There are many natural agents widely available that can improve your health. Here are 10 natural agents proven to help protect against Heart and Lung Disease. Vitamin C Study after study has shown how taking a daily dose of Vitamin C
(1g a day) really can lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.
This nutrient also protects the lungs, especially in smokers.
Smoking increases your need for Vitamin C and smokers are
recommended to take an extra 35mg a day to compensate. The richest food source of vitamin C is acerola berries and
Viridian (http://www.viridian.com) has launched a new vitamin
C made from this fruit. Hawthorn Roman physicians used hawthorn as a cardio tonic in the first
century AD and clinical studies now show that its healing
action is thanks to the presence of proanthocyanidins -
red and purple pigments (sometimes called anthocyanins)
found in plants which help prevent degenerative disease
of the heart, blood vessels and lungs, and are thought to
help reverse arthesosclerotic plaque deposits. Cleverly hawthorn can re-regulate both high and low blood
pressure and works to dilate both peripheral and coronary
blood vessels, making it a useful aid in the management of
angina. Garlic With the advent of more cutting-edge remedies, such as red
yeast, it seems almost old fashioned now to recommend garlic
as a cardiocascular tonic, but it does still merit a mention
as a broad-spectrum treatment for arterial disease. The active agent is an odourless chemical called alliin.
When you cut or crush raw garlic, this is immediately
converted to allicin, which is the substance that gives
garlic its powerful smell. Allicin then rapidly breaks down into various components
and unless herbal remedy manufacturers who want to offer
odourless capsules, find a way to stop this process, no
active agents will be left. This is the reason there is so
much controversy about the different brands and forms of
garlic. Apples An apple a day may help keep lung cancer at bay, according to
preliminary evidence that suggests a very positive relationship
between eating five or more apples a week and healthy lung
function. Researchers admit they cannot explain why eating
apples can offset normal age-related deterioration in lung
functioning but suggest it may be thanks to the presence of
two active agents quercetin and pectin. Dandelion This humble backyard weed is a powerhouse of nutrients that
work together to promote healthy heart and lung functioning.
Although better known as a digestive tonic it can also work
to promote good cholesterol and has a diuretic effect in the
body, which then works to regulate blood pressure, when you
use the leaves. Dandelion provides more membrane and lung supporting vitamin
A than carrots, is an excellent source of heart-protecting
potassium and can help maintain good iron levels to prevent
anaemia. The young leaves are delicious tossed into a summer
salad. Guggul This is a mixture of gum resin substances taken from the plant
Commiphora Mukul, which is approved for use as a cholesterol
lowering agent in India. Guggul which can also play a role
in the treatment of Acne has also been shown to exert protective
properties against drug-induced myocardial necrosis and is
thought to have useful anti-inflammatory properties. Taurine A sulphur-containing amino acid present in high levels in meats
and fish, taurine, taken as a supplement has been shown to
lower blood pressure and plasma epinephrine (adrenaline) levels.
People with high blood pressure and heart problems have higher
levels of this hormone circulating in the blood - since
it helps the heart work harder to increase its output of blood
and thus compensate for any pumping problems - but lower levels
in the heart muscle itself, which usually has more taurine
present than any other amino acid. Arginine Sold in supplement form as L-arginine, the body uses this amino
acid as a precursor to nitric oxide, which, in turn, dilates blood
vessels and lowers blood pressure. It has been successfully used
to help support stable angina patients and in clinical trials,
high dosages (17g a day) have been shown to lower bad cholesterol
without affecting levels of good choloesterol. Arginine is found naturally in meats, diary products, poultry
and fish. Homocysteine Modulators Homocysteine is known to be 40 times a more accurate predictor
of the risk of heart disease than cholesterol levels.
Homocysteine itself is not a natural protector against heart
disease, but the agents usd to regulate its levels are. Magnesium Many unexpected adult deaths are thought to occur as a result
of fatal hearts rhythm disturbances. We know that magnesium
defeciency, which is common in men and women, predisposes to
higher risk of these kind of disturbances, so taking a
therapeutic daily dose of a magnesium supplement would seem
sensible along with increasing your dietary intake of this
nutrient. Potassium We know that potassium works with sodium to regulate the
body's water balance and normalise heart rythms (potassium
works inside the cells; sodium works outside them) and
documented research proves that a low-potassium, high-sodium
(salt) diet is linked with high blood pressure. You can receive a free 5 part ecourse on this subject at http://www.be-prepared.naturalremedies4u.com. You can also submit your own articles for free at http://www.thearticlelibrary.com |
