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Foods for heart health
I am a vegetarian, non-smoker and although I have exercised my whole life, it has not prevented high blood pressure and a thickening of the arteries. (My father suffered the same thing.) I have just started on Atenol and diuretic tablets to lower my blood pressure. Are there any foods or male-specific activities that can halt the narrowing of the arteries or shift arterial deposits?
Atenol is a beta-blocker, which works by reducing the force and the speed of the heartbeat. Unfortunately, they also affect levels of magnesium, which is essential for maintaining muscle tone in the blood vessels. Compensate for this by eating plenty of dark green leafy vegetables. Also try and eat plenty of fibre, preferably from raw vegetables and fruits and include oats into your diet - both can reduce cholesterol levels, which can stop any further arterial build-ups.
You may indeed have a genetic predisposition towards this condition but do not abandon your healthy lifestyle which Ian Marber, a clinical nutritionist, says will have certainly lowered that risk. He points out, though, that even vegetarian diets often contains salt, fats and refined sugars, all of which can have an adverse effect on arterial health. Saturated fats can cause arterial deposits so avoid cheese (even vegan varieties contain some fat) and instead, increase your dietary intake of garlic, onions and lecithin granules which act to emulsify fats and reduce overall blood cholesterol levels. You also need to avoid sugar, caffeine and processed foods.
Oily fish and fresh, raw nuts (except peanuts) are excellent sources of the essential fatty acids that help reduce blood pressure and keep the arteries elastic. Vitamin C is also essential, so eat plenty of kiwi fruit which contain even more of this potent antioxidant than oranges. Marber suggests you supplement your diet with good quality vitamin C in the form of magnesium ascorbate (1000 mg three times a day). Vitamin E “thins” the blood which in turn reduces blood pressure, but since you already have a prescription medicine that is doing the same job, consult your GP before taking extra vitamin E. Good natural sources include avocado, wheatgerm and, again, fresh nuts. Exercise is important but there is no need to punish yourself. Aim for three half-hour sessions of moderate aerobic exercise with an important rest day in between.
*Ian Marber is a clinical nutrition consultant practising in London, and co-author of The Food Doctor, published by Collins and Brown, £14.99. He can be contacted on 020 7581 5060 or via his website, www.thefooddoctor.com.