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15 of the Best Herbs and Spices for a Healthy Heart (#10 is Little Weird)
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When we think about the heart, we might picture love or those little emoticons we send on Facebook, but the heart is actually a powerful muscle responsible for pumping blood through our little networks of arteries and veins. The blood provides the body with oxygen and nutrients, as well as helping remove waste from the body.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America. More than 611,000 people die from heart disease every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are several different types of heart disease, and your risk can increase with certain factors such as a sedentary lifestyle, family history, smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and excessive alcohol use.
Common symptoms that might indicate a heart problem include chest discomfort or pain, fatigue, rapid or irregular pulse, persistent coughing, anxiety attacks, and shortness of breath.
You can do without a lot of things, but your heart isn’t one of them. Since it functions 24 x 7 x 365, you should do what you can to keep it healthy. One of those ways is to eat a healthy diet. You can also add plenty of heart healthy herbs and spices in your cooking to improve your overall heart health even more.
Keep reading and find the top 15 herbs and spices you should be adding to your diet to keep the old ticker going strong.
1. Cardamom
Cardamom is well-known for helping with stomach problems such as indigestion, upset stomach, heartburn, and more. But it also can lower blood pressure, which is good for the heart. Cardamom has powerful antioxidant compounds which help to fight the damage free radicals can cause to the heart and other tissues in the body.
2. Thyme
You might not think that by adding a bit of thyme to your dishes you are making much of difference in your life, but the truth is that adding some thyme to food can add time to your life. Thyme carries an impressive array of antioxidant power, which fights the damage free radicals can cause to the entire cardiovascular system. Thyme also has powerful antimicrobial compounds that can help to keep the body free from harmful fungi and other types of dangerous bacteria.
3. Garlic
Garlic is the king of heart-healthy herbs. This highly beneficial herb has been proven in literally hundreds of studies to have anti-inflammatory, antiplatelet, and antithrombotic compounds. In 2006, The American Society for Nutrition published study showing a powerful link between the consumption of garlic and benefits to the heart. Garlic can lower bad cholesterol (LDL) levels, lower hypertension levels, and increase platelet aggregation. Crush and eat one or two fresh cloves of garlic each day for best results, or ask your doctor for the proper dosage of garlic supplements you should take for your condition. If you take any type of prescription medications, always speak to your doctor before consuming garlic, as it can cause serious interactions.
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