Healthy Heart Tips - Is There a Natural Cure for Heart Disease?

Developing and maintaining a healthy heart is the best way to prevent heart disease. Here, we'll examine the topic in detail, and explore whether natural health supplements and other measures can provide a true cure for heart disease.

Definition of Heart Disease

Coronary disease is often known as heart disease. It seems to be a catch-all term that is used to describe a variety of disorders of the heart including clogging of the arteries, high blood pressure, and coronary artery disease.

As previously stated, there are numerous diseases related to the heart as well as the blood vessels that seem to come under the umbrella of the words "heart disease." When these diseases are grouped altogether, they become the leading cause of death in the Western world. Because the heart muscle is not able to get an adequate blood supply, this is usually what causes heart disease. People who are obese put themselves at a greater risk of having a heart attack because they have higher rates of hypertension, high LDL cholesterol, and diabetes.

What is a Healthy Heart?

Your heart is just like a living pump. If your heart is healthy, it works constantly to keep your blood moving as well as oxygenated. In order to keep your heart functioning in this manner, there are a network of blood vessels, known as coronary arteries, that supply your heart with both blood and nutrients.

"Used" blood is pumped by the heart through the capillaries of the lungs where waste, gas, or carbon dioxide, is given off and fresh oxygen is taken up. This fresh, bright red oxygenated blood is then pumped through the aorta, which is the heart's main artery, into the capillaries. It is here that nutrient and oxygen exchange takes place. The blood is then returned to the heart through the veins.

This is a brief overview of how a healthy heart should function.

The Long and the Short of Heart Disease

Any disorder that affects the ability of the heart to function in its normal way is labeled as heart disease. Some heart diseases are congenital, which means they are present at birth; others may develop over time as we grow and my be dependent on such factors as diet, environment, and toxins or genetics; still other causes of heart disease may be degenerative or medical.

Problems may occur in the heart muscle itself, in the valves or in the surrounding arteries. One of the most common forms of heart disease comes from the narrowing or the blockage of the coronary arteries. This condition is known as atherosclerosis.

Following are some of the terms that are used to describe heart disease:

Cardiovascular disease

Coronary artery disease or CAD

Cardiomyopathy

Coronary heart disease

Treatment of Heart Disease

There are two main ways of treating degenerative diseases - the conventional, or allopathic, method, and the alternative, or natural, method. The two of them will be briefly discussed so you will be able to understand which treatment would be best for you.

The conventional method of treating the symptoms of cardiovascular disease would be to employ drugs and surgery. This type of medicine helps to diagnose as well as treat acute, life-threatening events. We all know that any type of surgery carries its own types of risks.

Here are just some of the side effects that can come from taking various drugs to treat heart disease: fever, bruising, blurred vision, muscle cramps or spasms, rapid weight gain, dizziness, shortness of breath, unusual tiredness or weakness, bleeding, chills, and depression.

On the other hand, if we take a look at alternative methods to develop a healthy heart and treat heart disease, we see that it takes into consideration the whole body. Natural, or holistic, methods of alternative medicine are much more gentle, have fewer side effects, and, in a lot of cases, can even reverse heart disease and bring the patient back to full health again. The focus of alternative medicine is to actually remove the cause of the disease and not just treat the symptoms.

Natural Cures for Heart Disease

Proper Diet

The first thing you are going to have to do is take a look at your diet. Do you like to make a habit of "eating on the run" and getting those fast foods? Do you have a sweet tooth that always needs to be satisfied? How about those snacks at night when you can eat a whole bag of chips or cookies? Is there something wrong here?

First, the fast, fat-laden foods have to go. Take time to make your meals at home. You will not only save some money but you will probably shed some pounds in the process. Replace those chips and cookies with a nice salad. As far as the sweet tooth goes, try eating some yogurt or sweetened rice cakes.

Exercise

The next thing you have to take a look at is whether or not you have been doing any kind of cardiovascular exercise. If not, you may want to talk to your doctor and find out what would be best for you. If you have never exercised before, then you should begin a program gradually. Aerobic exercise, such as walking, jogging, or riding a bicycle, is excellent for developing a healthy heart.

Health Supplements

Finally, there are some health supplements that you can take for heart disease as well as heart prevention. However, you should also talk to your doctor about this so that you get their approval. Don't think that more is better. Don't feel that you have to run to your natura foods store and grab every vitamin off the shelf that says it is beneficial for the heart. Begin with one or two and gradually add one or two more if you think you need it.

Coenzyme Q10 boosts oxygenation of heart tissue, and can prevent recurrence of heart attacks. L-Arginine, an amino acid, is also useful, for it will improve blood flow.

Omega 3 fatty acids have been proven effective in reducing cholesterol and triglycerides. If you take omega 3 fish oil capsules or eat fatty, cold water fish such as salmon, you will reduce the risk of experiencing heart rhythm disturbances, atrial fibrillation, arrhythmia, heart palpitations, and hardening of the arteries. Because it can be difficult to get the recommended amount of omega 3 from regular foods, a quality fish oil capsule is a viable choice.

Certain vitamin supplements can also help you develop a healthy heart. The B vitamins, such as Vitamin B12, B6, and B9 (folic acid) have demonstrated benefits in improving heart health.

Vitamin E is helpful as well. A powerful antioxidant, it can reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke.

And that old standard, Vitamin C, is important, too. It is a potent regulator of high blood pressure.

By following a sensible diet, getting regular exercise, and taking quality nutritional supplements, you will be well on your way to developing and maintaining a healthy heart.

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