Category: Heart Disease

A vitamin found in this superfood can protect against heart disease by preventing cholesterol plaque build-up in the arteries.

Carrots are a humble vegetable, but in a way they are a superfood due to their richness in beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A.

Vitamin A is essential for the immune system, reproduction, skin and mucus membranes, eyes and healthy vision, and heart health.

Nevertheless our body needs an active enzyme to make vitamin A from carrots or any other food high in beta-carotene.

Beta-carotenes is converted to vitamin A with the help of an enzyme known as beta-carotene oxygenase 1 (BCO1).

The enzyme regulates the cholesterol circulation and is found in the intestine and the liver.

It has a high ability to choose beta-carotene for forming vitamin A and this conversion would lower “bad” cholesterol in the blood.

In this way, beta-carotene prevents atherosclerosis, which is narrowing of the arteries.

Atherosclerosis can lead to cardiovascular disease and heart attack, the biggest cause of death in the world.

Higher beta-carotene concentration has also been linked to a lower rate of metabolic syndrome, which is a combination of high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.

However, due to genetic variations some people have more BCO1 activity and some less so these individuals need another source of vitamin A than beta-carotene.

Dr Jaume Amengual, the study’s first author, said:

“People who had a genetic variant associated with making the enzyme BCO1 more active had lower cholesterol in their blood.

That was our first observation. “

In their second study they looked into whether beta-carotene or vitamin A affects atherosclerosis.

Dr Amengual said:

“The main findings of the mice study reproduce what we found in humans.

We saw that when we give beta-carotene to mice, they have lower cholesterol levels.

These mice develop smaller atherosclerosis lesions, or plaques, in their arteries.

This means that mice fed beta-carotene are more protected against atherosclerosis than those fed a diet without this bioactive compound.

Moreover, the team tried to find out where in the body lipoproteins (particles that carry cholesterol in the blood) are produced.

Dr Amengual said:

“We narrow it down to the liver as the organ in charge of producing and secreting lipoproteins to the bloodstream, including those lipoproteins known as bad cholesterol.

We observed that in mice with high levels of vitamin A, the secretion of lipids into the bloodstream slows down.”

A high amount of beta-carotene in the blood normally would be beneficial to health.

However, there is a chance that BCO1 is not active enough therefore we can’t make vitamin A from eating high beta-carotene foods.

According to Dr Amengual, around 50 percent of the population have the enzyme with the less-active form.

Consequently, their body can’t produce enough vitamin A from plant-based foods so they need to get this vitamin from animal sources like cheese and milk.

The fist study was published in The Journal of Nutrition (Amengual et al., 2020) & the second study was published in the Journal of Lipid Research (Zhou et al., 2020).

These popular drinks can cause heart problems, mood disorder, psychosis, stroke, and death.

Energy drinks are popular fizzy drinks advertised as products to reduce mental fatigue, increase concentration, and improve endurance during exercise.

However, energy drinks are more likely to cause cardiovascular adverse effects, neurological issues, gastritis, psychiatric disorders, stroke, and death.

A report presented by Professor Milou-Daniel Drici at ESC Congress, points out that energy drinks can cause life threatening conditions such as irregular heartbeat, angina (chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart muscles).

Professor Drici said:

“So-called ‘energy drinks’ are popular in dance clubs and during physical exercise, with people sometimes consuming a number of drinks one after the other.

This situation can lead to a number of between energy drinks and poor health including angina, cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) and even sudden death.”

He added:

“Around 96% of these drinks contain caffeine, with a typical 0.25 litre can holding 2 espressos worth of caffeine.

Caffeine is one of the most potent agonists of the ryanodine receptors and leads to a massive release of calcium within cardiac cells.

This can cause arrhythmias, but also has effects on the heart’s abilities to contract and to use oxygen.

In addition, 52% of drinks contain taurine, 33% have glucuronolactone and two-thirds contain vitamins.”

According to a number of studies, energy drinks can cause all kinds of abnormal heart rhythms, including atrial fibrillation.

QT prolongation, myocardial infarction known as a heart attack, acute coronary vasospasm, sudden cardiac arrest and death have been seen among healthy people due to consuming high quantities of energy drinks.

Long-term consumption of energy drinks can cause changes in the heart muscle, a similar effect caused by alcoholic drinks.

Professor Drici and team looked at adverse events related to energy drinks reported by the French agency for food safety between 2009 and 2012.

Within this time 95 cases were related to cardiovascular symptoms, 74 psychiatric, 57 neurological, and 46 heart rhythm disorders.

Professor Drici said:

“We found that ‘caffeine syndrome’ was the most common problem.

It is characterised by a fast heart rate (called tachycardia), tremor, anxiety and headache.

Rare but severe adverse events were also associated with these drinks, such as sudden or unexplained death, arrhythmia and heart attack (myocardial infarction).

Our literature search confirmed that these conditions can be related to consumption of energy drinks.”

Another study has found that energy drinks can cause an abnormal heartbeat and increased blood pressure in young and healthy people within a few hours of drinking.

However, a dosage of caffeine under 400 milligrams should not cause any electrocardiographic changes.

Instead, they think the heart rhythm disturbances are caused by an ingredient or combination of ingredients in the energy drinks.

B-vitamins, amino acid taurine (an amino acid), and glucuronolactone (found in plant gums and connective tissues) are other ingredients commonly used in energy drinks.

The study was published in the journal Nutrients (Erdmann et al., 2021).

Foods rich in this type of omega-3 fatty acid found to reduce risk of death, especially from coronary heart disease.

Nuts and seeds — due to being rich in an essential omega-3 fatty acid — have been found to improve life expectancy.

Alpha linolenic acid (ALA) is an omega-3 fatty acid naturally found in foods such as walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, soybeans, chia seeds, and canola oils.

Consuming a high amount of ALA is linked to a reduced risk of deaths from all causes including heart and blood vessel diseases, a study has found.

In contrast, foods and drinks high in sugar can cause serious health problems quite apart from obesity or diabetes.

The findings are based on an analysis of 41 studies that were carried out from 1991 to 2021 to see if there is any link between ALA intake and various causes, such as cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD).

The research team found that higher consumption of ALA was linked to:

• 11 percent reduced risk of dying from coronary heart disease,
• 10 percent reduced risk of death from any cause,
• and 8 percent reduced risk of dying from CVD.

The higher the intake of ALA, the lower the rates of CVD mortality.

For example, increasing daily intake of ALA by one gram was linked to a 5 percent reduced risk of death from CVD.

One tablespoon of canola oil or a 15 gram serving of walnut oil contains one gram of ALA and a 28 gram serving of walnuts contain 2.5 grams of ALA.

The study adds more evidence to the possible beneficial health effects of dietary omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids.

The authors added:

“Further studies should examine the association between ALA and a wider range of causes of death to provide a more comprehensive assessment of the potential health effects of ALA as well as to examine whether specific foods rich in ALA are differentially associated with mortality from cancer and other causes.”

The study was published in the British Medical Journal (Naghshi et al., 2021).

People who take too much of this vitamin are more likely to have a heart attack or a stroke.

Both low and high levels of vitamin D can put people’s lives in jeopardy by increasing cardiovascular disease, stroke, and heart attack risk.

Danish researchers found a connection between high vitamin D levels and heart disease, stroke, and myocardial infarction death rate.

Mounting evidence also suggests that low vitamin D status can increase the risk of osteoporosis, inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, depression, and certain cancers.

Professor Peter Schwarz, the study’s senior author, said:

“We have studied the level of vitamin D in 247,574 Danes, and so far, it constitutes the world’s largest basis for this type of study.

We have also analysed their mortality rate over a seven-year period after taking the initial blood sample, and in that time 16,645 patients had died.

Furthermore, we have looked at the connection between their deaths and their levels of vitamin D.”

They found an association between death rates and too low or too high levels of vitamin D in the blood.

Professor Schwarz said:

“If your vitamin D level is below 50 or over 100 nanomol per litre, there is an greater connection to deaths.

We have looked at what caused the death of patients, and when numbers are above 100, it appears that there is an increased risk of dying from a stroke or a coronary.

In other words, levels of vitamin D should not be too low, but neither should they be too high.

Levels should be somewhere in between 50 and 100 nanomol per litre, and our study indicates that 70 is the most preferable level.”

This would mean that excessive intake of vitamin D is harmful to our health and so make us think twice before taking any vitamin or mineral supplements.

Professor Schwarz said:

“These are very important results, because there is such great focus on eating vitamin D.

We should use this information to ask ourselves whether or not we should continue to eat vitamins and nutritional supplements as if they were sweets.

You shouldn’t simply up the dose to feel better.

We should only consume such vitamins in close coordination with our GP.”

The study was published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (Durup et al., 2015).

The number of coffees that is bad for your health and increases heart disease risk by a quarter.

Drinking six cups of coffee a day is the limit as more than that will increase the risk of heart disease by 22 percent.

Many of us start our morning with a cup of black coffee, cappuccino, or latte.

In recent years, though, drinking coffee has attracted lots of attention in relation to its positive or negative health effects, including the present study from the University of South Australia.

Dr Ang Zhou and Professor Elina Hyppönen in their study looked into the level of coffee and its negative impact on health.

They found that high amounts of caffeine is bad for the heart, suggesting a 22 percent increased risk of cardiovascular disease when having six cups of coffee or more each day.

This is a first study that suggests an upper limit on drinking coffee in relation to human heart health.

Professor Hyppönen, the study’s co-author, said:

“Coffee is the most commonly consumed stimulant in the world – it wakes us up, boosts our energy and helps us focus – but people are always asking ‘How much caffeine is too much?’

Most people would agree that if you drink a lot of coffee, you might feel jittery, irritable or perhaps even nauseas – that’s because caffeine helps your body work faster and harder, but it is also likely to suggest that you may have reached your limit for the time being.

We also know that risk of cardiovascular disease increases with high blood pressure, a known consequence of excess caffeine consumption.

In order to maintain a healthy heart and a healthy blood pressure, people must limit their coffees to fewer than six cups a day – based on our data six was the tipping point where caffeine started to negatively affect cardiovascular risk.”

This study looked at data from nearly 350,000 participants, to examine the ability of the CYP1A2 gene to help metabolise caffeine.

This helped them to identify what levels of coffee will cause high blood pressure and so increase the odds of cardiovascular disease.

They also checked if genetic variations could help some people to breakdown caffeine faster than others and if this can help these individuals to consume more coffee.

Professor Hyppönen explained:

“Despite carriers of the fast-processing gene variation being four times quicker at metabolising caffeine, the research does not support the belief that these people could safely consume more caffeine, more frequently, without detrimental health effects.

An estimated three billion cups of coffee are enjoyed every day around the world.

Knowing the limits of what’s good for you and what’s not is imperative.

As with many things, it’s all about moderation; overindulge and your health will pay for it.”

The study was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Zhou et al., 2019).

Consuming two servings a week of these foods increases the odds of heart disease and death.

A large, long-term study has found that unprocessed red meat and any type of processed meat are associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and death.

Twice weekly consumption of processed meat, red meat, or poultry — but not fish — increases the rate of cardiovascular disease by 3 to 7 percent.

What is more, bi-weekly consumption of processed meat or even unprocessed red meat — but not fish or poultry — is linked to a 3 percent increase in the risk of death.

Past studies have also found that a higher intake of red meat can lead to several health issues such as cancer.

A study by Dr Smith and colleagues  suggested that processed meats and red meats are the foods most strongly linked to weight gain.

Researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention previously suggested that processed foods can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

Professor Norrina Allen, the senior author of this study, said:

“It’s a small difference, but it’s worth trying to reduce red meat and processed meat like pepperoni, bologna and deli meats.”

Dr Victor Zhong, study’s first author, said;

“Modifying intake of these animal protein foods may be an important strategy to help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death at a population level.”

The research team analysed data from 6 different studies that included 29,682 adult participants with a 30 year follow-up.

It might be better to cut down on these types of foods in our diet and replace them with other protein sources such as seeds, nuts, dairy products, legumes, fish, and seafood.

Professor Linda Van Horn, study co-author, said:

“Fish, seafood and plant-based sources of protein such as nuts and legumes, including beans and peas, are excellent alternatives to meat and are under-consumed in the U.S.”

The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine (Zhong et al., 2020).

An ingredient in sugar-free and low-calorie foods that could increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Erythritol is a sugar substitute made from wheat or maize and commonly used as an additive in foods and medications.

According to a study, consumption of erythritol over the long-term could increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Over 4,000 European and American adults took part in the study.

The researchers noticed that participants with elevated levels of erythritol in their blood samples were more likely to suffer from heart failure, stroke, or other major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), and death.

To identify why this sweetener has such an effect on human health, the team examined the changes made by erythritol in the blood and isolated platelets.

Platelets are small blood cells that clump together to form clots when a blood vessel is damaged.

They found that erythritol increased platelet reactivity and the formation of blood clots (thrombosis).

Past studies have also suggested that erythritol ingestion would increase blood clotting.

Dr Stanley Hazen, the study’s senior author, said:

“Sweeteners like erythritol, have rapidly increased in popularity in recent years but there needs to be more in-depth research into their long-term effects.

Cardiovascular disease builds over time, and heart disease is the leading cause of death globally.

We need to make sure the foods we eat aren’t hidden contributors.”

In recent years table sugar has been extensively replaced with erythritol or other artificial sweeteners in low-carb, low-calorie, and keto meals.

People with diabetes, obesity, or metabolic syndrome or those who want to lose weight have been advised to eat sugar-free foods which often contain erythritol.

However, these people are at increased risk of adverse cardiac events such as heart failure and stroke.

Erythritol is a natural sweetener largely made from fermenting corn and it is 70 percent as sweet as sugar.

Erythritol when ingested can’t be eliminated easily from the body, alternatively, it will be absorbed into the bloodstream and some passes through urine.

Our body naturally makes a very small amount of erythritol but its long term consumption will only lead to accumulation of this compound in the body.

The other issue is that artificial sweeteners are difficult to measure and minimum labelling requirements are applied to these ingredients.

In addition, The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has listed erythritol in the ‘Generally Recognized As Safe’ (GRAS) group meaning there is no need for specific research to evaluate its long-term safety.

Dr Hazen said:

“Our study shows that when participants consumed an artificially sweetened beverage with an amount of erythritol found in many processed foods, markedly elevated levels in the blood are observed for days—levels well above those observed to enhance clotting risks.

It is important that further safety studies are conducted to examine the long-term effects of artificial sweeteners in general, and erythritol specifically, on risks for heart attack and stroke, particularly in people at higher risk for cardiovascular disease.”

The study was published in the journal Nature Medicine (Witkowski et al., 2023).

A review of dietary supplements on cardiovascular health reveals the nutrients that are beneficial, those with no effect, and those that are damaging.

Vitamins, minerals, omega-3, amino acids, and other nutrients found in food all play their part to support our wellbeing and mental health.

What about dietary supplements containing these nutrients?

According to a review of 884 studies on nutritional supplements, some micronutrients can lower cardiovascular disease risk while others have no effect and some actually do harm to the body.

Diets rich in antioxidants such as the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) and the Mediterranean diet are known to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Also, antioxidant supplements have commonly been considered good for heart health.

The truth is that antioxidants are capable of neutralizing free radicals — these are thought to promote oxidative stress, which in turn causes cell damage, inflammation, and heart disease.

Yet, there is not enough scientific evidence whether antioxidant supplementation can lower the odds of cardiovascular disease.

Dr Simin Liu,  the study’s co-author, said:

“Research on micronutrient supplementation has mainly focused on the health effects of a single or a few vitamins and minerals.

We decided to take a comprehensive and systematic approach to evaluate all the publicly available and accessible studies reporting all micronutrients, including phytochemicals and antioxidant supplements and their effects on cardiovascular risk factors as well as multiple cardiovascular diseases.”

The research team analysed 884 studies on 27 different types of micronutrient supplements among 883,627 people.

The results suggest supplementation with vitamin D, melatonin, alpha-lipoic acid, zinc, folic acid, magnesium, l-citrulline, l-arginine, genistein, flavanol, quercetin, curcumin, catechin, CoQ10, omega -3, and omega- 6 fatty acids reduced cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors.

Furthermore, omega-3 fatty acids supplementation was associated with reduced death from CVD.

Folic acid supplementation (folate) reduced the likelihood of stroke.

Antioxidant coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) supplementation decreased death from any cause.

However not all supplements were heart healthy as selenium, vitamin C, and vitamin E had no effect on CVD and type 2 diabetes.

Beta carotene supplementation increased the likelihood  of death from any cause.

Dr Liu concluded:

“Identifying the optimal mixture of micronutrients is important, as not all are beneficial, and some may even have harmful effects.”

The study was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (An et al., 2022).

Adopting this diet reduces a substance in the body that is connected to heart disease and heart attack risk.

Going on a plant-based diet reduces the risk of coronary heart disease risk, research finds.

This is because the consumption of animal products causes some damage to the gut microbiome.

The gut flora or gut microbiome is a complex system in which micro-organisms, including bacteria, live together and work in harmony.

These microbes are important and help our immune system and our metabolism in order to convert food to energy and absorb nutrients.

When we eat animal products such as red meat, as part of the digestive process gut bacteria produce a substance called trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO).

TMAO has been shown to increase the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and heart attack.

Changing to a vegetarian or vegan diet and maintaining it would diminish the TMAO levels in the body.

A study of 760 healthy women over a 10-year period found that high levels of TMAO in the blood increase the odds of CHD.

Participants who were omnivorous and had elevated TMAO levels were at a 67 percent greater risk of CHD.

For every additional increase in TMAO there was a 23 percent increase risk of developing CHD.

But the research team noticed that by changing the dietary pattern to higher intake of vegetables and cutting down animal foods TMAO levels were considerably reduced.

Dr Lu Qi, the study’s senior author, said:

“Diet is one of the most important modifiable risk factors to control TMAO levels in the body.

No previous prospective cohort study has addressed whether long-term changes in TMAO are associated with CHD, and whether dietary intakes can modify these associations.

Our findings show that decreasing TMAO levels may contribute to reducing the risk of CHD, and suggest that gut-microbiomes may be new areas to explore in heart disease prevention.”

The study was published in Journal of the American College of Cardiology (Heianza et al., 2020).