POWER UP

he heart is the hardest working muscle in the body. It beats over

100,000 times and pumps over 9,400 litres of blood through the body each and every day.1 Without a properly functioning heart, the body is deprived of the oxygen and nutrients it needs for optimal function. That’s why maintaining cardiovascular health is so important - it affects every part of our body. However, despite improvements in medicine and technology, cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of

death in the world.2 While it tends to strike men earlier in their lives, it affects both genders and can be a severe and debilitating condition leading to frequent hospitalisations and prescription medications.

The good news is that cardiovascular disease can be prevented through diet and lifestyle changes. Studies continue to support the role of exercise, nutrition and a healthy diet in preventing heart disease. Whether you are young

or old, everyone can benefit from improving diet and lifestyle to prevent this debilitating condition. This issue of News You Can Use will go into some of the latest nutrition research in heart health and provide tips for how to keep your ticker ticking.

Your heart beats over 100,000 times every day.

100,000x

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YOUR HEALTHY HEART WITH OPTIMAL NUTRITION

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NEWS YOU CAN USENEOLIFE Lifestyle

Omega-3s: O-FISH-ALLY HEART HEALTHY

Both Australian & New Zealand Heart Foundations recommend at least two servings of fatty fish per week to support heart health and for good reason.3 A large body of evidence supports the role that omega-3’s play in protecting against cardiovascular disease by decreasing triglyceride levels, slowing the growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque and lowering blood pressure.4 And now a recent

study published by a global consortium of researchers known as the Fatty Acids and Outcomes Research Consortium, or FORCE, found that omega-3 fatty acids from seafood and plant-based

foods are associated with a lower risk of fatal heart attack. By pooling data from diverse large studies from 16 countries that included more than 45,639 participants, researchers found that omega-3s were associated with a 10% lower risk of fatal heart attacks.5 These findings are the most comprehensive to date of how omega-3s may influence heart disease and support the importance of fish and omega-3 consumption in heart health.

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Australian & New Zealand Heart Foundations recommend at least two servings of fatty fish per week

STUDIES CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE ROLE OF

exercise, nutrition and a healthy diet in preventing heart disease.

10% LOWER RISK of fatal heart attacks

Omega-3s were associated with a

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Exercise & Cardiovascular HealthOne of the best things you can do for your heart is to get moving! Our sedentary lifestyles put us at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease because the heart is not working to its full potential and grows weaker over time.6 Staying active is one of the top ways to improve overall cardiovascular health. Benefits include improved cholesterol and fat levels, reduced inflammation in the arteries, weight loss, more elastic blood vessels, and improved blood flow/pressure. For children and adolescents, Australian & New Zealand Government Departments recommend at least an hour of physical activity a day, including muscle and bone strengthening activities at least three times a week. For adults, the weekly recommendation is 150 minutes of moderately intense exercise or 75 minutes of vigorously intense exercise, or even a combination of the two.7 A good way for individuals who are not currently active to get started is to go for walks and then gradually increase the duration or distance.

STAYING ACTIVE IS ONE OF THE

top ways to improve overall cardiovascular health.

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TIPS TO HELP YOU

Get MovingThe great thing about exercise is it's never too late to start. People of all ages can benefit from being more active, no matter your age or physical condition. A motivating factor for those who are in the most need of exercise is that the benefits of moderate physical activity can have the biggest benefits. Doing just 30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day, can help to reduce your risk of heart disease.8

Getting started is as easy as changing a few small daily habits. By being active in many ways, even in small amounts every day they all add up. Here are some tips on going about day to day tasks a little differently.

Moderate vs VigorousWhen talking exercise it is important to know the difference between moderate and vigorous exercise. Moderate exercise should not leave you puffing or gasping for breath. As a guide you should be able to hold a conversation or talk while doing moderate exercise. You should feel your heart rate elevate, but if you are too out of breath to talk then you are doing more vigorous exercise.

This is especially important when starting out. When planning your exercise it is best to start in small amounts and extend the period over time. Set yourself a realistic target to do a little exercise each day and increase the duration once you meet it regularly.

Once you can comfortably do 30 minutes of moderate exercise, you can try more vigorous exercise for shorter periods.

If you are new to exercise or haven't exercised for some time, it is a good idea to talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program. Remember, it’s best to stop exercising if you feel any pain or discomfort.

OUT AND ABOUT

• When looking for a car space in a car park rather than looking for the closest car space to the door, look for one further away.

• Instead of taking the lift or escalator take the stairs.

• When shopping, opt for a light weights work out by using a couple of sturdy shopping bags rather than a trolley.

AT HOME

• Consider listening to an audio book while out gardening or walking rather than spending a large amount of time sitting and reading.

• When on the phone, walk around when talking rather than standing still.

• When doing housework or tidying, only pick up one or two items at a time so it requires more walking back and forth.

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Doing just

30 min MODERATE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY a day, can help to reduce your risk of heart disease.

Additional Important Heart Healthy Supplements

risk of poor cardiovascular health and mortality. The participants had a 50% increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular events and were 100-170% more likely to die.9 Thus while it’s important to keep up with oral hygiene in order to maintain that perfect smile, it can also significantly reduce our risk for chronic inflammatory disease.

ORAL HYGIENE...CAN SIGNIFICANTLY

reduce our risk for chronic inflammatory disease.

The Connection Between Oral Hygiene and Heart Health Did you know that oral health can impact your risk of heart disease? The connection is often overlooked, but proper oral hygiene isn’t just about teeth — it can affect the health of the entire body. Periodontitis is a condition of chronic inflammation of the tissue around teeth and can cause gums to recede and teeth to become loose. When oral health is poor, inflammation and infection can spread systemically to other organs like the heart, liver and kidneys. Bacteria enter the bloodstream

via the exposed gums and wreak havoc on other organs in the body. In fact, a recent study based on data from the Danish Nationwide Cohort of more than 17,600 participants found that compared with a matched control of 83,000 controls from the general population, individuals with a diagnosis of periodontitis had significantly higher

NUTRIENT GOOD FOR... FOUND IN...

Polyphenols Researchers found that individuals who consumed the highest amounts of foods containing anthocyanins had a 14% lower risk of heart attack and individuals with high intakes of flavanones had a 22% lower risk of ischemic stroke!10 Where do you find anthocyanins and flavanones? Red and blue fruits such as blueberries and cranberries are good sources of anthocyanins, and flavanones are commonly found in citrus fruits.

PhytoDefense, Tré

Fibre A high-fibre diet now could significantly improve long-term risk for heart problems.11 How much fibre should we aim for? The American Heart Association recommends at least 25 grams of dietary fibre a day for adults.12

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Soy Soy can be beneficial for reducing the bad LDL cholesterol in the body, improving endothelial function, and reducing LDL cholesterol oxidation.13,14 One way soy acts on LDL is by increasing the size of LDL cholesterol, which is associated with a lower risk of heart disease compared to small, dense LDL particles, according to researchers at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Center on Aging at Tufts University.15

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Garlic Study suggests that garlic supplements may be a helpful adjunct to blood pressure and high cholesterol treatments. Garlic supplementation longer than two months was effective in reducing total and LDL cholesterol by 10% among individuals with elevated levels.16

Garlic Allium Complex

Omega-3s, Folic Acid, & B-Vitamins

Homocysteine is an amino acid that is synthesised in the body and elevated levels are often associated with increased cardiovascular risk.17 New research is suggesting that supplementation with a combination of omega-3 fatty acids, folic acid, and B-vitamins may significantly lower homocysteine.18

Pro Vitality, B-Complex

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NEWS YOU CAN USENEOLIFE Lifestyle

7. http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/health-pubhlth-strateg-phys-act-guidelines#apaadult

8. http://www.heartfoundation.org.nz/wellbeing/exercise/

9. Hansen GM, et al. Relation of Periodontitis to Risk of Cardiovascular and All-Cause Mortality (from a Danish Nationwide Cohort Study). Am J Cardiol. 2016 Aug;118(4):489-93.

10. Cassidy A, et al. Habitual intake of anthocyanins and flavanones and risk of cardiovascular disease in men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016 Sep;104(3):587-94.

11. Lavie CJ, et al. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and cardiovascular diseases. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2009 Aug;54(7):585-94.

12. American Heart Association. Whole Grains and Fiber. Available from: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyEating/HealthyDietGoals/Whole-Grains-and-Fiber_UCM_303249_Article.jsp#.V_VKXJMrJcA. Accessed Sept 22, 2016.

13. Reynolds K, et al. A meta-analysis of the effect of soy protein supplementation on serum lipids. Am J Cardiol. 2006 Sep;98(5):633-40.

14. Messina M, Lane B. Soy protein, soybean isoflavones and coronary heart disease risk: Where do we stand? Future Lipidology. 2007;2(1):55-74.

15. Desroches S, et al. Soy protein favorably affects LDL size independently of isoflavones in hypercholesterolemic men and women. J Nutr. 2004 Mar;134(3):574-9.

16. Ried K. Garlic Lowers Blood Pressure in Hypertensive Individuals, Regulates Serum Cholesterol, and Stimulates Immunity: An Updated Meta-analysis and Review. J Nutr. 2016 Feb;146(2):389S-396S. doi: 10.3945/jn.114.202192. Epub 2016 Jan 13.

17. Peny HY, et al. Elevated homocysteine levels and risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of prospective studies. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2015 Jan;16(1):78-86.

18. Dawson SL, et al. A combination of omega-3 fatty acids, folic acid and B-group vitamins is superior at lowering homocysteine than omega-3 alone: A meta-analysis. Nutr Res. 2016 Jun;36(6):499-508.

REFERENCES1. Arkansas Heart Hospital. Amazing Heart Facts. Available from: http://

www.arheart.com/cardiovascular-health/amazing-heart-facts/. Accessed Sept 21, 2016.

2. World Health Organization. Global status report on noncommunicable diseases 2014. 2014;9.

3. https://www.heartfoundation.org.au/healthy-eating/food-and-nutrition/protein-foods http://www.heartfoundation.org.nz/wellbeing/healthy-eating/eating-for-a-healthy-heart/

4. Lavie CJ, et al. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and cardiovascular diseases. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2009 Aug;54(7):585-94.

5. Del Gobbo LC, et al. ω-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Biomarkers and Coronary Heart Disease: Pooling Project of 19 Cohort Studies. JAMA Intern Med. 2016 Aug;176(8):1155-66.

6. World Health Organization. The World Health Report 2002 – Reducing Risks, Promoting Healthy Life. 2002.

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