Young at heart

Making a few simple changes to your lifestyle and diet will strengthen your heart and help combat cardiac conditions naturally. Follow our essential five-step guide

Imagine if your tap water at home automatically contained heart-disease medication. It’s not as far-fetched as it sounds. Such is the belief in the power of the cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins that adding them to the water supply has actually been suggested in some quarters. It’s unlikely to happen for a whole range of reasons, but it’s an indication of just how much we have come to rely upon these drugs. In the UK, someone suffers a heart attack every two minutes – that’s around 230,000 people each year.

In 2004, more than 113,000 women died from heart and circulatory disease in the UK – 38,000 more than died from cancer. There is no doubt statins are one solution to a very serious problem – they are now routinely prescribed and even available to buy over the counter at the pharmacy. But they are not a magic bullet, and can have side-effects. More worryingly, reliance on drugs can mean people become laissez-faire about lifestyle factors, which play a hugely important role in whether or not you are at risk of heart problems, according to Sarah Stanner, a nutritionist at the British Heart Foundation. “Statins are very effective and important but a good diet, for example, has other benefits, too,” she says. “It isn’t just your risk of heart disease that will reduce if you change your diet, but also cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis.”

Breakfast boost
Your choice of breakfast may play more of a role in your heart health than you’d expect. Porridge lovers will be pleased to hear that oats are a good choice, as studies show that their soluble fibre can help reduce cholesterol levels, including the unhealthy low-density lipoprotein (LDL) kind, which slowly build up on the artery walls, causing them to thicken and harden. But don’t be tempted to add a pinch of salt to your porridge, as too much salt in your diet can raise blood pressure. Aim for less than 6g (about a teaspoonful) but be aware that about three-quarters of the salt we eat is hidden in processed foods, including quite a few breakfast cereals. If you’re more of a toast person, then think about the type of spread you use.

The new breed of functional foods, including spreads and yogurt drinks, contain plant proteins known as stanols and sterols, which also help cut cholesterol levels. “But they are expensive,” Sarah Stanner says. You would need to take one yogurt drink every day or two, or three servings of other foods in the range for a few weeks, to benefit. “Also, you can get carried away with functional foods because they are an easy option – cutting back on saturated fat and eating lots of fruit and vegetables is just as important,” she adds.

Drink to your health
A good old-fashioned cuppa can also boost heart health. Various studies have shown that chemicals in tea known as polyphenols can reduce cholesterol. But for those who like something a bit stronger, there’s mixed news. “There have been lots of reports that wine plays a role in protecting the heart, but the latest work suggests it is the alcohol that is beneficial rather than chemicals in the wine itself,” Sarah Stanner says. She warns that many people unknowingly drink more alcohol than the recommended level, and this can actually have the opposite effect. Stick to just one or two units (a standard glass of wine is two units) no more than four or five times a week.

Fat's a fact
We know too much saturated fat is bad for our hearts, but it seems we are not listening to the warnings. “There is still a discrepancy between knowledge and activity,” says Dr Toni Steer from the Medical Research Council’s Human Nutrition Research department in Cambridge. Trans-fats, which are found in some manufactured foods such as biscuits, ready-made pies and hard margarines, can raise LDL cholesterol levels. Although the food industry has cut down its use of them in recent years, there is no law that makes labelling trans-fats compulsory, but the presence of hydrogenated fat often means trans-fats are likely to be present, too.

However, not all fats are bad news. Make sure you include both monounsaturated fats (found in olive oil) and polyunsaturated (found in oily fish and sunflower oil) to help cut cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease. Eating oily fish regularly not only helps to protect against heart disease, but can also improve the chances of survival after a heart attack. Experts don’t know exactly how it helps, but the omega-3 fatty acids found in oily fish may keep the heartbeat regular and prevent blood clots from forming in the coronary arteries.

Hidden dangers
As well as cholesterol, a chemical in the blood called homocysteine might also influence your chances of developing heart problems. Homocysteine is an amino acid formed in the body from a chemical called methionine, of which three times as much is found in meat compared to plant proteins. “There is a well established link between high levels of homocysteine and the risk of heart disease,” Dr Steer says. Although there is still a great deal of research to be done into whether homocysteine is as serious a risk factor as cholesterol, there is evidence that foods rich in folate and B vitamins, such as green leafy vegetables, can reduce levels of homocysteine in the blood.

Get active
Diet alone isn’t the whole story when it comes to protecting your heart naturally. “There is absolutely no doubt that regular exercise can cut your risk of heart disease,” says Len Almond, Founding Director of the British Heart Foundation National Centre for Physical Activity and Health in Loughborough. It can directly lower your cholesterol and also plays an important role in preventing high blood pressure. This causes the walls of the arteries to thicken, which can increase your chances of having a heart attack, and can also make the heart become enlarged, which can lead to heart failure. Exercise helps by strengthening the heart, so less strain is placed upon the arteries.
The Chief Medical Officer’s report has referred to physical activity as one of the “best buys in public health”, along with stopping smoking and watching what you eat. The good news is that you don’t have to pound a treadmill at the local gym to have a healthy heart. “The message now is just 30 minutes of activity on at least five days a week – that represents just two per cent of a person’s day,” Len Almond explains. What’s more, it is now believed that two 15-minute sessions, or even three ten-minute sessions, are just as good as a half-hour period of activity. Walking is an excellent form of exercise, according to Almond, because it uses large muscle groups and involves the cardiovascular system, which gives your heart a workout. “You’ll have more energy, dynamism and vitality,” he says. “And that’s important because it is unlikely people will start walking to protect their heart, but they’ll start walking to feel better. It is an added value that you will prevent heart disease.”

And if you needed another reason to opt for a walk in the country instead of a treadmill in the gym, an extra bonus of exercising outside is that sunlight provides vitamin D and research has suggested this may protect the heart as well (see ‘Join the green gym’).

So have a hearty bowl of porridge, pack your sardine sandwiches and head out for a stroll in the hills – it’s a lot more appealing than drugs in the tap water, and will improve your heart health naturally.

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