The heart is a relatively small organ about the size of a clenched fist. The heart beats and pumps blood through the body, supplying vital oxygen to the tissues and keeping you alive. In an adult the heart beats around 85,000 times each day and even more than that in children.
The heart is one part of the cardiovascular system and is located between the lungs directly under the breastbone. It is the strongest muscle in the body and is divided into four chambers. The two top chambers are called atria and the two lower chambers are called ventricles. The right atrium connects to the right ventricle and the left atrium connects to the left ventricle. Blood flows through the heart in a pattern that supplies the entire body with oxygenated blood.

Blood goes from the superior and inferior vena cava into the right atrium and then into the right ventricle. The right ventricle then pumps the blood through the pulmonary arteries into the lungs where it is enriched with oxygen and carbon dioxide (waste gases) is expelled.

The oxygenated blood then flows through the pulmonary veins into the left atrium, which pumps it into the left ventricle. The left ventricle, which is the strongest and largest chamber in the heart, pumps the oxygenated blood through the aorta to the rest of the body.

The heart pumps with a great deal of force into the arteries. The arteries are elastic enabling them to expand, in order to withstand the pressure. After expansion they contract - this action helps maintain blood pressure and flow. By the time the blood reaches the veins the blood pressure has dropped. The veins are non-elastic and have small valves that keep the blood flowing back to the heart.

Cardiovascular disease is the largest killer of people in developed countries yet one of the most preventable. There is no doubt that lifestyle and diet play a significant role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Fat is an important part of your diet. However, your dietary fat intake should be low in animal and saturated fats, with no more than 20-25% of your total energy intake coming from fat. The type of fats that should be included in the diet are mono unsaturated fats These fats or fatty acids are found in canola oil, and olive oil. Your diet should consist of at least three pieces of fruit daily, whole grains, leafy green and yellow vegetables, lentils, steamed fish and lean meat. Avoid fried foods and never reuse cooking oil.

Soya beans are an excellent source of fibre and protein. Research has confirmed that people eating from a diet high in soya protein and not animal protein had much lower blood cholesterol levels and less cardiovascular disease. Even people with normal cholesterol saw significant decreases in blood cholesterol levels on high soya diets. These decreases were in the bad LDL cholesterol while the good HDL cholesterol rose. This article concludes that vegetable protein should replace up 50 per cent of total protein intake.

Fish oils have also been proven beneficial and may help reduce the incidence of certain types of cardiovascular disease. Fish oil contains omega-3 essential fatty acids that help reduce the viscosity of the blood and reduce the tendency for the blood to form clots within the coronary arteries.

Dietary antioxidants have also been found to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease. These antioxidant nutrients include beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, zinc and selenium. These nutrients, in particular vitamin E, are the most beneficial. Clinical studies carried out by Harvard Medical School and reported in the New England Journal of Medicine showed a significant decrease in cardiovascular disease amongst people who supplement with antioxidants, especially vitamin E. It appears that normal dietary vitamin E is not enough; supplementation with 100 iu or more of vitamin E daily may be the only way to achieve these benefits. The clinical studies to date indicate that a minimum of 100iu of vitamin E daily is required to achieve the maximum benefit.

One of the cardiovascular protective mechanisms of antioxidants is that they help prevent cholesterol from oxidising in the blood. Oxidised cholesterol is thought to one of the main causes of atherosclerosis (hardening and narrowing of the arteries). There is no doubt that high cholesterol is a contributing factor in heart disease, however, dietary antioxidants may be just as important.

Another report that evaluates three different, large epidemiological studies (Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Disease at Sub optimal Plasma Concentrations of Essential Antioxidants: An Epidemiological Update With Special Attention to Carotene and Vitamin C, Gey, K. et al, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1993;57 (Suppl.):787S-97S.) it was found that low blood levels of antioxidants were associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, with vitamin E being the most beneficial.

Research has found that an amino acid, homocysteine, builds to high levels in the blood after the ingestion of protein in some people. This elevated level of homocysteine increases the risk of heart disease by a massive 14 times that of people with normal levels. One study found that 25 per cent of those in the trial had elevated homocysteine levels. The good news is that supplementing with folic acid may be the answer. Folic acid, vitamin B12 and B6 are all important in controlling the blood levels of this chemical. Supplementation with these nutrients can reduce the levels of homocysteine in the blood, and may reduce the incidence of cardiovascular disease. One such supplement that contains folic acid, the vitamins B6 and B12 in addition to the antioxidants nutrients mentioned above, is Bio ACE Excell. If your diet is inadequate then this supplement may be of benefit.