Heart attack: Three drinks to significantly lower your risk and improve heart function

In the UK there are more than 100,000 hospital admissions each year due to heart attacks making the cardiovascular disease one of the biggest killers. You can significantly reduce your risk of the potentially life-threatening disease by simply sipping away on any of these three drinks.

Coffee

In a study published in Circulation, long-term coffee consumption and its impact on cardiovascular diseases was investigated.

The study searched for prospective trials on the relationship between coffee consumption and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk.

Thirty-six studies were included with 1 279 804 participants and 36 352 CVD cases.

The study found a non-linear association between coffee consumption and CVD risk.

It concluded that moderate coffee consumption was inversely significantly associated with CVD risk, with the lowest CVD risk at three to five cups per day, and heavy coffee consumption not being associated with elevated CVD risk.

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These findings point to the conclusion that a light to moderate coffee intake can lower your risk of heart disease and strokes.

When compared to those that did not drink coffee regularly, daily consumers had healthier sized and better functioning hearts.

Dr Judit Simon, of the Heart and Vascular Centre at Semmelweis University in Budapest who presented research regarding coffee consumption and lowered heart attack risk wrote in a report: “Results from studies suggest that regular coffee consumption is safe, as even high daily intake was not associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes and all-cause mortality after a follow-up of 10 to 15 years.”

Tomato juice

Tomato juice is rich in vitamins and minerals that help fight heart disease.

The red drink is also packed with vitamins C and E, iron, magnesium and potassium, which the body needs to keep blood flowing and to remove extra sodium.

Tomatoes are also high in lycopene, an antioxidant which helps strengthen the arteries, reduces cholesterol and reduces heart disease risk.

Health experts advise that if buying packaged tomato juice, it’s important to look for low-sodium and low-sugar options.

Green tea

Green tea is a favourite among the elite health conscious particularly for those concerned about their heart health.

In a study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), compared habitual tea drinkers (three or more times a week) and never or non-habitual tea drinkers (less than three times a week) and over a seven-year period.

It was found that regular green tea consumption was linked with approximately 25 percent lower risks for incident heart disease and stroke, fatal heart disease and stroke, and all-cause death.

Senior author Dr Dongfeng Gu, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, commented on the finding and said: “The protective effects of tea were most pronounced among the consistent habitual tea drinking group.

“Mechanism studies have suggested that the main bioactive compounds in tea, namely polyphenols, are not stored in the body long-term.

“Thus, frequent tea intake over an extended period may be necessary for the cardioprotective effect.”
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