Cardiovascular Health Archives - Page 2 of 10

Eliminating Heart Disease Naturally Thru Nitric Oxide Therapy

Archive for Cardiovascular Health – Page 2

Health Benefits of Serrapeptase

Posted by Dan Hammer //

10/08/2020

Here in America most people are completely unfamiliar with the health benefits of Serrapeptase. But in Europe and Asia, this proteolytic enzyme is prescribed for a wide range of health issues, especially as an anti-inflammatory that is without side effects. But more on this later.

In fact I had never heard of Serrapeptase until a doctor friend of mine suggested I research it for one of my health articles. He personally uses it as a way to lower his risk for cardiovascular disease, while protecting himself from infections.

As stated Serrapeptase is a proteolytic enzyme. This type of enzyme breaks down proteins into amino acids.

It is produced in the gut of silkworms to help them digest their cocoons. Hence the image at the top of this article.

When isolated and coated for human consumption, this enzyme acts as an anti-inflammatory and pain-blocker. Similar to aspirin and ibuprofen, this enzyme eases inflammation and may prevent pain.

But without side effects like ulcers, stomach bleeding, and blood thinning.

Multiple studies have shown it to be extremely effective in reducing inflammation in the ears, nose, and throat.

While much still needs to be leaned about the health benefits of Serrapeptase, it is thought to work in three ways: Read More →

Health Benefits of Onions

Posted by Dan Hammer //

10/01/2020

Today we’re going to look at the health benefits of onions. Just as there are multiple layers to this vegetable, with multiple ways you can cook it, there are also multiple health benefits of onions.

Onions belong to the allium family of vegetables, which include garlic, shallots, chives, and leeks. This means they are a good source of sulfur, which help in both detoxification and protein formation. But they also have important antibacterial and immune-boosting properties.

And while modern day medicine is beginning to acknowledge these health benefits, onions have been used since the beginning of recorded history as key to treating a wide range of health concerns.

Nutrient Dense

A medium onion is only 44 calories but packed with key vitamins and minerals. It is high in vitamin C, which is a key nutrient in helping to regulate your immune system. And as a powerful antioxidant, it helps to protect you from free radical damage. This means that it can aid in reducing cellular membrane damage and inflammation.

Onions are also a good source of both B6 and B9, which aid in regulating your immune system. Plus these two B vitamins play a key role in metabolism, nerve function, and the production of red blood cells.

And like bananas, they are a good source of potassium, which is key for proper muscle relaxation.

Heart Health

As already noted onions help to fight inflammation. Inflammation is at the heart of almost all cardiovascular health issues.

A key antioxidant found in onions is the flavonoid quercetin, which has been shown to be a powerful anti-inflammatory ingredient that helps to reduce heart disease risk factors. One of which is helping to reduce cholesterol levels.

Antioxidant Powerhouse

As I’ve shared many times in my health articles, antioxidants protect you from free radical damage. Plus they inhibit oxidation. It is oxidized LDL cholesterol that typically starts plaque formation in the vascular system.

Onions contain over 25 different flavonoid compounds, which all act as excellent sources of antioxidants.

Particular to red onions is the flavonoid called anthocyanins. There are multiple population studies that show how a diet rich in anthocyanins can lower the risk of a heart attack in men by 14% and for women by 32%. Read More →

Statin Drugs and CoQ10

Posted by Dan Hammer //

09/22/2020

If you are on cholesterol lowering medication, then you need to know about statin drugs and CoQ10. Statin drugs are designed to interfere with the liver’s production of cholesterol. This interference can significantly reduce the cholesterol levels in your blood stream.

Statin drugs also have some significant side effects like fatigue and muscle pain.

But what usually gets overlooked is that statins deplete CoQ10 from your body. The same pathway that produces cholesterol in the liver also produces CoQ10.

CoQ10 is a needed energy source for multiple organ system. Two of which are your heart and kidneys.

As you age your body’s ability to naturally produce CoQ10 declines with age. For example, on average CoQ10 levels decrease by the following percentage when compared to age 20:

For Your Kidneys: 27% reduction by age 40 and a 35% reduction by age 80.
For Your Heart: 32% reduction by age 40 and a 57% reduction by age 80.

If your physician has you on a statin drug, then this can drive your CoQ10 levels even lower.

To help you better understand this decrease, there is a 2004 study that looked at the effects statin drugs had on CoQ10 blood levels. The average age of the study participants was 70 years old. At the start of the study the baseline levels of blood CoQ10 was 1.26 mcg/mL.

After 14 days on a statin drug the CoQ10 blood levels dropped to .67 mcg/mL. And at the 30 day mark they were down to .62 mcg/mL.

This was a 49% reduction. And most of this reduction occurred in the first two weeks.

Optimal blood levels of CoQ10 for normal people without heart disease should be between 2 – 3 mcg/mL. And for heart failure patients, it is recommended that their CoQ10 blood levels be around 4 mcg/mL or higher.

As you can clearly see by this study, statin drugs lowered blood CoQ10 to dangerously low levels.

This is why statin drugs and CoQ10 is a very serious matter.

Additionally, statin drugs also interfere with the synthesis of vitamin K2. Vitamin K2 is needed to regulate calcium levels in the blood stream.

It does this by keeping calcium in the bones where is belongs.

Without proper vitamin K2 levels, calcium can enter epithelial cells causing hardening of arteries, heart, and kidneys.

All of these statin effects can lead to other health issues like muscle pain, cramps, weakness, and a feeling of tiredness.

In a 2018 meta-analysis of 12 randomized, controlled trials two key observations were noted: Read More →

Health Benefits of Quercetin

Posted by Dan Hammer //

09/15/2020

Today we’re going to talk about the health benefits of quercetin, which is a plant flavoniod that helps to address multiple health issues.

Quercetin is found in a wide range of foods such as grape skins, red onions, green tea, and tomatoes. And while this ingredient is naturally abundant in plant foods, most people do not get enough quercetin through their daily diets.

Part of the reason why is that the American diet is centered on high protein from animal sources. Or high in carbohydrates from processed grains, which strips out needed nutrients.

This is unfortunate because the research clearly shows the health benefits of quercitin on a wide range of concerns.

Cardiovascular Disease

The number one killer of all people is cardiovascular disease. Quercetin can be a significant help in this area. In a study of 805 men that ranged in age from 65-84 years old, those with the highest intake of quercetin were 68% less likely to die from coronary heart disease when compared to those with the lowest intake.

Other studies in this areas showed a reduction in death rates of 31% for women and 24% for men, when all causes were factored. And scientists attribute this reduction to several key factors, which include the following:

Reduction of dangerous accumulations of abdominal and liver fat.
Reduction in total cholesterol.
Reduction in LDL (Bad) cholesterol.
Increase in HDL (Good) cholesterol.
Reduction in blood sugar.
Reduction in blood pressure.
Increased plasma levels of nitric oxide.
Inhibits platelet aggregation to reduce potential for blood clots.
Inhibits the oxidation of LDL cholesterol.

This last benefit of inhibiting the oxidation of LDL cholesterol is significant because oxidized LDL cholesterol causes vascular inflammation that leads to plaque formation and the disease know as atherosclerosis.

In one human study, those who supplemented with just 30 mg/day of quercetin had a 28% reduction in LDL oxidation in as little as two weeks.

Cancer

The second leading cause of death in the United States is cancer. This is another area that the health benefits of quercetin show up. Numerous research studies have shown those with the highest intake of quercetin had a significantly lower risk for most of the leading causes of cancer. For example: Read More →

Combining Walnuts and Pecans for Heart Health

Posted by Dan Hammer //

06/15/2020

When it comes to heart health, combining walnuts and pecans can be a winning team. Most of the positive press associated with using nuts for heart health goes to walnuts. But pecans can also be a positive force for good cardiovascular health.

To start our discussion I’d like to do a nutritional comparison of these two nuts. And I’m going to use information from Dr. Edward Group of Global Healing.. Below is his table comparing one ounce of walnuts to one ounce of pecans:

https://globalhealing.com/natural-health/pecans-vs-walnuts/

Nutrient	Walnuts (14 halves)	Pecans (19 halves)
Water	1.15g	1g
Calories	185kcal	196kcal
Protein	4.32g	2.6g
Total Fat	18.49g	20.4g
Carbohydrates	3.89g	3.93g
Fiber	1.9g	2.7g
Sugars	0.74g	1.13g
Minerals
Calcium, Ca	28mg	20mg
Iron, Fe	0.82mg	0.72mg
Magnesium, Mg	45mg	34mg
Phosphorus, P	98mg	79mg
Potassium, K	125mg	116mg
Sodium, Na	1mg	0mg
Zinc, Zn	0.88mg	1.28mg
Vitamins
Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid	0.4mg	0.3mg
Thiamin	0.097mg	0.187mg
Riboflavin	0.043mg	0.037mg
Niacin	0.319mg	0.331mg
Vitamin B-6	0.152mg	0.06mg
Folate, DFE	28µg	6µg
Vitamin B12	0µg	0µg
Vitamin A, RAE	0µg	1µg
Vitamin A, IU	6IU	16IU
Vitamin E	0.2mg	0.4mg
Vitamin D (D2 + D3)	0µg	0µg
Vitamin D	0IU	0IU
Vitamin K	0.8µg	1µg
Lipids
Fatty acids, total saturated	1.737g	1.752g
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated	2.533g	11.567g
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated	13.374g	6.128g
Cholesterol	0mg	0mg
Caffeine	0mg	0mg

Combining Walnuts and Pecans For a Healthy Snack

The key to helping people improve their health is to find healthy snacks that will fuel their body with good nutritional calories.

One ounce of either walnuts or pecans is under 200 calories. This is good.

What makes them a better choice than potato chips is that they will satisfy your hunger and hold your appetite for a longer period of time. And the reason why is their combination of protein and fiber with healthy fats. Read More →

Vitamin D and Heart Health

Posted by Dan Hammer //

05/15/2020

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about CoVid19 and Vitamin D Deficiency. Today I want to focus on vitamin D and heart health.

Additional studies are showing how optimizing your vitamin D intake can help to prevent both heart disease and stroke. And it seems to do this by:

Improving endothelial function
Reducing arterial stiffening

Vitamin D does this by increasing your endothelium’s ability to create nitric oxide. Nitric oxide dilates your blood vessels to improved blood flow.

Additionally, vitamin D helps to decrease the destructive chemical compound called peroxynitrite, which can cause inflammation that leads to arterial stiffness.

Researchers at the Nanomedical Research Laboratory at Ohio University conducted a study that examined this relationship between nitric oxide and peroxynitrite. For simplicity, please remember the following:

Nitric oxide is good
Peroxynitrite is bad

In their study, the researcher introduced a human hormone called angiotensin-II. This hormone causes endothelial dysfunction. The result was a decrease in nitric oxide and an increase in peroxynitrite.

When vitamin D3 was introduced, this was significantly reversed. There was a 10 fold increase in nitric oxide and a 10 fold decrease in peroxynitrite.

This study suggests that by maintaining normal levels of vitamin D in your blood stream, you can help to maintain normal endothelial function. This helps your body to properly produce nitric oxide for improved blood flow.

And, normal levels of vitamin D help to prevent the destructive peroxynitrite, which can cause vascular inflammation that leads to arterial stiffness.

So the question becomes:

How much vitamin D to you need to take to see a benefit? Read More →

Blueberry Polyphenols Reduce Heart Disease

Posted by Dan Hammer //

04/22/2020

Several recent studies have shown how blueberry polyphenols reduce heart disease risk factors. Specifically these polyphenols inhibit the formation of foam cells that lead to atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis is the buildup of fatty deposits called plaque that narrows the arterial wall. The vast majority of heart disease is associated with this process. In fact, here is a simple overview of what happens:

The process starts when monocytes (a type of white blood cell) adheres to the endothelial cells that line your arterial walls.
These monocytes invade this one cell thick lining and develop into macrophages.
Macrophages are used by your body to engulf oxidized LDL cholesterol.
The accumulation of oxidized LDL particles in the macrophages form foam cells.
Foam cells then stimulate the body to produce smooth muscle cells and excess connective tissue, which leads to the narrowing of the inside of the artery or atherosclerosis.

If these foam cells are stable, then the risk for a stroke or heart attack is lower. But if these foam cells are inflamed, then the risk for a heart attack or stroke is significantly increased.

Given the above progression, there are two key points to stop the formation of plaque. One is to prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. This is where a diet high in antioxidants can play a major role.

And blueberries are high in antioxidants.

The second area is were the polyphenols come in. Blueberries are rich in two types of polyphenols: Read More →

5 Fun Facts You Should Know About Your Heart

Posted by Dan Hammer //

03/01/2020

Your heart is located just to the left of center of your chest area. It’s why when you say the Pledge of Allegiance you place your right hand over this area of your chest. Some consider your heart muscle the strongest muscle in your body because of the lifetime of work it does to keep you alive. Which brings us to our first fun fact.

Fun Fact #1 – Your heart will beat about 115,000 times each day. In the United States the average life expectancy is 80 years. This means your heart will beat approximately 42 million times per year. And if you multiply this by 80, then your heart will beat about 3.36 TRILLION times in your lifetime.

Fun Fact #2 – A women’s heart beats slightly faster than a man’s heart. Because of this some might say that a women’s heart is stronger than a man’s heart. And does even more work than a man.

Now that we’ve established the amount of work your heart is going to do in your lifetime, let’s look at its primary purpose. That purpose is to circulate your blood, which carries oxygen and needed nutrients to every part of your body.

Fun Fact #3 – Your heart pumps about 2,000 gallons of blood every day. This means your heart pumps approximately 730,000 gallons per year. Which is 58.4 million gallons in your lifetime. That’s a lot but it’s even more impressive when you understand that a gallon of blood weight 8.72 pounds. This means your heart moves 509 million pounds or 255 tons of blood during your lifetime.

Yes ladies, if we apply Fun Fact #2, then your heart does even more work than those lazy men. This gets even better when you add in the next fun fact. Read More →

NO More Heart Disease Book Review

Posted by Dan Hammer //

02/08/2020

The book NO More Heart Disease by Nobel Laureate in Medicine Dr. Louis J. Ignarro was key to helping me understand the power and effectiveness of nitric oxide therapy.

Back in 2008 I first came upon this concept of using nitric oxide to improve blood flow.

While my background is exercise physiology, I had never heard of what has become know as “The Miracle Molecule.”

I had been told that nitric oxide would help me improve my workouts and athletic performance. At that time I still played competitive indoor soccer at the age of 55. He was in a men’s over 40 league. And when I consistently used ingredients that would help me optimize my nitric oxide production, what I experienced was greater endurance on the soccer court.

More importantly I didn’t have soreness the next day after a competitive match.

I then got my wife to address her high blood pressure with nitric oxide. Prior to taking ingredients that would help optimize this Miracle Molecule, her blood pressure averaged 160 over 90. Within one week her blood pressure lowered to 112 over 68 and has been at this level ever since.

My experience, and the experience of my wife, prompted me to learn about this remarkable molecule for vascular health.

Enter NO More Heart Disease

The book that was recommended to me (and I recommend it to you) was Dr. Ignarro’s book called NO More Heart Disease. It was originally published in 2005 but I feel it is still the best book written to date to help people understand how significant this molecule is to their health.

In fact, Dr. Ignarro makes no bones about it. He firmly believes nitric oxide is key to your health.

If you look at the cover of his book, then you will see the subtitle, which states: Read More →

Bergamot Extract Lowers Cholesterol

Posted by Dan Hammer //

12/08/2019

Today I want to introduce you to a natural way to address cholesterol concerns by highlighting how bergamot extract lowers cholesterol. And without side effects.

In most cases the medical community will recommend taking a statin drug to lower a person’s cholesterol. And while statin drugs are very effective in doing this, they can have some significant side effects such as:

Statins reduce CoQ10, which is needed for energy production in every cell, especially the heart. There is a direct link to an increase in congestive heart failure with the increase use of statins.
Statins reduce vitamin K2, which your body uses to regulate calcium levels in the vascular system. As vitamin K2 decreases the potential for vascular calcification increases.
Statins reduce ketone production, which can then accelerate the aging process.
Increased risk for cancer: Breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men.
Increased risk for diabetes.
Muscular issues like pain and muscle wasting.
Increased risk for cataracts.

In today’s medical world cholesterol has become the enemy. Yet healthy cholesterol levels are key to good health.

Why?

Because cholesterol is need for proper cell membrane integrity. In fact, without cholesterol you would just be a pool of living matter, instead of an upright thinking human being.

Cholesterol is also essential for your brain, which contains about 25 percent of the cholesterol in your body. It’s critical for synapse formation, i.e. the connections between your neurons, which allow you to think, learn new things, and form memories. So perhaps it’s not surprising that memory loss is widely reported in association with statin use. Read More →