Beans - A Nutritional Gem

As we continue with the topic of cardiovascular health, we will touch on the importance of diet. Supplementation with essential fatty acids, as discussed previously, is an important part of the equation, but there are many food choices that you can make to keep your heart healthy.

One important food choice is to add beans to your diet. The "good for your heart" benefits of beans is well documented. Below we will touch on a few reasons why and how adding beans to your diet is a good choice for cardiovascular health.

Promote Cardiovascular Health By Including Beans In Your Diet

While dietary trends and fads have fluctuated across cultures over the course of time, one staple ingredient has remained constant for thousands of years – Beans. The plain exterior of the average bean can be misleading; the host of nutrients and benefits that they bestow upon your body make them far from plain! We can provide one of our vital organs, the heart, with a significant portion of the nutrients it requires for optimum health by simply incorporating beans into our meals at least 3-4 times per week.

Beans are renowned for their contribution towards maintaining a healthy heart, the reasons behind this are numerous and varied. Their ability to aid in the elimination of cholesterol, namely Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) due to their high soluble fiber content has been extensively researched and is well documented. In addition, the B vitamins found in beans help reduce homocysteine levels in the blood stream by changing the precursor protein into usable amino acids. An article by UC Berkeley stated that, “If the conversion (homocysteine to amino acids) does not take place rapidly enough, due to a genetic defect or vitamin deficiency, elevated levels of homocysteine may, the theory goes, damage arterial walls and promote the buildup of cholesterol, thus potentially leading to arterial blockage and a heart attack.” Beans also benefit the heart by providing it with a rich source of Magnesium. Magnesium acts as a calcium channel blocker, which improves blood flow as well as the distribution of oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. - The World’s Healthiest Foods

In addition, beans not only aid in the reduction of blood pressure, they are low in sodium, and also help prevent blood sugar levels from rising too quickly due to the fact that they have a low glycemic index. Results from a study completed by Tulane University over the course of 19 years involving 9,600 American adults indicated that those who consumed beans a minimum of 4 times a week reduced their risk of coronary heart disease by 22%, as opposed to those who ate beans only one time per week. - Vegetarian Nutrition and Health Letter

Over the course of my profession, one observation has repeatedly reinforced itself. That is, the obvious correlation between overall health and the presence of beans within particular ethnic diets within the U.S. Ethnicities that include beans or bean products as a staple in their diet have an overall reduced incident of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than those populations that do not consume beans on a regular basis. A minor dietary adjustment such as this could go a long way in facilitating the achievement of our nation’s goals against heart disease. “Eat to live,” rather than “live to eat.”

In addition to adjusting and monitoring your dietary habits, Växa’s TriCardia+, Omegacin+, Cholesten-LDL, and Vitamin B12 can further potentiate cardiovascular health.

Nurture Your Body With Fats

Fat has a terrible reputation. It is synonymous with potbellies, cellulite and love handles. Fat is blamed for heart disease, cancer and in fact, many other degenerative diseases. Americans are becoming more obese. You are constantly advised by your health care providers to eat less fat, which as you know has spawned an entire industry of low-fat and fat-free foods.

I am here to inform you that not all fats are bad. While it is true that too much of the wrong kinds of fat, especially saturated fats and trans fatty acids, can have serious health consequences, the body does require certain good fats for optimal health. Let's examine the three major categories of fatty acids we get from foods we eat - saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.

Saturated fatty acids are found in meat, dairy and tropical oils. It is best to limit your intake of saturated fat. Too much saturated fat causes platelets in the blood to become sticky, impairing circulation and increasing the risk of heart attack. Saturated fatty acids may also be deposited inside artery walls contributing to obesity, heart disease and other degenerative conditions. Monounsaturated fatty acids, abundant in olive, canola, almond and peanut oil, help keep your arteries supple and elastic. They are fine in moderation. Polyunsaturated fatty acids are the most important fats for health because their chemical structure makes them the most biochemically active fats of all. Read on… you will learn more about supplementing for your long-term health.

Supplementing With Essential Fatty Acids - Important For Health Today and Tomorrow

EFAs are needed every second by most tissue activities in the body including regulating pressure in the blood vessels, dilating or constricting blood vessels and preventing blood cells from clumping together (blood clots that can be a cause of heart attack and stroke). Although EFAs are "essential" to the body, they are not made by the body and must be supplied through diet or supplementation. The daily amount required by the body should be 10-20% of the total caloric intake. There are two types of EFAs: omega-3 and omega-6. Omega-3 contains alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and is found in cold-water fish, fish oil and certain unsaturated vegetable oils. Omega-6 contains linoleic acid and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and is found in raw nuts, seeds, legumes and unsaturated vegetable oils. The most important and needed EFA is linoleic acid. It is also important to know that EFAs need to be consumed in liquid oils (not heated, processed, or cooked) or taken as a nutritional supplement.

EFAs improve the skin and hair, reduce blood pressure, aid in the prevention of arthritis, lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels as well as reduce the risk of blood clot formations. It is estimated that 1 million Americans are disabled by peripheral vascular disease (diseases involving the blood vessels in the extremities) each year, according to the Prescription for Nutritional Healing. As the person gets older, he or she also increases the likelihood of developing atherosclerosis of the coronary or cerebral arteries, which can lead to heart attacks or strokes. It is also important to consume, through diet or supplementation, antioxidants, which scavenge free radicals that can accumulate in the body from the environment; foods we eat as well as smoking and/or second hand smoke, and cause arterial damage.

Växa's Omegacin+ offers 29 bioavailable Omega 3-6-9 Fatty Acids and essential lipids, plus phytosterols (helps with growth and regeneration of cells) and antioxidants. Also in Omegacin+ is Co-Enzyme Q10 (CoQ10), which strengthens and protects the heart against cardiovascular disorders, heart disease, and stroke. Yes, supplementing with EFAs is important for the prevention of stroke and heart disease, but it is also important food for the brain and important for healthy skin and hair, in fact EFAs are especially crucial during pregnancy and lactation, and during infancy (critical for the development of the nervous system, brain and retina, as well as fetal growth).

Pay attention to your health today and order Växa's Omegacin+ and Växa's antioxidant supplement, Anti-Oxin+. In our bodies we have nearly 76,000 miles of arteries, veins and capillaries bringing life to every organ, muscle, finger, and fiber of our existence.