We care: someone, something, a project, a book, a film, a person.
But to ours heart, the real one, do we ever think about it? It beats, alone, and makes us live. We take it for granted and risk noticing his presence only when he has some problems.
Having it at heart means take care of our lifestyle and our diet. For example, by increasing the frequency of consumption of the 10 best foods for the heart.
10 best heart foods (some unthinkable)
1. Raisins
Raisins contrasts the gingivitis, and some research shows that people with this disease are more prone to heart problems than others. Who would have thought?
2. Melograno
Studies carried out at the Catalan Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences confirm that i polyphenols called punicalagins, present in the pomegranate, help prevent and delay dysfunction of the artery walls, which are among the first signs of the appearance of atherosclerosis and stroke.
Previous data showed that pomegranate juice causeslowering of blood pressure blood flow and improve blood flow to the heart for over a third of people whose arteries are blocked by atherosclerotic plaques caused by cholesterol buildup.
3. Spinach
Spinaches contain large amounts of potassium, calcium, fiber, B-complex vitamins in a combination that is effective support for proper cardiac function.
4. Tomatoes
Tomatoes contain a high concentration of lycopene, a carotenoid with proven efficacy in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer.
5. Lupins (legumes)
Vegetable proteins from lupins and other legumes are free of saturated fats harmful to the heart, the opposite of proteins of animal origin (meat, milk and derivatives, eggs).
6. Banana
Bananas they are an excellent source of potassium, which helps maintain the normal "electrical" functions of the heart.
7. Grapefruit (but also lemons and oranges)
The grapefruit contains excellent amounts of flavonoid antioxidants, in particular of naringenin (which has been studied in the prevention of ischemia), combined with vitamin C with an antioxidant effect.
8. Apples
Apples contain flavonoids and quercetin which help prevent plaque build-up in the arteries. They are also rich in pectin, a substance that helps lower blood cholesterol levels.
9. Almonds (and walnuts or pistachios, dried fruit)
Almonds they support the protection of the heart from heart attacks thanks to the high content of alpha-linolenic fatty acids (ALA), the "vegetable form" of omega-3 acids.
10. Olive oil
The olive oil rich in Omega-3 and oleic acid which reduce the impact of LDL (bad) cholesterol on the arteries, but also improve the functionality and efficiency of the heart.
The heart, how and why
What's this. It is a hollow muscle a inverted cone shape, with the base at the top and the tip at the bottom left, varying in size from person to person and based on its filling or emptying.
What does he do. Thanks to his contractions, spontaneous and rhythmic, circulates the blood in two different circuits, pulmonary (small circulation), and systemic (large circulation, which affects the whole body). The heart, in addition to pumping the blood, is in turn supplied with it (by arteries called coronary arteries), indeed its muscular walls are highly vascularized, in order to cope with an increased energy requirement, in the case of intense effort.
How does it do it. It works exactly like a pump: it contracts spontaneously and rhythmically allowing blood circulation. This continuous movement is generated by electrical stimuli that arise right inside the heart, in the tissue or conduction system, formed by fibers that transmit electrical stimuli that arise in the right atrium in correspondence with the superior vena cava.
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