From the things you eat to your hereditary traits, there are a lot of factors your heart must overcome to stay healthy and properly functioning. One in three American adults has some form of cardiovascular disease (CVD). As the leading cause of death in the United States and across the world, you may want to get familiar with home remedies for cardiovascular disease.
Home Remedies for Cardiovascular Disease
What is Cardiovascular Disease?
Cardiovascular disease is a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels that includes high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, heart failure and stroke. Your symptoms will differ according to the type of CVD you are diagnosed with, as the various conditions affect different parts of the body. Coronary heart disease involves the blood vessels that supply the heart muscle, while cerebrovascular disease affects the blood vessels that supply the brain. Other kinds of cardiovascular disease include:
- Peripheral arterial disease involves blood vessels supplying the arms and legs.
- Rheumatic heart disease causes damage to the heart muscle and heart valves. It associated with rheumatic fever caused by streptococcal bacteria.
- Congenital heart disease is linked to malformations of the heart structure that appear at birth.
- Blood clots in the leg veins (which can dislodge and move to the heart and lungs) are caused by deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism.
Causes and Symptoms
Disorders of the heart and blood vessels cause cardiovascular disease, but many factors can lead to these conditions. Major causes include tobacco use, physical inactivity, poor dietary habits, and excessive use of alcohol. Some people are more at risk for developing this kind of disease – many of which can be prevented or effectively treated. These risk factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, being overweight, smoking, illegal drug use, and stress. Other factors are unpreventable, such as having a previous heart attack or family member with heart disease. Getting older, your gender and race are also strong factors that can affect your susceptibility to cardiovascular disease.
Often, there are no symptoms that emerge when you have an underlying disease of the blood vessels.
However, if you are suffering from a heart attack or stroke, you could experience pain or discomfort in the center of the chest, arms, left shoulder, elbows, jaw, or back. This could be your first and only warning that you have an underlying condition. Other signs that may emerge include shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, vomiting, nausea, cold sweats, pale skin, lightheadedness, and feeling faint.
Common symptoms for a stroke are a sudden weakness of the face, arm, or leg, most often on one side of the body. You may also feel numbness in one part of the body, have trouble seeing, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination, severe headache, or slurred speech.
Cardiovascular Disease Home Remedies
As a leading cause of death, it is important to become familiar with the things you can do outside of prescriptions that can lessen your risk for cardiovascular disease. To promote a healthy heart and overall body, the following home remedies for cardiovascular disease can certainly put you on the right path:
Garlic:
Garlic not only helps ease the symptoms of heart disease, but also prevents conditions from developing in the first place. Add raw garlic to your dishes. Take a daily supplement. Garlic works by clearing the arteries and getting things moving along in the body. Garlic is packed with antioxidants that leads to less plaque buildup, fewer chest pains, and works as a mild anticoagulant that helps thin the blood. Daily consumption or intake is quite beneficial for cardiovascular disease patients.
Potassium:
You can keep your blood pressure low and encourage a healthy balance of minerals in the body by increasing the amount of potassium-rich foods in your diet. Consider adding more white potatoes, yams, low-fat yogurt, soybeans, avocado, cantaloupe, pistachios, peanuts, oranges, apricots, and lettuce to your diet.
Grapefruit:
The tarty yet sweet experience of biting into a slice of grapefruit could help ease your cardiovascular disease symptoms. The fruit also works towards preventing the development of heart disease in the first place.
Quit Smoking:
Smoking plays a major role in the development of heart disease, especially atherosclerosis. The nicotine found in tobacco products constricts blood vessels and forces your heart to work overtime. The carbon monoxide in cigarettes reduces oxygen in your blood, as well as damages the lining of blood vessels.
Broccoli:
Broccoli can provide the body with healthy nutrients and calcium, which is good for the heart. One cup of broccoli offers 90 milligrams of calcium.
Increase Calcium Intake:
Adding more calcium-rich foods to your diet can keep your heart healthy. Dietary suggestions include salmon, figs, pinto beans, okra, and kale.
Chicken:
Since vitamin B6 helps maintain a healthy heart, consuming three ounces of chicken will satisfy 1/3 of your daily requirement for the vitamin.
Salmon:
If you face a high risk of developing heart disease, it’s a good idea to add fatty fish to your diet. Salmon is a good choice because it satisfies your daily requirement for vitamin B12. The omega-3 fatty acids in the fish help lower triglycerides and reduce blood clots that could cause blockages in your heart arteries.
Spinach:
Substitute your usual lettuce for spinach when making a salad to take advantage of the folic acid and other B vitamins that can prevent heart disease. One-half cup of spinach offers 130 mcg of folic acid.
Exercise:
When you get moving more often (even if it is for a short stroll around the neighborhood), you can maintain a healthy weight and control heart disease factors, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. It is suggested to get in 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity for at least three to four days a week. If continuous exercise is stressful to your body, try breaking up your activity into shorter 10-minute sessions.
Relaxation Techniques:
Managing your stress levels can help curb symptoms of cardiovascular disease, which gives your heart a break. Some techniques to consider include deep breathing techniques and stretches that relax the muscles.
Bran:
The high fiber content in bran cereal is a good way to promote healthy cholesterol levels.
Olive Oil:
According to the American Heart Association and the American Dietetic Association, it is recommended to receive the majority of your fat from monounsaturated sources. Instead of using vegetable oils, a better choice is to use olive oil.
Peanut Butter:
Eating two tablespoons of peanut butter will give your body 1/3 of your daily intake of vitamin E.
Pecans:
The magnesium found in pecans is good for your heart – aim for one ounce of the nuts to get a healthy dose.
Wheat Bread:
When looking for bread to make a sandwich, opt for a whole wheat selection. Whole-wheat bread offers 11 mcg of selenium, an antioxidant mineral that works well with vitamin E to protect your heart.
Glass of Wine:
Many studies have suggested that drinking a glass of alcohol a day can help fight the symptoms and development of heart disease. This remedy is helpful when followed in moderation – one glass of wine for women and two glasses for men. Other drink suggestions include 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine, or 1 ½ ounces of whiskey.
Strawberries:
With a great deal of vitamin C, get up to 45 milligrams of heart-healthy vitamins by eating ½ cup of strawberries. The fruit offers the body a nice amount of fiber and potassium.
Sweet Potatoes:
Packed with a healthy dose of vitamin A, sweet potatoes also contain other nutrients that protect the heart and keep you further away from heart disease.
Apples:
From Red Delicious to Honeycrisp, apples naturally possess properties that stimulate the heart. Consume the fruit to treat cardiovascular disease symptoms, as well as prevent the development of other medical conditions.
Pomegranate:
Try drinking pomegranate juice every day to lower your blood pressure and improve other symptoms of cardiovascular disease (such as the thickening of the arteries – atherosclerosis).
Soy:
You can reduce your cholesterol by as much as 10% when you replace other dietary protein (such as red meat) with soy.
Oranges:
A great benefit comes when you consume oranges, which is known to protect the heart, as well as reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and stroke. Oranges are packed with folate, which plays a major role in helping you avoid cardiovascular disease. Try eating an orange on a daily basis or start your morning off with a glass of orange juice, which helps elevate ‘good cholesterol’ levels. You can also significantly reduce blood pressure by drinking one to two glasses of orange juice per day. The fruit also helps protect you against a stroke.
Turmeric:
Not only does turmeric color the food in many Indian dishes and helps make curry powder, the curcumin in the spice offers assistance in treating a range of medical concerns. Some research suggests that turmeric is good for the heart because it contains a type of polyphenol that fights inflammation and could reduce plaque buildup in the blood vessels.
Green Tea:
With the power to lower cholesterol and triglycerides, drink green tea to decrease the risk of cardiovascular-related death. It is suggested to consume three or more cups a day for the best results.
Avoid Sick People:
Practice good hygiene habits to prevent infections of the heart. Having viral or bacterial infections can place stress on the heart. You should stay away from people that are sick (with a cold or flu).
Wash Your Hands:
Regularly wash your hands to keep away the germs that can make you sick and weaken the heart.
Whole Grains:
Increase the amount of heart-healthy whole grains you receive out of your diet by including more brown rice, lentils, and beans (especially kidney beans and black beans).
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