic prevents heart attacks and blood clots.
It has been found that garlic contains a substance called ajoen. It acts as a powerful antiplatelet agent, thinning the blood no worse than Aspirin. This substance was first isolated by professor of chemistry Eric Block, who teaches at the University of Albany (New York).
Garlic stimulates the human fibrinolytic system, prevents blood clots from sticking to each other and to the walls of arteries. It has been experimentally found that daily intake of three heads of garlic can improve the process of resorption of blood clots by 20%. The study was conducted with the participation of medical students from India. Scientists suggest that after heat treatment, the antithrombotic effect of garlic is enhanced.
Also, do not give up the use of garlic for people who have once had a myocardial infarction, or have serious heart disease. Cardiologist Arun Borgia, practicing at Tagore Indian College of Medicine, has been deeply involved in the health benefits of garlic. He was able to establish that this plant helps dissolve blood clots and reduce the degree of vascular occlusion in patients with atherosclerosis.
A. Borgia conducted his test on rabbits that had severe atherosclerosis. Animals regularly received garlic for food, as a result, it allowed to increase the lumen of vessels with atherosclerotic plaques.
In addition, observation of 432 patients with myocardial infarction and regular consumption of garlic in food indicates that mortality among this group of people was significantly lower. The results were evaluated after two years of regular intake by patients of 2-3 cloves of garlic per day. The effect became even more noticeable after three years. Those patients who systematically consumed garlic suffered three times less.
This allowed the Borgia cardiologist to make the assumption that consuming garlic on an ongoing basis can reduce the clogging of arteries with blood clots and cholesterol plaques. Moreover, both peripheral and coronary arteries are exposed to anti-sclerotic effects.
Further experiments only confirmed the assumptions of Dr. Borgia. Thus, patients with diagnosed intermittent claudication were divided into two groups. One of them received garlic powder (Quai, dose 800 mg per day), and the other group of subjects took a placebo. After five weeks from the start of the study, people who received garlic powder were able to walk 45 meters more distance without stopping or resting than the control group. These results are quite impressive, as patients with intermittent claudication suffer from severe leg pain and are unable to walk even short distances without taking a break.
It is impossible to immediately start eating garlic after suffering a myocardial infarction. Its introduction into the diet should be smooth. The first intake of garlic is allowed only after the stage of remission comes. It is not recommended to consume more than 1-2 cloves of garlic per day.
Garlic water is very useful for treating heart disease. Preparing it is not at all difficult. To do this, take two cloves of garlic, chop it and pour warm boiled water. Leave to infuse overnight. In the morning, the resulting infusion is drunk, the garlic is chopped again and poured with water until evening. The treatment should last for a month.
Find out more: The benefits and harms of garlic, garlic treatment
Home remedies to strengthen the heart
Home remedies for strengthening the heart can not only make the heart muscle stronger, but also improve its blood supply and prevent blood clots.
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Fight against atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis always develops against the background of high cholesterol levels in the body.
To reduce LDL cholesterol, you can use the following recipes:
- You need to eat fresh garlic, or make oil from it. For this purpose, you will need a glass of unrefined oil and a chopped head of garlic. These two ingredients are mixed and infused throughout the day. Then lemon juice (1 lemon) is added to the resulting oil-garlic mixture and insisted in a cool, dark place for another week. From time to time, the container with oil must be shaken. The course of treatment is 3 months. You need to take the oil 30 minutes before meals, a teaspoon, 3 times a day. After three months, you need to take a break for 30 days, after which the treatment is repeated.
- Fresh fruits and vegetables should be on the menu every day. The best opponents of bad cholesterol are fresh apples, citrus fruits, cranberries, and cholesterol. Moreover, in citrus fruits, not only the pulp is useful, but also the skin. It is recommended to chew a lemon peel as often as possible, as it contains essential oils that support vascular health.
- You can use this recipe: take two parts of honey and one part of chokeberry, mix them thoroughly and use a tablespoon once a day.
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The rehabilitation period after a heart attack (first days). The heart muscle after a heart attack needs vitamins and minerals.
The following recipes will help support his work:
- A glass of fresh carrot juice combined with any vegetable oil. The dose should be divided in two and drunk during the day.
- A combination of equal parts juice of turnip and persimmon with the addition of honey, or a combination of honey with juice of radish, beet and carrot. You need to take them half an hour before meals, a tablespoon, three times a day.
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Prevention of arrhythmia development. Arrhythmia is one of the serious complications of myocardial infarction, which significantly aggravates the course of the disease.
To reduce the risk of developing arrhythmias, you need to eat foods fortified with magnesium and potassium:
- Walnuts. It is useful to eat a mixture of crushed walnut kernels (100 g) and buckwheat honey (2 tablespoons) once a day. It is best to divide this sweet medicine three times.
- To strengthen the heart, it is useful to eat 100-150 g of fresh dried apricots per day.
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Combating ischemic heart disease. Sugar is very harmful for people with coronary heart disease, so it is advisable to replace it with honey.
There are several options for how to do this better:
- A combination of honey and royal jelly in a 100: 1 ratio. The course of therapy is 2 weeks or more. For the day you need to take half a teaspoon of the mixture before breakfast, lunch and dinner. It must be kept in the mouth until it is completely dissolved.
- Honey water. For half a glass of water, you need a tablespoon of honey. You need to drink it throughout the day. It is very beneficial to take a combination of honey and bee bread.
3 essential foods for the heart and blood vessels
Selenium
The fact that selenium is an essential trace element necessary for the normal functioning of the heart and blood vessels was first discussed in two European countries - in Germany and in Finland. This is due to the fact that it was there that the population previously experienced an acute shortage of selenium.
To eliminate this problem, the Finnish authorities have decided on the mandatory addition of selenium to fertilizers, which are used in the process of growing feed for animals going to slaughter.
This measure did not go unnoticed. Over the past 20 years, the number of deaths due to heart disease in Finland has decreased by 61%. At the same time, the population of the country began to consume selenium three times more.
Scientifically grounded is the fact that the lack of selenium negatively affects the work of the heart and blood vessels, leading to the development of very serious heart diseases. The fact is that the family of enzymes GP (glutathione peroxidase), which protect the body from oxidative damage, are represented by selenium-containing tetrameric glycoproteins. They help to restore lipid peroxides, that is, they act as natural antioxidants. Therefore, a lack of selenium in the body leads to the formation of degenerative changes in the myocardium of the heart.
Directly during the myocardial infarction itself, selenium-containing enzymes have a protective effect, trying to limit the area of muscle damage as much as possible. Naturally, this reduces the risk of developing subsequent complications, in particular, heart failure. Also, according to the ECG during an experimental heart attack, it is possible to trace that a lack of selenium leads to a drop in the cardiac index by six times, and ischemic damage develops much faster.
It has been experimentally proven and repeatedly confirmed by practicing cardiologists that the treatment of patients with myocardial infarction with selenium and tocopherol preparations contributes to the early recovery of patients. Therefore, the conclusion of scientists is unambiguous: the less selenium in the body, the higher the risk of developing a heart attack, stroke and cancer.
Omega-3
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids can be found in oily fish found in the seas, as well as in some plants. Thus, the concentration of Omega-3 is very high in soybean oil and in flaxseed oil. They are the plant-based champions in these acids.
Omega-3s help the body effectively fight atherosclerosis, prevent the formation of blood clots, prevent oxidized LDL from damaging the vascular wall, and make it more resistant to lipid proliferation. Omega-3 is essential in the treatment of heart disease. Thanks to the regular intake of Omega-3 into the body, it is possible to increase immunity, improve the functioning of the bronchial trunk, bring blood pressure back to normal, prevent the development of allergies, and optimize the work of all mucous membranes. If the body is not deficient in Omega-3, then its fight against any inflammation will proceed faster and more efficiently.
Omega-3 can be found in the membrane of any cell in the human body. This outer membrane protects the contents of cells from external pathogenic factors and ensures its normal functioning. Also, the membrane is responsible for the transmission of nerve impulses between nerve cells, for the storage and timely reproduction of information by the cells of the myocardium, cells of the retina of the eye, cells of the whole organism as a whole. Without Omega-3 and Omega-6, the full development of a child is impossible, normal work of the skin and kidneys is impossible. Therefore, both Omega-3 and Omega-6 must enter the body. Olive oil is one of the sources of the latter acids.
Do not forget about the anti-cancer properties of Omega-3. Their regular use allows the body to more effectively resist breast cancer, prostate cancer and other types of tumors.
Diseases that Omega-3 helps to fight: eczema, psoriasis, osteoporosis, arthrosis, diabetes mellitus, Alzheimer's disease, depression.
Of course, the benefits for the human body from Omega-3 are great, but he is not able to independently produce these fatty acids. Therefore, if they do not come from the outside, then the work of all systems, without exception, is disrupted. The lack of these acids is especially acute in the functioning of the immune, reproductive and cardiovascular systems. Therefore, it is so important to consume foods rich in Omega-3, but it must be done correctly.
If the recommended ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 is 1: 1 or 1: 2, then the average person in real life consumes these acids in a ratio of 1: 5 or even 1:10. The result of such irrational nutrition is sad: Omega-3s are absorbed in very small quantities, or not at all.
An adult woman should receive 1.6 g of Omega-3 per day, and an average adult man should receive 2 g of these acids. This volume allows all body systems to function optimally.
To meet your daily Omega-3 requirement, you can include the following foods in your menu every day:
- Salmon (70 g);
- Canned sardine (90 g);
- Flax seed (1-1.5 teaspoons)
- Fresh nuts, not roasted (from 7 to 9 pieces);
- Rapeseed oil (tablespoon);
- Canned tuna (120 g).
Unsaturated vegetable acids are absorbed by the body much easier than animals. But you cannot refuse acids of animal origin.
To maximize your body's absorption of Omega-3s, follow these guidelines:
- Fatty sea fish should be on the table twice a week. It can be mackerel, herring, trout, salmon, tuna, sardine, etc. Sometimes fish can be replaced with other seafood and caviar.
- Salads should be seasoned with vegetable oils (nut, sesame, rapeseed or olive).
Of course, fresh sea fish are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. But much depends on the conditions of its habitat. If it was raised in artificial reservoirs and fed on compound feed or flour, then the amount of Omega-3 in such fish will be negligible. Fish caught in the sea eats only plankton and marine plants, so they contain much more beneficial fatty acids.
- Decomposition of Omega-3 occurs during fish smoking and during the salting process. Only freezing is able to deprive fish of fatty acids by 50%.
- The way of preserving the fish is important, or rather, the brine with which it is poured. Olive oil is considered the optimal pouring. Just one can of sardines and butter will contain a three-day Omega-3 for an adult. It is worse if the fish is canned in its own juice or in salt brine.
- Eating a teaspoon of flaxseed or drinking a teaspoon of flaxseed oil in the morning is very beneficial. This will not only saturate the body with Omega-3 at knocks, but also solve the problem of constipation. To prevent flaxseed from sticking to your teeth, it can be crushed in a coffee grinder and dissolved in water, after which the resulting liquid must be drunk. You can add flaxseed to fresh vegetable salads to improve their flavor, or season the salads with linseed oil. But do not consume too much of this oil or use an expired product in food.
- When it is not possible to get 100% Omega-3 from food, dietary supplements can come to the rescue. The daily dose is indicated on the packaging of such a product, which will avoid an overdose. However, the shelf life of dietary supplements is also of great importance.
To summarize, the benefits of Omega-3 should be summarized.
They allow you to prevent and fight diseases such as:
- Ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, coronary artery disease, atherosclerosis.
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity.
- Multiple sclerosis.
- Dermatitis of an allergic nature, allergic eczema.
- All joint diseases.
- Phlebothrombosis, varicose veins, thrombophlebitis.
- Headaches and menstrual pains, as well as pains of a different localization and of a different origin.
- Bronchial asthma.
- Throat polyps, ligament nodules, spastic voice disorders.
- Baldness, ichthyosis, psoriasis.
Omega-3s are found in breast milk and can also cross the placenta to the baby. Therefore, one can judge the importance of these acids for the normal intrauterine development of the fetus and for the growth of the newborn.
Learn More: Interesting Experiments and Research on the Amazing Benefits of Omega 3
Ginkgo biloba
Ginkgo biloba is an herbal remedy that has many beneficial effects for treating heart disease. With its help, it is possible to prevent the formation of blood clots, normalize blood pressure, and improve the condition of the vascular wall.
Ginkgo biloba has an antioxidant effect, is a prophylactic agent that helps prevent coronary artery disease, heart attacks and strokes, glaucoma and other ophthalmic diseases. It is useful to take the drug to improve mental performance.
The drug is prescribed for the treatment of impotence in men, as well as for increasing the body's immune forces, especially during the fight against various inflammatory reactions.
The first clinical trials of Ginkgo biloba were carried out in the West in the 70s of the last century. Even then, scientists discovered that it has a positive effect on the course of chronic diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Subsequently, the drug has undergone more targeted study in various countries, including Japan, America and some European countries. Now the gruel and powder from the leaves of this plant in America is used as the best means for normalizing cognitive processes (increasing attention, concentration, memory).
Quercetin is the main antioxidant in Ginkgo biloba. After it enters the body, it accumulates in the nerve fibers and in the endocrine glands and remains there for a long time.
The beneficial qualities of this herbal preparation are diverse, here are just a few of them:
- Optimization of the brain, improvement of all cognitive processes by normalizing blood circulation.
- Maintaining visual acuity that deteriorates with age.
- Treatment of impotence in men.
- Moisturizing the skin.
- Prevention of cancerous tumors by providing an antioxidant effect.
- Prevention of hair loss, strengthening hair follicles, enhancing hair growth.
Find out more: Benefits and Uses of Ginkgo Biloba Extract
Potassium for the heart
Potassium for the treatment of heart disease is an indispensable trace element. Together with sodium, it contributes to the maintenance of the normal functioning of the heart muscle, namely:
- Normalizes heart rate.
- Fights atherosclerotic changes.
- Prevents sodium salts from settling on the vascular wall.
- Saturates the brain with oxygen, preventing oxygen starvation.
- Regulates the pressure, reducing it to normal values.
- Potassium salts support the health of blood vessels, arteries and capillaries.
Insufficient intake of potassium in the body is fraught with the expansion of the boundaries of the heart, disturbances in its rhythm, the development of arrhythmias, a drop in pressure, etc. No less dangerous is an excess of potassium in the blood. Therefore, it is so important to know the daily intake of potassium. For an adult, it is 2500 mg.
You can get potassium from the food presented in the table:
% of RSP% | ||
Candied fruit | 2043 | 81.7% |
Dried potatoes | 1988 | 71.2% |
Dried apricot | 1781 | 71.2% |
Dried apricots | 1717 | 68.7% |
Wheat bran | 1260 | 50.4% |
Beans | 1100 | 44 %% |
Chicken protein | 1067 | 42.7% |
Seaweed | 970 | 38.8% |
Tomato paste | 875 | 35% |
Peas | 873 | 34.9% |
Prunes | 864 | 34.6% |
Raisins | 860 | 34.4% |
Flax seed | 813 | 32.5% |
Hazelnut | 717 | 28.7% |
Dates | 696 | 27% |
Lentils | 672 | 26.9% |
Peanut | 658 | 26.3% |
Dried apples | 580 | 23.2% |
Dried bream | 536 | 21.4% |
Champignons | 530 | 21.2% |
Salted mackerel | 520 | 20.8% |
The author of the article: Sokolova Nina Vladimirovna | Phytotherapist
Education: Diploma in "General Medicine" and "Therapy" received at the Pirogov University (2005 and 2006). Advanced training at the Department of Phytotherapy at the Peoples' Friendship University of Moscow (2008).