How to protect yourself against heart attack
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What coud be simpler? Actually, any of these 17 easy ways to protect against heart attack and heart disease every day: 1. Drink two cups of coffee a day. People who did this had an 11 percent lower risk of heart failure than sub ects who shunned ava, according to a study of 1!",""" people published this year from #eth $srael %eaconess &edical 'enter in #oston( )esearchers credit the brew*s healthful antio+idants, which may reduce your risk of health conditions that lead to heart failure( ,o for black brew or a splash of milk( -.ee which coffee made our list of /he 0" Worst %rinks in America(1 2. Ask your dad how your grandparents died—and when. 2aving a relative die of heart complications before age 3" doubles your own risk of premature heart disease, according to an August 0"10 study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. $f that*s you, control what you can: %on*t smoke, maintain a healthy weight, and e+ercise regularly( 3. Eat vitamin C-rich foods ike citrus fruits. $n a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people who took a 4""5milligram vitamin ' supplement daily saw their blood pressure significantly drop after 0 weeks( 2ow? 6itamin ' may regulate blood levels of nitric o+ide, which helps vessels maintain normal pressure, researchers believe( !. "nack on cherries. People who ate two daily servings of the savory fruit had fewer markers of inflammation in their body, a small study in the Journal of Nutritionfound( #. "oak up the sun. A study published this year found that mice e+posed to a light bo+ were more protected from heart attack7induced tissue damage than mice that didn*t receive light therapy( /he sun increases the number of heart5 protective proteins in your body, e+plains lead researcher /obias 8ckle, Ph(%(, professor at the 9niversity of 'olorado %enver( IMPROVE YOUR EA!" EVERY #AY$ %ign u& for our 'REE daily ne()letter. $. "pice up your food. When researchers at the 'hinese 9niversity of 2ong :ong studied the effects of capsaicinoids; compounds that lend flavor to chili peppers and alapenos;in hamsters, rodents fed the spicy foods showed lower levels of <%< -=bad>1 cholesterol than the animals that ate capsaicinoid5free meals( 'apsaicionoids appear to block the gene that causes your arteries to contract, leading to rela+ed muscles and better blood flow to the heart, researchers believe( %. "hed your spare tire. 'utting your sodium intake alone won*t always do the trick: $n a recent review of seven studies, people who lowered their salt intake were ust as likely to have a heart attack or stroke as those who didn*t limit sodium, according to research in the American Journal of y&erten)ion( .hedding pounds is a better solution: ,etting in shape can yield as much as a 1"5 to 0?5point drop in blood pressure( And regular aerobic e+ercise can make it fall another 1" points( -$f you*re trying to lose fat, don*t fall for these 4 @at5<oss &yths(1 &. 'ave a (eer. According to a recent review of more than 1A studies on booBe, beer is ust as good for your heart as vino( %rinking a little more than a pint of beer a day could make you C" percent less likely than non5drinkers to suffer from stroke, heart attacks, and heart disease, researchers found( -Dust don*t overdo it( &oderate drinking;the healthy kind;is defined as no more than two alcoholic beverages a day for men or one for women(1 ). *eep a water (ott e (y your desk. <oma <inda 9niversity researchers found that drinking five or more A5ounce glasses of water a day could help lower the risk of heart disease by up to 3" percent;e+actly the same drop you get from stopping smoking, lowering your <%< cholesterol number, e+ercising, or losing a little weight( 1+. ,ake a g ass-ha f-fu attitude. Eptimists were 4" percent less likely to have a heart attack or stroke compared to pessimists, according to a study inP)ychological *ulletin.
11. "tart your morning with grapefruit. 8ating ust one grapefruit each day can lower your total cholesterol and <%< levels by A and 11 percent, respectively, lowering your risk of heart disease( $t will also provide you with more than 14" percent of your daily recommended intake of vitamin '( 12. "wig cran(erry -uice. &en who drank C cups of the uice daily raised their levels of =good> 2%< cholesterol by 1" percent( )esearchers credit plant compounds called polyphenols for the results( /ip: &ake sure the label says you*re drinking at least 07 percent cranberry uice, since the drink is often diluted( -'lick here for the 104 #est Packaged @oods for &en(1 13. .ick who e grains. $n a study at /ulane 9niversity, researchers found that people who ate four or more servings of foods like whole grains, nuts, and beans a week had a 00 percent lower risk of developing heart disease -and 74 percent fewer camping companions1 than those who ate the foods once a week or less( 1!. Eat a (urger—-ust make sure it/s grass-fed. ,rass5fed beef has a profile of healthy fats similar to fatty fish like salmon( $t*s also loaded with heart5protective vitamin 8( EA" "O !IVE+ !IVE "O EA"$ 'or coo,ing ti&)+ mouth-(atering reci&e)+ and time-)a.ing tric,) from the country/) to& chef)+ )ign u& for the all-ne( 0free$1 Men/) ealth 2uy 2ourmet ne()letter.
1#. C ean house. Dust 0(4 per week of chores like mowing the lawn or carrying groceries can reduce unhealthy inflammation in your body, according to a study published this year in Circulation. 1$. "chedu e a checkup. 8ven if you*re in your 0"s, you could benefit from a cardiovascular risk assessment( Four doctor takes a detailed inventory of all of your risk factors;your blood pressure, family history, cholesterol levels, and more;and uses a formula to give you an idea of your heart disease risk( $f you*re at high risk, you and your doctor can work together to make life5saving changes( 1%. 0i up on fi(er. &en with a high5fiber diet had a 14 percent lower risk of heart disease, a .wedish study found( 'hoose nutrient5rich fruits and vegetables rather than supplements or high5fiber bread( %ecode the myths from the facts about supplements with the all5new Men/) Re)earch 3y Mi,e #arling+ Mar,ham Ya(or),i ealth ,uide to the #est .upplements for &en(
eid+ *ari !ie3erman+ J. Rentilly+ Amy Ru)hlo(+ Ca))ie %hort)lee.e+ and Jill
11. "tart your morning with grapefruit. 8ating ust one grapefruit each day can lower your total cholesterol and <%< levels by A and 11 percent, respectively, lowering your risk of heart disease( $t will also provide you with more than 14" percent of your daily recommended intake of vitamin '( 12. "wig cran(erry -uice. &en who drank C cups of the uice daily raised their levels of =good> 2%< cholesterol by 1" percent( )esearchers credit plant compounds called polyphenols for the results( /ip: &ake sure the label says you*re drinking at least 07 percent cranberry uice, since the drink is often diluted( -'lick here for the 104 #est Packaged @oods for &en(1 13. .ick who e grains. $n a study at /ulane 9niversity, researchers found that people who ate four or more servings of foods like whole grains, nuts, and beans a week had a 00 percent lower risk of developing heart disease -and 74 percent fewer camping companions1 than those who ate the foods once a week or less( 1!. Eat a (urger—-ust make sure it/s grass-fed. ,rass5fed beef has a profile of healthy fats similar to fatty fish like salmon( $t*s also loaded with heart5protective vitamin 8( EA" "O !IVE+ !IVE "O EA"$ 'or coo,ing ti&)+ mouth-(atering reci&e)+ and time-)a.ing tric,) from the country/) to& chef)+ )ign u& for the all-ne( 0free$1 Men/) ealth 2uy 2ourmet ne()letter.
1#. C ean house. Dust 0(4 per week of chores like mowing the lawn or carrying groceries can reduce unhealthy inflammation in your body, according to a study published this year in Circulation. 1$. "chedu e a checkup. 8ven if you*re in your 0"s, you could benefit from a cardiovascular risk assessment( Four doctor takes a detailed inventory of all of your risk factors;your blood pressure, family history, cholesterol levels, and more;and uses a formula to give you an idea of your heart disease risk( $f you*re at high risk, you and your doctor can work together to make life5saving changes( 1%. 0i up on fi(er. &en with a high5fiber diet had a 14 percent lower risk of heart disease, a .wedish study found( 'hoose nutrient5rich fruits and vegetables rather than supplements or high5fiber bread( %ecode the myths from the facts about supplements with the all5new Men/) Re)earch 3y Mi,e #arling+ Mar,ham Ya(or),i ealth ,uide to the #est .upplements for &en(
eid+ *ari !ie3erman+ J. Rentilly+ Amy Ru)hlo(+ Ca))ie %hort)lee.e+ and Jill
