FEBRUARY 29: GINKGO BILOBA
29 Days to a Healthier Heart
It has been estimated that the Ginkgo tree has existed for more than 200 million years, making it the oldest known tree species on earth. A tree may live for 1000 years, with some trees claimed to be over 1500 years old! The leaves of the Ginkgo tree are the part used medicinally. It is important to recognize that the majority of research supporting the use of Ginkgo refers to the use of standardized extracts made from the leaf, rather than the leaf as a whole.
The Benefits
Many studies have demonstrated the ability of Ginkgo extracts to increase blood flow. It has been shown to increase the perfusion of blood in the skin and nails, increase coronary blood flow (to the heart), and increase cerebral blood flow (to the brain). Ginkgo extracts have also been shown to decrease red blood cell aggregation, and decrease blood viscosity, therefore thinning the blood and decreasing the formation of plaque. Furthermore, Ginkgo extracts appear to have the ability to relax blood vessels in spasm and constrict those that are abnormally dilated by increasing their tone.
To find out if Ginkgo biloba is an appropriate form of treatment for you, please come in to see us for an initial consultation!
If you’re interested in what the Ginkgo tree looks like, take a look at the two Ginkgo trees located outside the front of the Head to Toe Health Centre sometime this spring!
-Karen Hack, BHSc, ND
50 Most Common Medicinal Herbs; Boon, Smith; The Institute of Naturopathic Education and Research, 2004.
FEBRUARY 28: Hawthorn (Crataegus)
29 Days to a Healthier Heart
Hawthorn is a thorny deciduous tree, native to Europe. While the flowers, leaves, and even the bark have been used medicinally, the bright red berries are the part most commonly used. In Ancient Britain, the hard wood of hawthorn and the berries were thought to have magical powers.
While Hawthorn contains a number of medicinally active constituents, most attention has been focused on the cardiovascular properties of a few. Specific extracts of Hawthorn have been shown to increase the blood flow to the heart muscle, protect the heart muscle from decreased blood flow, increase the refractory time (rest time) between heart beats, and decrease the potential for arrhythmia. In addition, the antioxidant properties of Hawthorn extracts protect the cells from oxidative damage. Hawthorn extracts are most often used in cases of hypertension (high blood pressure), hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol), and most frequently in mild cases of congestive heart failure.
To find out if Hawthorn is an appropriate form of treatment for you, please come in to see us for an initial consultation!
-Karen Hack, BHSc, ND
50 Most Common Medicinal Herbs; Boon, Smith; The Institute of Naturopathic Education and Research, 2004.
FEBRUARY 27: MYRRH (COMMIPHORA MUKUL)
29 Days to a Healthy Heart
Commiphora mukul is the latin name for the mukul myrrh tree which is native to India and northern Africa. The mukul shrub produces a resinous sap known as guggul gum and the extract of this gum is called guggulipid. Several clinical studies have confirmed that guggulipid has an ability to lower both cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Typically, total cholesterol levels will drop 14-27% in a 4-12 week period, while LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels will drop from 25 to 35% and 22 to 30%, respectively. HDL cholesterol levels will typically increase by 16-20%.
The mechanism of action for guggulipid cholesterol-lowering effect is its ability to increase the liver’s metabolism of LDL cholesterol; guggulsterone increases the uptake of LDL cholesterol from the blood by the liver. In addition to lowering lipid levels, guggulipid has been shown to prevent the formation of atherosclerosis and possibly aid in the regression of pre-existing atherosclerotic plaques (in animals). Guggulipid also has a mild effect in inhibiting platelet aggregation and promoting fibrinolysis, implying that it may also prevent the development of a stroke or embolism.
To find out if Commiphora mukul is an appropriate form of treatment for you, please come in to see us for an initial consultation! Book an appointment.
- Karen Hack, BHSc, ND
Textbook of Natural Medicine; Pizzorno, Murray; Churchill Livingstone, 1999
FEBRUARY 26: ATHEROSCLEROSIS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE BODY
29 Days to a Healthier Heart
Though we have been focusing on heart health throughout the past month, atherosclerosis can occur anywhere in the body and will cause distinct symptoms depending on where in the body it develops.
Atherosclerosis of the arteries supplying the brain frequently provokes transient ischemic attacks and strokes. In the peripheral circulation, atherosclerosis can jeopardize the blood supply to your limbs to cause gangrene. Involvement of the abdominal arteries can cause mesenteric ischemia and bowel infarction. Atherosclerosis can affect the kidney directly (causing renal artery stenosis), which can result in hypertension, itself a risk factor in the development of atherosclerosis. And of course, atherosclerosis of the arteries to the heart commonly causes angina pectoris and myocardial infarction (heart attack).
Though the names of some of the above pathologies may be foreign to you, it is important to understand that wherever atherosclerosis develops in the body, the blood supply to that area will decrease. Furthermore, fragments of the atherosclerotic plaques can dislodge and travel through the vessels to other parts of the body thereby cutting off the circulation to those areas.
Stop the process of atherosclerosis before it starts by eating a healthy diet low in saturated fats and high in antioxidants!
Please see our preceding blogs for more information.
-Karen Hack, BHSc, ND
FEBRUARY 25: WHAT IS PLAQUE?
29 Days to a Healthier Heart
Plaque is the name given to a composition of cholesterol and fatty acids, immune cells, calcium, blood platelets, and various types of connective tissue. Though there are many theories as to why these compounds and cells gather in the artery to form plaque, the most widely accepted theory states that atherosclerosis is initiated in response to injury to the cells lining the inside of the artery.
In a previous blog, we talked about why antioxidants are important. They are important because antioxidants neutralize the free radicals responsible for damage to the internal lining, therefore protecting arterial cells from injury and inhibiting this initial step in the formation of plaque.
Once initiated, plaque continues to grow until eventually it blocks the flow of blood within the artery. Atherosclerosis is the name given to the disease in which plaque builds up inside the arteries such that it begins to cause symptoms. Blockage of the artery is typically around 90% before symptoms of atherosclerosis become apparent.
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For more information, please see our blog on Antioxidants.
-Karen Hack, BHSc, ND
FEBRUARY 24: YOGA FOR A HEALTHY HEART
29 Days to a Healthier Heart
Heart disease (or ‘cardiovascular disease’) and stroke represent two of the three leading causes of death in Canada, with one Canadian dying every seven minutes from one of these potentially fatal conditions.
These statistics seem almost unbelievable given that there is SO much we can do to optimize our cardiovascular and circulatory function! It is commonly understood that ‘diet and exercise’ form two of the key foundations of a healthy lifestyle. What we are now slowly starting to accept is the role that stress and our emotional health can play in our ultimate wellbeing.
By combining asanas (physical postures) and pranayama (breathing), yoga provides the perfect opportunity to increase our physical fitness while moderating stress levels and improving emotional health. A review of 70 studies on the heart healthy benefits of yoga found that a regular yoga practice yields beneficial changes in numerous risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Yoga has been shown to promote weight loss and blood pressure reduction while regulating blood sugar and insulin levels. In addition, even a short term yoga practice promotes ‘sympathovagal balance’, a fancy term meaning that yoga helps to balance the ‘fight or flight’ high stress sympathetic nervous system, with the ‘rest and digest’ calming influence of the parasympathetic nervous system. Yoga decreases our perception of stress as well as our reactivity to these perceived stressors, helping to prevent us from making rash decisions we may later regret. As an added bonus, practicing yoga has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression, tension and fatigue!
So, the next time you’re feeling stressed, or just looking for a way to improve your overall health – pull out the yoga mat and start moving (and breathing!).
-Dr. Katie Weststrate, RHN, RYT, MScCH, ND
Sources:
The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada – www.heartandstroke.ca
Innes, K., Bourguignon, C., Taylor, A. Risk Indices Associated with the Insulin Resistance
Syndrome, Cardiovascular Disease, and Possible Protection with Yoga: A Systematic Review. http://www.jabfp.org. 2005
FEBRUARY 23: MORE ABOUT GARLIC
29 Days to a Healthier Heart
Not only is garlic an effective antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and immune-boosting agent, it is one of the most important therapeutic steps you can take in the prevention and treatment of heart disease. Garlic has the ability to impact the process of atherosclerosis at many stages, but foremost is its ability to improve cholesterol levels.
Eating freshly crushed garlic on a daily basis or taking a good supplement has been shown to lower total serum cholesterol levels, decrease LDL cholesterol (‘bad’ cholesterol), decrease triglyceride levels, and increase HDL cholesterol (‘good’ cholesterol). The combination of lowering LDL and raising HDL can greatly improve the LDL:HDL ratio – a significant goal in trying to prevent heart disease and strokes.
Garlic has also been shown to inhibit platelet aggregation or ‘stickiness’, meaning that it acts as a blood-thinning agent or anticoagulant. Platelet stickiness is a substantial factor in the development of atherosclerosis and so the blood-thinning capacity of garlic is an important consideration in the prevention and treatment of heart disease. Furthermore, garlic is rich in antioxidants, which help destroy the free radicals responsible for the first step in the development of atherosclerosis. So, don’t forget to eat your garlic!
-Dr Karen Hack, BHSc, ND
FEBRUARY 22: CHOLESTEROL LEVELS – AGE & HEREDITY?
29 Days to a Healthier Heart
Elevations of blood cholesterol and/or triglycerides can be due to genetic factors. These conditions are referred to as familial hypercholesterolemia, one of the most common inherited diseases as they affect about one in every 500 people. People affected with this condition will show high cholesterol readings early in life and have a family history of hypercholesterolemia. Taking steps to manage healthy cholesterol levels is exceedingly important in the case of familial hypercholesterolemia.
The basic problem in familial hypercholesterolemia is a defect in the receptor for LDL cholesterol (or ‘bad’ cholesterol) in the liver. Under normal situations the LDL receptor is responsible for removing cholesterol from the blood. When the LDL cholesterol is bound to the receptor, the liver cell takes up the LDL cholesterol and then signals the liver cell to stop making cholesterol. In familial hypercholesterolemia the defect in the LDL receptor results in the liver not receiving the message to stop making cholesterol.
Damage to the LDL receptor also occurs with normal aging and with several diseases such as diabetes, resulting in the rise of cholesterol levels as we get older or become diabetic. In addition, a diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol decreases the number of LDL receptors, thereby reducing the feedback mechanism which tells the liver cells that no more cholesterol is needed.
Fortunately, lifestyle and dietary changes can have a tremendous impact on healthy cholesterol levels. For more information please see our other blogs on heart health!
-Dr Karen Hack, BHSc, ND
FEBRUARY 21: ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS
29 Days to a Healthier Heart
An Important Risk Factor
Excessive platelet aggregation (or platelet ‘stickiness’) is an important risk factor for heart disease and strokes. Once platelets aggregate, they release potent compounds which promote the formation of the atherosclerotic plaques. These atherosclerotic plaques can eventually block the coronary arteries to cause a heart attack or form a clot, which can lodge in the small arteries of the brain to cause a stroke.
The adhesiveness, or ‘stickiness’, of platelets is determined largely by the types of fats in the diet and the level of antioxidants in the blood. While saturated fats and cholesterol increase platelet aggregation, essential fatty acids (specifically, omega-3 fatty acids) have the opposite effect.
Good News
People who consume a diet rich in omega-3 oils from either fish or vegetable sources have a significantly reduced risk of developing heart disease. Omega-3 fatty acids have the following effects on the body:
- Lower LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
- Inhibit excessive platelet aggregation.
- Lower fibrinogen levels.
- Lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in individuals with high blood pressure.
Omega-3 fatty acids are found in freshwater fish oils, algae, mosses, ferns, linseed, rapeseed, flaxseed, hemp, canola oil, wheat, pumpkin, soy, and walnuts.
-Dr. Karen Hack, BHSc, ND
FEBRUARY 20: ALCOHOL AND YOUR HEART
29 Days to a Healthier Heart
You may have heard that moderate consumption of alcohol is beneficial for heart health. However, is this really true for everyone? And if so, what does ‘moderate consumption’ mean?
According to a meta-analysis done by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) into the relationship between alcohol consumption and heart disease, this relationship is ‘complicated’. Researcher Dr. Juergen Rehm states that “while a cardioprotective association between alcohol use and ischaemic heart disease exists, it cannot be assumed for all drinkers, even at low levels of intake”. In addition, it is important to remember that even when there may be a beneficial association between low levels of alcohol consumption and heart disease for some individuals, this does not negate the detrimental effect alcohol consumption can have on many other disease outcomes. For example, alcohol consumption is a risk factor for several cancers, with even one drink a day increasing the risk of breast cancer. According to Dr. Rehm “with as little as one drink a day, the net effect on mortality is still beneficial. After this, the net risk increases with every drink.”
Despite the evidence that one drink a day MAY reduce heart disease risk, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada does NOT advocate drinking your way to a healthier heart, claiming that you are “better off eating a healthy diet, being physically active by doing moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic activity for 150 minutes a week, and becoming smoke-free”. They suggest that if you don’t drink alcohol, don’t start, and if you do, limit yourself to one or two standard drinks a day, to a weekly maximum of nine for women and 14 for men.*
One drink equals:
- 341 mL / 12 oz (1 bottle) of regular strength beer (5% alcohol).
- 142 mL / 5 oz wine (12% alcohol).
- 43 mL / 1 1/2 oz spirits (40% alcohol).
* These guidelines do not apply if you have liver disease; mental illness; are taking certain medications; have a personal or family history of drinking problems; have cancer; are pregnant or are trying to get pregnant; are breastfeeding; or are told not to drink for legal, medical or other reasons. If you are concerned about how drinking may affect your health, talk to your doctor.
For more information on how to lower your risk when drinking, see: Canada’s Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines
The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (www. http://www.heartandstroke.com)
Michael Roerecke and Jürgen Rehm. The cardioprotective association of average alcohol consumption and ischaemic heart disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Addiction 107: doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2012.03780.x. For Immediate release – Monday January 30, 2012, CAMH
-Katie Weststrate, RHN, RYT, MScCH, ND
