Heart Health: Introduction, Risk Factors, Improvements
An essential muscle organ for carrying out biological processes is the heart. Check this article to know all about Heart Health.
Jasdeep Bhatia27 Jun, 2024
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If you want to know about heart health, you are in the right place!
This article will discuss some factors that lead to heart disease, the conditions causing poor heart health, and how heart health must be maintained and improved. We will start by briefly explaining the function and importance of the heart to explain its significance in maintaining proper care of its health. Then we will go into more detail about the conditions risking heart health and can induce heart diseases.Introduction
The heart is a muscular organ vital for performing bodily functions. The heart helps transport oxygen-rich blood, nutrients, and essential substances to all body parts. It receives oxygen-deficient or carbon-rich blood from the body, which is sent to the lungs for oxygenation. Since all tissues of the body need oxygen to work properly. The heart specifically works to carry out this function in the body. It is a four-chambered organ with two atria and two ventricles , all having specific functions in transporting blood. It has to work non-stop all day and night to provide blood circulation. Thus maintaining proper heart health is essential for the body. The key factor in maintaining good heart health is starting a healthy diet early. Other factors include exercise, a healthy lifestyle, and many more .'Risk Factors for Poor Heart Health
- Unhealthy diet- A diet with more fats ( saturated fats, trans fat) and oil will increase bad cholesterol levels in the blood. Fatty food contributes to plaque buildup in the heart's arteries, obstructing blood flow. This can be a cause of heart disease as the blood flow is not proper.
- Physical inactivity- A sedentary lifestyle gives rise to gaining excessive body weight.
- Alcohol and tobacco use increases blood pressure and triglyceride levels.
- Genetics- Certain genes are hereditary and are passed to the next generation putting an individual at a higher risk of heart disease.
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- High bodyweight
- Diabetes, etc.
Improving Heart Health
Diet:
It is a very important factor for a healthy heart because diet directly affects the body. It is suggested to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables to keep up a healthy heart. Green leafy vegetables like spinach, kale, and cabbage are good for the heart. Fruits like apples, grapes, oranges, and bananas also add to maintaining good heart health. A diet rich in whole grains including whole grains, plain oatmeal, and lean proteins like seafood, plant proteins like tofu, etc., is highly recommended. Food items with high monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats like olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, and soybean oils are best for the heart as these increase good cholesterol levels and decrease bad cholesterol levels in the blood. Eating nuts, seeds, and avocados is especially a boon for heart health. Some daily practices like limiting extremely spicy, high sodium, or salty foods, is highly advised.Glyolysis and Glycolytic Pathway
Exercise:
Physical exercises keep a healthy heart as they help maintain weight. Losing weight helps to lower the triglycerides and glucose levels in the blood. This results in decreasing the risk of diabetes. Exercise helps improve a person's blood pressure , lowering “bad” LDL cholesterol and enhancing “good” HDL cholesterol. Cardio exercises are intense exercises that increase heart rate and allow more sweating. This improves the blood pressure and cholesterol levels in the body. Strength training exercises like pushups and resistance exercises aimed chiefly at muscular strength and flexibility exercises like stretching have improved heart health.Lifestyle Changes:
Quitting smoking and alcohol are the best lifestyle changes to indulge in their routine to be healthy. It helps to improve the overall health of the body. Managing stress and having a proper sleep keeps a check on blood pressure and helps maintain good heart health.Genetically Modified Organisms Ethical Issues
Supplements:
Some additional supplements are well known for supporting heart health. Some of these supplements are; Coenzymes q10 is said to reduce the related heart and metabolic problems. It has a significant role in reducing the risk of heart failure as it helps increase good cholesterol levels in the blood and is a powerful antioxidant. It is also helpful in lowering blood pressure. Niacin is vital in increasing HDL levels, thereby removing cholesterol deposits from the vessels. Thus, it is a promising supplement to prevent heart diseases. Omega 3 supplements - These omega 3 fatty acids are a kind of polyunsaturated fatty acids. These reduce triglyceride levels, reduce the risk of irregular heart diseases, lowers plaque formation in the arteries, and improve lowering blood pressure. Thus they have great benefits for providing good heart health. Fish oil, flax seeds oil, and canola oil are some of the sources of omega 3.Q1- What are the risk factors of declining heart health?
Ans- Poor or unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, lifestyle habits like smoking and alcohol intake, and genetic factors increase the risk of heart disease. These can lead to high blood pressure, high body weight, and higher cholesterol levels, thereby declining heart health.
Q2- How can exercise help in improving heart health?
Ans- Exercise like cardio, stretching, and strengthening activities will help reduce body weight. It lowers bad cholesterol levels, lowers blood pressure, and increases the heart rate for good health.
Q3- What types of fats are recommended to keep the heart healthy?
Ans- Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are considered good fat as these reduce heart disease risk. Hence these are recommended to be taken in the diet for healthy heart health. Choosing the wrong kind of fats for consumption can increase bad cholesterol in the blood increasing heart disease risks.
Q4- What lifestyle change should be implemented to keep the heart healthy?
Ans- Lifestyle changes like quitting smoking and tobacco are highly advised for keeping the heart healthy. Limiting the amount of alcohol intake in daily life is also recommended. Proper sleep and taking less stress are beneficial as well.
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