What The Heart Wants

Give your heart some love and care with our “heartiest” supplements this September!

4 Amazing Facts About the Heart!

#1 The heart has its own electrical impulse that helps pump blood through to the entire body and the heart can continue to beat even when it is detached from the body - as long as it has enough oxygen supply13.

#2 There are 96,561km of blood vessels in your body. If we lined up all the arteries, veins and capillaries in a person, their combined length is long enough to encircle the world TWICE14!

#4 The ‘lub-dub’ sound of the heartbeat is caused by the rhythmic closing of the heart valves as blood is pumped in and out of the chambers16 .

#3 The female heart weighs approximately 2 ounces less than the male heart. To make up for its smaller size, the average woman’s heart beats faster at 78 beats per minute versus an average man’s heart that works at 70 beats per minute15 !

It takes a whole lot of self-discipline and determination to reduce on the number of sugary beverages – especially if you’re someone with a sweet tooth and crave your daily bubble tea fix. By now, most of us are aware of the consequences that come with excessive dietary sugar, not to mention how they tend to sit pretty around our waist. Consider going for low sugar or no sugar added beverages, and your figure and overall health will be grateful to say the least.

Soft drinks and other sugar-laden drinks

It is hard to resist a fresh, soft and chewy white bread or a bowl of hot white rice to go with your favourite dishes, but little do we know these carbs are highly processed/refined, containing little to no fibre, yet load of starch which will be converted to sugar. In comparison, less processed/refined foods have more dietary fibre which can improve blood cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes11 .

Overall, limit your consumption of these foods to no more than 7 servings per week12.

Refined grains and carbohydrates

Many of us love our bacon, sausages, ham and other deli meats. However, these contain high levels of salt and preservatives which could impact blood pressure. Wherever possible, limit your intake to no more than 2 servings of processed meat per week10.

Processed meats

We’re not advocating cutting these foods out entirely from your diet, but we recommend consuming these foods in moderation or to save as treats for special occasions.

Now we know what foods are great for our hearts, let’s look at those that are less heart friendly

Having a diet rich in soy foods which provide protein and isoflavones is linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease including stroke and coronary heart disease. Studies have shown that soy foods can significantly reduce blood cholesterols level, LDL (bad) cholesterol and increase in HDL (good) cholesterol levels9 .

Avocado lovers, dark chocolate aficionados and green tea drinkers will be HEARTENED to learn that these foods are great for your overall heart health too. This also applies to Garlic, Red Yeast Rice and Japanese natto.

Soy products

Walnuts: Loaded with Omega-3, healthy fats and fibre, walnuts can help reduce cholesterol and protect against arteries inflammation6.

Chia Seeds and Flax Seeds: Both these seeds are great sources of fibre and omega-3 fatty acids.

Almonds: Almonds are high in fibre and monounsaturated fats that have been linked to reductions in cholesterol7 and belly fat8.

Leafy green vegetables such as spinach, broccoli and cabbage are a great source of Vitamin K which protects your arteries and promote proper blood clotting1. They are also high in dietary nitrates which can help reduce blood pressure and improve arterial function2. Studies have shown that increasing leafy green and cruciferous vegetable intake is associated with a lower risk of heart problems3.

Omega-3 are essential fatty acids that we need daily as our body cannot produce them. They can be found in fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines that consists of EPA and DHA which are lauded for their heart-health benefits. Therefore, it is recommended to consume at least 3-4 servings of palm-size fatty fish weekly to obtain enough omega-3 fatty acids4.

These can help to alleviate heart-related conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol level and cardiovascular disease. Additionally, they reduce triglycerides (a type of fat in your blood) and curb inflammation5 .

Whole grains such as brown rice, oats, rye, barley, buckwheat and quinoa are high in fibre that can help reduce the ‘bad’ cholesterol. Accumulation of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol can lead to build-up of plaque deposit in arteries, causing them to harden and become constricted, increasing the likelihood of heart attacks, stroke and even death.

Let’s take a closer look at the foods that your heart LOVES

Leafy Green & Cruciferous Vegetables

Healthy Fatty Food

Whole Grains

Here are some heart-friendly nuts and seeds that are packed with nutrients that are oh-so-good for your heart!

Nuts and Seeds

The food that we choose to feed ourselves will impact us. When we consume heart-friendly foods, they offer an immense boost to our heart health. The reverse applies as well when we consistently consume foods that clog up our arteries, making it harder to circulate blood throughout our body at a healthy rate.

In conjunction with World Heart Day that is happening on 29 September 2024, we are here to walk you through the key factors when it comes to “heartful WINS”!