Heart disease is a general term to describe all diseases that attack the heart organ. One type of heart disease that may often be heard is coronary heart disease, or also called coronary artery disease or arteriosclerotic heart disease.
It is a fact that currently Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death in adults in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the disease has maintained its ranking as the number 1 killer since 1921.
Causes of Coronary Heart Disease
Coronary heart disease is a condition caused by a buildup of plaque in the arteries that flow to and from the heart. This condition can occur due to inflammation of the fatty material or other substances that form plaque and accumulate in the artery walls.
Not only that, you will also have a higher risk of coronary heart disease if from the beginning you have high blood pressure or hypertension, smoking habits, diabetes, and a sedentary lifestyle (lazy movement).
How to Treat Coronary Heart Disease
Lifestyle Change
A 2016 study found that adopting a number of healthy lifestyles can help lower your risk of coronary heart disease, even if you’re genetically predisposed to it.
Some of these healthy lifestyles include: exercising, eating healthy foods – such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains – and not smoking.
In recent studies, high-risk participants who led a healthy lifestyle had significantly less calcium in their coronary arteries, which is a sign of coronary heart disease.
The study illustrates that you can naturally reduce the risk, prevent, and even overcome coronary heart disease itself.
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Avoiding Inflammatory Foods
So far people believe that foods rich in cholesterol and saturated fat increase the risk of heart disease. Then the saturated fat will increase cholesterol levels which eventually clog blood vessels.
Yet many experts now believe that elevated blood cholesterol is a symptom, not a cause, of heart disease. In most people, the real cause of heart disease may be an inflammatory process.
Foods that cause inflammation that should be avoided to prevent and overcome coronary heart disease, namely:
- Corn and soybean oil
- Pasteurized conventional dairy products
- Refined carbohydrates
- Conventional meat
- Sugar of all kinds
- Trans-Fat (saturated fat)
Consumption of Heart Diet Food
Following a healthy diet based on whole foods can reduce the risk of inflammation, high blood pressure , and high cholesterol. Of course, eating portions and good nutrition will also help you maintain your ideal weight and have more energy for activity.
Both of these are very important to prevent and treat coronary heart disease.
Foods that help reduce inflammation include:
- All kinds of foods rich in fiber and antioxidants
- Vegetables (all types, including beets, carrots, cruciferous vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and kale, dark leafy vegetables, artichokes, onions, peas, salad greens, mushrooms, sea vegetables, and squash)
- Fruits (all kinds, especially berries and oranges)
- Herbs and spices, especially turmeric (curcumin) and raw garlic (as well as basil, chili, cinnamon, curry powder, ginger, rosemary, and thyme)
- Traditional teas such as green, oolong or white tea
- Nuts on seeds
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Raw, unpasteurized dairy products and pasture-raised poultry
- Red wine to taste.
Consumption of Heart Supplements
You will get the most benefit from a healthy diet, when you eat foods that provide natural nutrients that can help protect the heart.
Therefore, some supplements added to a nutrient-dense diet can also help treat coronary heart disease. Some of the following supplement recommendations are beneficial in controlling inflammation and supporting heart health:
- Omega-3 fish oil supplements or 1 tablespoon fish oil (such as cod liver oil) daily. If you avoid fish, try vegetable algae oil
- Curcumin (turmeric) and garlic supplements
- Coenzyme Q10
- Carotenoids
- Selenium
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Glucosamine
Sport
Exercise helps restore and maintain cardiovascular health by increasing blood flow, bringing more oxygen to the cells of your organs, managing hormones and blood sugar levels and helping you relax.
This makes exercise one of the most powerful ways you can do to prevent blockage of the arteries which in turn helps overcome coronary heart disease.
Treating coronary heart disease you can do in a natural and simple way. By adopting some healthy eating and living patterns as described above, it is hoped that you can prevent heart disease or worsening of the disease if you already have it.