Here’s more on heart & heart diseases. I hope this will give all of you a better understanding of your heart & how you can take care of it. The heart is liken unto an engine which runs your car. Proper servicing intervals, proper engine oil & proper treatment will give you a car that will not break down on you for many, many years.
Same goes for the heart. Exercising regularly, correct eating habits, reduction or totally eliminating bad habit (like smoking & drinking) & good nutrition will ensure that your heart will serve you well for many, many years. Let us start with a little understanding of the heart.
The heart weighs about 350 to 450 grams in an average adult.
It pumps about 80 cc of blood per heart beat. At average heart beat of 70 per minute, in a day, the heart would have pumped 8 thousand liters of blood around the body.
It is on automatic. Via specialised group of cells, the heart has a natural pacemaker that will regulate the heart rate.
Some specialised muscle cells act as a conducting pathway, much like electrical circuit. Signals from the pacemaker is transmitted to heart muscle in orderly fashioned.
Cardiac valves separate the various chambers and great blood vessels. Acting like a door, it allows blood flow only in one direction. There are four valves in a normal heart.
Coronary arteries are special blood vessels running on the surface of the heart. They supply nutrient-rich blood to the hardworking heart muscle. A narrowing or blockage of these arteries causes heart attacks and coronary artery disease.
Cardiovascular diseases or more commonly known to layman, as heart disease is a broad term that refers to the disorder of the blood circulation process (including cardiac and artery problems). It affects the normal blood flow and functioning of the heart. Around the world, there are more people dying of heart problems than any other diseases.
Common cardiovascular diseases include atherosclerosis (including coronary heart disease), heart attack, angina, stroke, arrhythmias and heart failure.
Today, Cardiovascular Diseases are extremely common. Especially in city environments, where people smoke and drink too much, exercise too little, live with high levels of stress and have excessively rich diets.
As with other chronic diseases, the causes of cardiovascular diseases are many, but mostly related to congenital factor such as hereditary and age, diet and lifestyles. Below is a list of the most common risk factors or causes of cardiovascular diseases. These factors are divided into two categories, uncontrollable risk factors and controllable risk factors. Frankly speaking, cardiovascular diseases are preventable diseases because majority of the risk factors are known as "controllable" or "changeable" risk factors. Therefore, judicious modification of lifestyle and nutrition, through the supplementation of the necessary nutrients, can help combat and reverse the odds against those who are born with a genetic disposition towards developing cardiac diseases later on in life.
Controllable risk factors simply mean something that can be changed to overcome the condition. Healthy diets and good amount of supplementary nutrients play a very important role in controlling the "controllable risk".
Many heart diseases begin with high blood cholesterol. Prolong and untreated conditions will lead to the formation of cholesterol plaques on the inner wall of a coronary artery. From time to time these plaques will build and grow in size. And soon it will come to a time when the blood supply is severely reduced, resulting in chest pain and electrical instability of the muscle tissue around the heart. If conditions are not reversed or treated immediately, it will come a time where the blood supply to a portion of the heart will completely stops. Then the heart will not be getting the sufficient supply of oxygen and nutrients for its normal functions. This will lead to heart attack or stroke that can actually leave you paralyzed for the rest of your life (if you are lucky) or put you into coma. And to some other severe cases, death can be the end result.
Here are some early warning signs of heart attack. Not all of these signs occur in every attack, Sometimes they go away only to return later. If you have some of the above risk factors and the below symptoms, please consult your doctor for a blood pressure and cholesterol checked.
Symptoms or signs of heart attack are important but they do not necessary appear before the attack therefore; regular check up, a good routine of exercises, a healthy eating habits with moderate amount of lifestyles will help you prevent the diseases.
Symptoms or signs of Heart Attack
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
- Paleness or pallor
- Nausea
- Anxiety or nervousness and/or cold sweaty skin
- Discomfort or pain radiating through the chest, into the shoulders, either or both arms, neck, jaw or back
- Vague discomfort sometimes characterized as a fullness, heaviness or burning sensation in the chest
Cardiovascular disease is preventable, live a healthy lifestyle and pamper yourself with good nutrition, including heart-protective nutrients will help you live with a healthy heart.
What the Unicity products that can be beneficial for cardiovascular problems?
1. Bios Life 2 contains a combination of 6 different types of soluble and insoluble fiber, B vitamins, antioxidants and chromium to:
- reduce serum cholesterol level
- regulate blood pressure
- stabilize blood sugar level
2. Salmon Omega-3 Oil provides a sufficient source of essential fatty acids to:
- provide elasticity of the blood vessels and capillaries
- reduce total cholesterol level
- reduce LDL cholesterol level
- increase HDL cholesterol level
3. Soy Protein provides a good source of isolated soy protein, which are known to be able to:
- decrease the production of oxidized and deformed LDL
The above information is a general guideline. It serves only as a general reference and is not intended to be a professional tool or manual.
Sources: Unicity Network & Institut Jantung Negara
