How hard is it to give up a little of the bad things each week?

One in five people will be admitted to a hospital for a second heart attack within five years of their first one. Albert Einstein is credited with saying, “Insanity is doing the same things repeatedly and expecting new results.”

Why would a person who does not change habits (lifestyle) not expect to have a second heart attack? Doctors put us on pills to treat symptoms, but not the causes of a problem.

Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of heart attacks. Plaque build-up inside the arteries causes coronary artery disease. Plaque is calcium and oxidized cholesterol. Calcium is deposited in the heart valves and arteries when levels of vitamin K2 are deficient.

Every cell in our body needs cholesterol. Our bodies make cholesterol. Oxidized cholesterol is not the same thing. Cholesterol oxidizes by fried foods (chicken and French fries, for example), excess polyunsaturated fatty acids (vegetable oils – omega-6 fatty acids), and cigarette smoking.

Doctors usually do not recommend vitamin K2 to treat arterial plaque because it is not a drug. Changes in lifestyle, such as not eating fried foods, reducing omega-3 fatty acids, and stopping cigarette smoking, can be recommended by your doctor.

However, are these changes incorporated into our new lifestyle after a heart attack? Maybe for a short while, but long-term change is hard to achieve. Other than pills to control heart issues, what other options are available that do not involve lifestyle changes?

Green Tea and Coffee

https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20210204/green-tea-coffee-may-help-you-avoid-a-2nd-heart-attack Researchers in Japan discovered that heart attack survivors live longer when they drink lots of green tea. Moderate coffee drinking showed similar results.

The study results showed a 50% decrease in risk of subsequent heart attacks but did not show any success with stroke patients. Scientists cautioned the participants that drinking several green tea glasses does not cancel out double cheeseburgers with French fries and a giant Coca-Cola. Lifestyle changes, even incremental, are critical for better health. Green tea offers a level of protection on top of the health changes.

Artificial Sweetener Option

https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/artificial-sweeteners-no-help-possible-harm#:~:text=New%20research%20suggests%20they%20do,of%20more%20than%20400%2C000%20people. Eliminating sugary drinks helps a lot. However, switching to diet or artificial sweeteners is not the answer to better health. Many people use artificial sweeteners or diet drinks to lose weight. Studies show that this rarely happens. However, increased use of fake sugars can cause high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.

More on the Study

https://www.heart.org/en/news/2021/02/04/green-tea-coffee-linked-to-lower-death-risk-after-stroke-heart-attack. Forty-five thousand Japanese adults, including nearly 500 stroke survivors and a little over 1,200 Japanese heart attack survivors, were followed for 20 years. Drinking several cups of green tea a day reduced the risk of a second heart attack compared to non-tea drinkers. Three or four cups of coffee provided similar benefits.

One exciting speculation was that people who have time for a half-dozen or more cups of tea daily probably have less stress in their lives. Individual lifestyles of all participants were not tracked. Exercise, better dietary choices, stress management, and more contribute to healthier outcomes.

Conclusion

Green tea contains many polyphenols that have anti-inflammatory cardio-metabolic advantages. We know that obesity and cigarette smoking harm our health. Yet very few people can conquer those health issues. Will drinking more green tea help? Yes, I believe it will. But, giving up the bad habits help more.

Live Longer & Enjoy Life – Red O’Laughlin – RedOLaughlin.com

 

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