Holistic Nutrition for Cardiovascular Diseases

Cardiovascular diseases are a group of disorders related to the heart and the vascular system (or the blood vessels). Though some cardiovascular diseases like congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathy, heart valve diseases, rheumatic disease, etc., are not caused due to diet and lifestyle, a majority of the cardiovascular diseases like coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, peripheral artery disease, hypertension, heart attack and stroke are directly related to hardening and narrowing of arteries called atherosclerosis, which in turn is affected by diet and lifestyle. Healthy arteries are elastic, strong and flexible that helps them to withstand the pressure exerted on the walls of the arteries by the blood. Hardening of the arteries is caused by the increased pressure exerted by the blood on the walls of the blood vessels. Narrowing of the arteries is caused by the build-up of fatty deposits on the inner walls of the arteries resulting in plaque formation, which can sometimes break off and cause clots that block the blood vessels. Hardening and narrowing of the arteries results in restricted flow and sometimes block the flow of blood to heart and brain. Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death all around the world. More people die from cardiovascular diseases than all the different types of cancers put together. Read more >>