Tim Talks: The Heart

The human heart is one of the most efficient pumps in nature. It represents the focal point of the cardiovascular system alongside?the arteries, veins and capillaries, and?ensures?an adequate supply of blood, nutrients and oxygen to?every?cell in the body.

Heart disease/dysfunction can lead to myocardial infarction, stroke, angina pectoris, intermittent claudication, high blood pressure, kidney failure and erectile dysfunction.

At first glance,?some of these?conditions?appear?to have little relationship, but all are triggered by the arterial disease,?atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis can begin in childhood.

The first stage is free radical damage to the endothelium,?the inner lining of the artery. The injured lining?becomes more permeable to fats,?especially cholesterol, and a?repair process begins. Smooth muscle develops?and thickens damaged?tissue. This?reduces?elasticity, resulting in?deposits of cellular debris, cholesterol, fatty substances, calcium and blood clotting component, fibrin. This progressively?narrows the artery?and can in time entirely block it.

The formation of plaque, and cardiovascular health in general, can be improved by diet and lifestyle. Regular exercise works the heart muscle and gets blood pumping around the body, delivering oxygen. Exercise is?crucial in?protecting the body from cardiovascular disease.

Alcohol, smoking and the over-consumption of sugary and salty foods?all?present?serious heart disease risks.

We?consume an average 150g of sugar daily and?around 5?times the recommended daily allowance of salt. Estimates suggest that lowering our salt intake?alone would prevent 50,000 deaths?each year.

The 2004 Rotterdam Study?on the benefits of vitamin K2 revealed a strong protective effect on cardiovascular health. Eating fermented foods naturally rich in K2 reduced the risk of arterial calcification and cardiovascular death by 50%. For the most up-to-date evidence, please take a look at the continuing research being undertaken by Gnosis by Lesaffre .

Another?natural approach to reduce?the build-up of atherosclerotic plaque?focuses?on?the silkworm enzyme, produced by a friendly bacterium, serratia peptidase, more commonly known as serrapeptase.

The enzyme is utilised in nature to dissolve the silkworm’s protective cocoon without having a detrimental effect on the living cells of the emerging silk moth.?Discovered in the 1960s, it is?now produced commercially through a fermentation process,?ensuring that the silkworm population is not affected?in any way.

The?enzyme is described as being proteolytic. It has the ability to break down and detach fibrins, dead cells and rogue proteins in the body, including those?seen in calcification and?arterial plaques.?

Serrapeptase acts?as a catalyst, combining with human enzymes to increase potency.?This combination of enzymes digests arterial fibrin, decreases inflammation?and is extremely helpful in the safe removal of plaques from the cardiovascular system.

Researchers have identified a link between the concentration of omega 3 essential fatty acids in tissues, blood and red blood cells, and the overall health of the cardiovascular system.

The two major members of the omega 3 group are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) both found in sardines,?herring, mackerel and salmon. Another member of this group,?alpha-linolenic acid?(ALA),?is found in flax?seeds.

Krill (Euphausia superba) are ocean-living crustaceans?and are?an excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids and?the antioxidant,?astaxanthin. Krill provides essential fatty acids in the form of phospholipids and these follow very simple digestive and distribution routes within the body.?

Research indicates that phospholipid omega 3 fatty acids?provide great bioavailability for cell growth and functioning, and omega 3 utilisation in tissues increases when it is delivered in this way.

The benefits of antioxidants?to heart and arterial health?are astounding. A diet?of fresh, brightly coloured fruit and vegetables significantly lowers the risk of heart disease.?Seeking advice as regards supplementation (vitamin C,?E, selenium, bilberry extract, green tea, ginkgo biloba,?pycnogenol) can also prove beneficial.

Research confirms the effective role of the?antioxidant, ubiquinol and close relation, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)?in the maintenance of optimal cardiovascular health. Adequate levels are vital, because without CoQ10 the heart ceases to function.

CoQ10 enhances the antioxidant activities of vitamin E, helping to maintain healthy arteries. Optimal?levels of CoQ10 are associated with the?strong pumping action of?the heart and the lessened?resistance to blood flow associated with healthy blood pressure.

Statins lower CoQ10 levels within the body.

Statins are often routinely prescribed for those with a heart condition where cholesterol is considered a key contributory factor. Unfortunately, statins significantly lower CoQ10 levels within the body.

B6, B12 and folic acid play a key role in heart health,?providing protection against the negative effects of?increased homocysteine levels. Magnesium?is known as nature’s calcium channel blocker and it has the ability to block the entry of calcium into vascular smooth muscle cells and heart muscle cells.

During the last half century, the mineral levels in our soil and food crops have decreased by around 70%. Supplementing with highly absorbable magnesium citrate has been shown to reduce vascular resistance and lower blood pressure, and may be something you wish to consider.

Stay heart-healthy, my friends!

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