Keep Your Heart Healthy For Those Who Live In It

With the recent spur in the number of heart patients, the maintenance of heart health has become a major issue for all the health experts across the world. Life is short and everyone wants to live it well. But, with so many diseases and infections ready to pounce on us, it is up to us how well we can take care of ourselves.

If medical groups are to be believed, keeping your cardiovascular health in shape is not as difficult as it sounds. All you need to do is to keep a watch on what you eat and exercise regularly.

Apart from maintaining the appropriate levels of good cholesterol, one must also control the intake of saturated fat that is present mainly in edibles like fatty meats, dairy products, biscuits, chocolate and cakes etc.

Although, the presence of cholesterol in body is very important for us, but the quantity more than requirement can cause life-threatening heart diseases.

Similarly, though fats are good as well but it is important to have less full-fat products and replace them with mono-saturated fats such as olive oil, nuts and avocado pears. The intake of less salt is also suggested in some cases.

Read More

Walnut May Be Top Nut for Heart Health

Walnuts are the No. 1 nut for heart health, says a researcher who presented his findings Sunday at the American Chemical Society annual meeting.

That’s because walnuts were found to have more antioxidants -- and better-quality antioxidants -- than other popular nuts tested, says Joe Vinson, PhD, a researcher at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania.

Antioxidants protect cells against damage caused by harmful molecules known as free radicals. The damage can play a role in heart disease and other health conditions.

''Nuts are good for your heart," Vinson says. They can lower cholesterol, reduce the oxidative stress caused by the free radicals, and decrease unhealthy inflammation, he says.

When Vinson analyzed the amount of antioxidants found in walnuts and a variety of other nuts, walnuts came out on top.

"Twenty-eight grams of walnuts (an ounce) have more antioxidants than the sum of what the average person gets from fruits and vegetables," he says. "That is not to say they are a replacement for fruits and vegetables, but they are very antioxidant dense."

Read More