Friday, December 2, 2011

For Your Heart: 6 Healthy Drinks


On this day, I read about a healthy drink for our heart. I read it from Kompas.com. As we know that genetic factors can affect a person's risk for heart disease. But the good news, the disease is largely preventable. You may have heard the sage advice that said, to keep the heart healthy, it must be eating and regular exercise begizi.

But not just lifestyle changes that can be done to reduce the risk of heart disease. What you drink can also make a difference. Here are some suggested types of beverages that can help maintain heart health:

1. Coffee

This may sound strange at a glance. But did you know that coffee has higher antioxidant activity than cocoa or tea? Eating the right amounts of coffee may inhibit inflammation and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
A long-term studies and large-scale, which involved more than 83,000 women showed that drinking two cups of coffee a day can cut stroke risk 20 percent lower than those who drank less coffee or none at all.

Suggestions: Drink between 2 to 4 cups of coffee per day including moderate category. But if you suffer from insomnia, anxiety and fatigue, just drink one glass.

2. Pomegranate juice

In recent years the reputation of the surge of pomegranate juice and captivate nutrition researchers. Why not, the experts from the University of California found that the antioxidant capacity of pomegranate juice three times higher than red wine and green tea. In fact, early studies showed that regular consumption of pomegranate juice may lower cholesterol, reduce arterial plaque (a risk factor for heart disease), and increases blood flow to the heart.

Suggestion: If possible, avoid the additional sweetener when making pomegranate juice.

3. Red wine (red wine)

Red wine contains many compounds that can protect heart health, including resveratrol. Resveratrol has antioxidant properties that may protect the blood vessels in the heart and helps prevent the formation of blood clots. Some evidence also showed that consumption of red wine in moderate amounts can raise HDL (good cholesterol).

Tip: For women, it is recommended no more than 1.5 cups per day. As for the men, no more than 2 cups.

4. Black tea

Black tea is produced through the fermentation process after the leaves are harvested and dried. This process changed the chemical composition of leaves, resulting in a powerful antioxidant that helps support cardiovascular health. Black tea has been shown to reduce the risk of stroke, reduce LDL (bad cholesterol), improve blood vessel function and increase blood flow in coronary arteries.

Tip: The longer you dip the tea, the greater the benefit derived phytochemicals. Therefore, serve tea with hot water will be much better while maintaining the antioxidant content is maintained. Drinking several cups of black tea each day may help reduce the risk of heart disease.

5. Green tea

Such as black tea, green tea contains many antioxidants that are good for the heart. The main difference is that green tea is not fermented. A 2004 study showed that drinking green tea in large quantities to prevent the risk of coronary artery disease. There are many studies linking consumption of green tea to lower cholesterol, prevent blood clots and stroke.

Suggestions: Drink 1-3 cups of green tea a day.

6. Water

Dehydration can contribute to multiple risk factors for coronary heart disease, including gore. When you're dehydrated, blood becomes more viscous. This condition makes the heart you expend more energy to pump blood throughout the body. In fact, chronic dehydration can cause hypertension (high blood pressure).

Suggestion: Most experts recommend at least a day a person should drink 8-10 glasses of water (for adults). But the number of recommendations that must be taken not to apply to every person and every condition. To be sure, do not allow your body to become dehydrated. You can also add juice or lemon juice into warm water to add flavor as well as decay and obtain the benefits of antioxidants.