More than 85 million Americans are living with some form of heart disease, and heart attacks kill more than 600,000 Americans annually. It’s smart to pay attention to good heart health. However, some commonly-held information is just plain wrong or misleading, such as these typical heart health myths.
Chocolate Will Clog Your Arteries
High blood pressure contributes to around 50 percent of cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks. So, it’s important to pay attention to your blood pressure numbers. Contrary to popular belief, some types of chocolate, especially dark chocolate, causes a person’s blood pressure to drop. As with any food, it’s best to consume chocolate in moderation, since excess weight IS a contributing factor in heart disease.
All Alcohol is Bad for Your Heart
Not all alcohol is bad for your heart, if consumed in moderation. Studies have found that one glass of red wine a day for woman and two glasses a day for men actually reduces the risk of many cardiovascular events. However, despite these benefits, it’s wise to avoid alcoholic beverages if you are taking medications, such as blood pressure pills.
Cutting Out Table Salt Will Solve Your Sodium Problem
It’s no myth that too much sodium in a person’s diet can contribute to heart disease. However, salt table is just one of many places that sodium can enter a person’s diet. Processed foods, such as bacon, lunch meat, canned soup, and frozen dinners are loaded with sodium to help preserve and enhance the flavor. Even seemingly innocuous products like most ketchup and salad dressings have an astonishing amount of sodium in them. Best to read the labels carefully before filling your cart at the grocery store, or rather, make your own healthy foods and condiments at home.
Coffee Will Raise Your Blood Pressure
Coffee seems to affect people differently, according to several recent studies. While some people, especially occasional coffee drinkers, may see a slight rise in their blood pressure after imbibing a cup or two, regular coffee drinkers will generally experience a reduction in their blood pressure after a cup of coffee. Therefore, don’t avoid coffee without first seeing you it will affect you.
Vitamins and Minerals Will Lower Your Risk of Heart Disease
It’s tempting to buy into the theory that there are “magic pills” to help reduce your risk of heart disease, such as vitamins and supplements. However, there is no evidence to support this hypothesis. While vitamins, such as vitamin A and vitamin C, have been found to promote heart health, the benefits are best achieved when these nutrients come from food, not pills. Instead of stocking your medicine chest with pills, go shopping for citrus fruits, berries and melons to get your vitamin C, and for almonds, avocados, broccoli, spinach and dried apricots to get ample vitamin E.
Maintaining good heart health is important for a long and enjoyable life. Take the time to make sure the information you are relying on is fact instead of fiction.
For more information on common heart myths and maintaining a healthy cardiovascular system, visit our website at: www.cvgcares.com.
