Expert tips on keeping your ticker healthy and happy.
Expert tips on keeping your ticker healthy and happy.
A strong heart is the foundation for a healthy life. AstaReal medical advisor, Dr Robert Corish, shares how you can protect yours and stave off cardiovascular diseases.
Why is good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle important for heart health?
According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular disease – which includes heart attacks and strokes – continues to be the leading cause of death in the developed world. This is mainly due to unhealthy eating habits, like consuming excess sugar and carbohydrates, and unhealthy lifestyle choices such as smoking and a lack of exercise. These bad habits promote weight gain, high blood pressure, insulin resistance and diabetes.
Besides maintaining a healthy diet and lifestyle, what else is good for heart health?
Adopting a positive attitude and reducing stress. Exercise, meditation and yoga are all proven methods of keeping cortisol levels in check. Certain supplements have also been shown to protect and support cardiovascular health. These include natural astaxanthin, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D3.
Clinical studies so far have shown that astaxanthin, nature’s most potent antioxidant, reduces oxidative stress and inflammation, improves blood lipid profiles, and promotes better blood flow. All these benefits lead to a healthier heart.
Astaxanthin is a cousin of lutein and zeaxanthin. It gives certain seafood like salmon, crabs, prawns and lobsters their naturally red colour, as well as protects them from harsh environmental conditions. It is also 6,000 times stronger than vitamin C, 800 times more powerful than coenzyme Q10, and 110 times stronger than vitamin E!
Are women less likely to have heart attacks than men? Oestrogen offers women a small degree of protection from heart attacks. However, postmenopausal women are actually at a greater risk of heart disease than men. This is where taking the right supplements can help protect your ticker through all phases of life.
Astavita Healthy Living Antioxidants ($61), formulated in Japan and manufactured in the US, contains extracts of high-quality natural astaxanthin from Swedish alga (Haematococcus pluvialis), so that means there is no risk of seafood allergy. This supplement is said to help combat oxidative stress in your body, fight fatigue, and boost heart health.
