How to protect your heart at any time of the year

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people with heart problems are at increased risk of becoming seriously ill with covid-19.
So are people over 65 who have depressed immune systems, people with severe obesity, diabetes, heart disease and lung disease.
But there is one risk factor more dangerous than any other.
According to the CDC report, 90% of people hospitalized with the new coronavirus had a serious underlying illness, but the most common illness in death cases has been high blood pressure or hypertension.

MAIN UNDERLYING ILLNESSES IN PATIENTS DEAD FROM COVID-19

As of April 14, 2020 SOURCE: state health department

“It’s very clear that there is cardiovascular involvement in covid-19 disease,” said Nir Uriel, a physician at New York-Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan.
So far, hypertension is the disease that most increases the risk of death for people infected with covid-19, a disease that causes mild discomfort for some, but lands others in the intensive care unit.
Scientists do not yet know why cardiovascular disease puts people infected with covid-19 at any age at increased risk of death.
This is a very serious problem when we consider that 46% of adults in the United States have hypertension, according to guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association.
Because of this, the CDC recently issued a warning to people at high risk of developing complications from covid-19 to be even more cautious, even if they have controlled blood pressure, even if they have no other underlying disease.
However, the question on everyone’s mind is: what additional precautions should I take to protect myself and my loved ones?
While we fully agree with the recommendations we’ve all heard: clean your hands frequently, wear a mask, stay home, practice social distancing, there are other things that can be done to reduce the risk of getting sick.
In the end, it all comes down to strengthening the immune system and the heart.
Here’s what science has to say:

1. Replenish your immune system and your heart with its best ally: vitamin D-3. A growing number of studies show that low levels of vitamin D increase the risk of heart attack, stroke and other diseases associated with cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure (hypertension) and diabetes.
In a new study, Dr. Malinski and colleagues at Ohio University identified a mechanism by which vitamin D-3 helps the cardiovascular system.
The findings suggest that vitamin D-3 acts as a potent precursor of nitric oxide, a molecule produced by the human body that relaxes and dilates blood vessels.
The researchers found that vitamin D-3 also decreased oxidative stress in the cardiovascular system.
Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance in our cells due to an increase in free radicals and/or a decrease in antioxidants. This new discovery has helped scientists understand why previous studies showed a link between oxidative stress and hypertension induced by low levels of vitamin D-3.
If vitamin D-3 reduces oxidation in blood vessels and increases nitric oxide production, it is not surprising that now, finally, scientists are suggesting that vitamin D3 can reverse the damage caused by hypertension, diabetes, atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases.
“There are not many, if any, known systems that can be used to repair endothelial cells that have been damaged, and vitamin D-3 can do it,” Dr. Malinski said.
But that’s not all.
Research also suggests that this nutrient can help the body defend itself-and recover more quickly-from colds, influenza and even cancer and lung disease.

2. Take B vitamins to protect your heart (and boost your defenses against viruses and bacteria). Human studies show that vitamin B6 can reduce the risk of heart attack and other heart problems.
The study looked at the effect of B vitamins in the body and found that this nutrient benefits both men and women by reducing homocysteine levels.
Studies show that vitamin B-6 also helps the body produce more red blood cells, which carry oxygen, the building block of life, to all parts of the body, and strengthens the immune system.
In fact, vitamin B12 works with folic acid (vitamin B9) and vitamin C to help the body form red blood cells and white blood cells.
White blood cells are part of the immune system and help the body fight disease.
If you have too few white blood cells, you are more likely to get sick.
B vitamins can be obtained from organic foods: whole milk, eggs, green leafy vegetables such as spinach; seafood such as oysters, clams and mussels; beef liver and other organs.
However, studies have found that many people do not consume enough foods rich in B vitamins and therefore it is recommended that it be taken through a nutritional supplement.

3. Reduce high blood pressure with L-arginine and L-citrulline complex. The discovery of the benefits of L-arginine for improving circulation and cardiovascular function was made in a research paper that won the Nobel Prize for Medicine and Physiology in 1998.
Scientists Robert Furchgott, Louis Ignarro and Ferid Murad asked themselves what was the most important factor in the treatment and prevention of many heart diseases.
The study revealed that the amino acid L-Arginine is a natural and safe substance that increases the production of nitric oxide in the body.
Nitric oxide widens blood vessels, thus increasing blood flow throughout the body.
The problem is that L-arginine from supplements does not get into the cells quickly unless it is combined with another amino acid called L-citrulline.
Melons and cucumbers are rich sources of L-citrulline, but do not provide high enough levels to significantly increase nitric oxide levels, so supplementation is recommended. According to a recent study published in the scientific journal Nutrients, an oral supplement of L-arginine/L-citrulline complex can lower systolic pressure by 7.54 mmHg and diastolic pressure by 3.77 mmHg.
Last year in a study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, 24 soccer players took an L-arginine/L-citrulline supplement for six days.
On day seven, they took the nutritional supplement 1 hour before performing an intense 10-minute run on a stationary bike.
The study revealed an increase in the performance capacity of the athletes who took the supplement, compared to the players who took a placebo.
Another recent study published in Frontiers in Immunology suggests that L-arginine supplementation may stimulate the immune system and improve the prognosis of immune system diseases, such as allergy, asthma and atherosclerosis.