HEART AND BLOOD CONDITIONS

Many studies have been done on food and heart conditions, since the heart’s so vital to life. Discover how nutrients can help cut the risk of certain diseases that become more common with age.

HEART DISEASE

Given the heart’s never-ending activity, it’s no surprise that this fist-sized muscular organ requires a constant supply of blood. The most common problem causing a narrowing of the arteries is atherosclerosis – where cholesterol-rich plaques build up on the insides of artery walls, which can occur anywhere in the body. If a plaque breaks free, it can travel in the blood until it interferes with the flow in a small artery or, worse, becomes lodged, blocking flow entirely and causing a heart attack (see below) or a stroke (see here).

Although many people develop some form of cardiovascular disease (a term that groups all diseases affecting the heart and blood vessels) as they get older, it is in no way inevitable. An active lifestyle, including a plant-based diet, goes a long way to preventing cardiovascular disease. Almost every wonderfood in this book has heart-based benefits.

Cardiovascular diseases are the number one cause of death around the world.

EAT PLENTY

Fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, pulses, soya, fish and shellfish, olive oil, nuts, spices

LIMIT

Processed foods, sodium, saturated fat

HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE

To reach all around your body and return to the heart, blood has to be pumped under a certain level of pressure; but too much pressure is bad for the system. Your heart provides the driving force, creating a wave of pressure that passes through all the arteries in the body. Arteries offer a certain and healthy level of resistance when they’re elastic and relaxed. When, however, arteries become stiff and inflexible, they offer more resistance and this is measurable as high blood pressure, also known as hypertension.

Undiagnosed or untreated, high blood pressure can damage other organs, such as the kidneys and the eyes. There aren’t any noticeable symptoms, so it’s a good idea to have it measured regularly.

Avoiding salt is the first line of nutritional defence against high blood pressure, along with eating a plant-based diet rich in fibre and antioxidants.

EAT PLENTY

Yogurt, berries, bananas, root vegetables, avocados, leafy greens, fish and shellfish, mushrooms, tomatoes, olive oil, spices, squash

LIMIT

Salt, alcohol

HIGH CHOLESTEROL LEVELS

Cholesterol is a waxy substance made in the liver. Although it has a bad reputation, you need a certain amount of cholesterol for healthy cell membranes and to make bile acids, vitamin D, and steroid hormones such as oestrogen and testosterone. The body packages cholesterol in two main forms: as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL).

LDL cholesterol forms tiny, light particles that are associated with hardening and furring up of the arteries, whereas HDL cholesterol forms large, heavy particles that are too big to seep into artery walls. HDL is referred to as “good” cholesterol (LDL is “bad”), as it stays in the blood and transports the cholesterol away from your arteries and to the liver for processing.

Diet can influence blood cholesterol levels significantly and many of the wonderfoods offer cholesterol-lowering benefits, as does the longevity eating plan.

EAT PLENTY

Fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrains (particularly oats and barley), pulses, soya, fish and shellfish, olive oil, nuts

LIMIT

Processed foods, salt, saturates

HEART ATTACK

Your heart has its own network of arteries – the coronary arteries – that supply its hard-working muscle cells with oxygen-rich blood. These fine vessels ensure the heart can pump 70 times or so each and every minute. If this blood supply fails, due to narrowed or blocked arteries, you will experience heart muscle pain known as angina. But if the blood supply is compromised more severely, for example by a blood clot or arterial spasm, then a heart attack occurs as heart muscle cells are deprived of oxygen and die. Emergency medical attention is required to treat a heart attack, but you can do a lot to prevent heart attacks by adjusting what you eat; the longevity eating plan has heart health at its core.

EAT PLENTY

Fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrains, pulses, soya, fish and shellfish, olive oil, nuts, spices

LIMIT

Processed foods, salt, saturates

HEART FAILURE

As we age, our heart gradually declines in its ability to pump blood around the body. The heart doesn’t stop pumping but it can no longer get blood to the peripheral parts of the body, and this comes with consequences. Heart failure most often is caused by one or a combination of the following: heart disease, high blood pressure, cardiomyopathy, or a valve or rhythm disorder.

Most cases of heart failure occur in people over 80, although its prevalence starts rising from the age of 60. Treatment will depend on the cause but diet has a part to play. Since the heart is a big muscle, a diet high in potassium-rich foods, such as fruits and vegetables, can be beneficial for muscle contractions.

Heart failure occurs 10 times more often in people over 75 than in younger adults.

EAT PLENTY

Fresh fruit and vegetables, yogurt

LIMIT

Salt, saturates, sugar, alcohol