Know the health benefits of various seeds, which are sometimes referred to as ‘super seeds’, and how to include them in your diet for weight loss, better heart health and blood sugar control.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

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A plant based diet contains very few or no animal products. It can offer you several health benefits including weight loss and better heart health.

A plant-based diet consists of foods only from plant-based sources. Unlike a vegan diet, a plant-based diet can include a small amount of animal products. This diet involves consuming mostly or only foods from plant-based sources. Plan based diet offers several health benefits as well. Most plant-based diets are loaded with fruits and vegetables. These are good sources of essential nutrients. From vitamins to fibre, plant-based diet can offer you all the necessary nutrients. Studies have also highlighted that a plant-based diet can offer benefits for your heart.

Benefits of plant-based diet for heart

According to studies, reducing animal product intake and following a primarily plant-based diet can decrease the risk of heart disease. The study further adds that plant-based food minimises the negative effects of a gut-microbiome associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease.

The body’s gut microbiota is comprised of a series of microbes that play an important role in our metabolism, nutrient absorption, energy levels and immune response. A gut-microbiota related metabolite known as trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) is produced when gut bacteria digest nutrients commonly found in animal products such as red meat. It has been connected to increased heart attack and coronary heart disease (CHD) risk.

According to the researchers, maintaining a vegan or vegetarian diet has been found to reduce the amount of TMAO produced in the body.

Other health benefits of plant-based diet

Following a plant-based diet can offer several other health benefits. Some of the notable health benefits may include-

1. It can help in weight loss

A plant-based diet can also help in weight loss. Most plant-based sources are high in fibre which can keep you full for longer and make you consume fewer calories. If considered for weight loss, a plant-based diet can also provide you the right nutrition as well.

2. May prevent diabetes

According to a study conducted in 2016, consumption of a plant-based diet especially rich in high-quality plant-based foods can lower the risk of type-2 diabetes.

3. Can help control blood pressure and poor cholesterol levels

Most foods in a plant-based diet are healthy for you. These can help in controlling your blood pressure as well as cholesterol levels. These factors contribute to better hearth health.

Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.

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High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a common condition. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in three American adults have high blood pressure, and more than half don’t have it under control.

There are two types of hypertension — primary and secondary — and they each have different causes. Here’s what you need to know about the biggest risk factors.

What causes high blood pressure
High blood pressure, or hypertension, occurs when the force of the blood against your artery walls is too high, and can potentially lead to heart disease, heart attack, or stroke.

Primary hypertension tends to develop as you age and there is no one identifiable cause, says Sanjiv Patel, MD, a cardiologist with MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center.

Secondary hypertension, on the other hand, is caused by other factors, such as adrenal gland tumors or kidney problems, like renal artery stenosis — a condition that narrows arteries resulting in less blood flow to the kidneys.

Because secondary hypertension is the result of an underlying cause, it can be treated by addressing that cause, Patel says, while primary hypertension has no cure — but can be controlled with lifestyle changes or medication.

Lifestyle factors often cause primary hypertension, Patel says. Some of the biggest risk factors include:

• Smoking cigarettes. Smoking can cause your blood pressure to temporarily increase and damage your arteries, increasing your risk of heart disease. 
• Lack of exercise. Regular physical activity strengthens your heart, helping it pump blood more effectively. Less physical activity can contribute to a higher heart rate, putting more strain on your arteries and increasing blood pressure. 
• Obesity. Excess weight puts a strain on your circulatory system, and research shows it can contribute to hypertension. 
• Diet — particularly consuming too much sodium. Salt causes your body to retain fluid, which can increase blood pressure. The American Heart Association recommends consuming no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. 
• Stress. Stress can cause your blood pressure to temporarily spike, and can also contribute to other behaviors that increase blood pressure, like poor diet and tobacco use.

How to know if you have high blood pressure 

Hypertension can cause headaches, blurred vision and shortness of breath, but you may not experience many symptoms until the condition is very severe, Patel says. 

However, certain people have a higher risk of hypertension. For example, older people — especially over the age of 60 — are more likely to have high blood pressure because blood vessels gradually lose flexibility as we age.

Here are some other physical and hereditary risk factors: 

• Family history. If you have a close family member who has high blood pressure before the age of 60, you are two times more likely to develop it. This doesn’t necessarily mean you will have high blood pressure, but it does increase your chances, particularly if combined with other risk factors like lack of physical activity and a poor diet, Patel says.  
• Gender. Men younger than 65 years old have consistently higher levels of hypertension when compared with women of the same age group, according to several studies. Research has also shown that even in their twenties, 27% of men had high blood pressure, while only 12% of women did.

Regular blood pressure checks at your doctor’s office or at home with a home blood pressure monitor can be crucial to identifying hypertension. If you think you’re at risk of hypertension based on these factors, you should contact your doctor to discuss treatment options.

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A review published in Nature Medicine reveals an alarming failure to successfully treat cardiometabolic disorders, such as diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, in women.

The authors urge health services to consider the biological differences between men and women when treating heart disease.

The review, by Prof. Eva Gerdts, of the University of Bergen, in Norway, and Prof. Vera Regitz-Zagrosek, of the Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, in Germany, compares the common risk factors for both sexes.

The authors summarize the results of over 18 major studies that have explored the causal factors of heart disease in each sex.

The overwhelming finding was that women are more at risk of receiving the wrong treatment because health service professionals fail to spot symptoms or risk factors that are unique to women.

Obesity at the heart of it

Recent research has substantiated fears that the global rise in cardiometabolic disorders is linked to obesity. Meanwhile, fresh evidence suggests that obesity and associated damage to the heart occur differently in men and women.

Global figures show that obesity in women is on the rise, and as Prof. Gerdts’ review explains, women store fat differently from men. The mechanisms behind this process combine to create an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

“If we see this from a life span perspective, we can see that obesity increases with age and that this trend is greater for women than men. Obesity increases the risk of having high blood pressure by a factor of three. This, in turn, increases the risk of heart disease,” explains Prof. Gerdts.

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The estrogen advantage

The hormone estrogen works to impede metabolic syndrome by preventing connective tissue from forming in the heart. This also helps keep blood pressure stable.

But the decrease in estrogen that occurs during menopause can increase the risk of arterial stiffening and subsequent disease.

This helps explain an increase in hypertension among women over 60. In men, meanwhile, hypertension is more common before the age of 60.

Lifestyle risks increase with age

Socioeconomic status and lifestyle factors also play a role in cardiovascular risk discrepancies.

The researchers highlight the fact that, around the world, women are more likely to experience low levels of education, low income, and joblessness, and that studies have associated each of these factors with diabetes and depression — two major contributing factors for heart disease.

Meanwhile, the adverse effects of unhealthful habits, such as smoking — which is on the rise in women — multiply as we age. This can lead to high blood pressure, which can cause heart failure if a person does not receive treatment.

“For women, the effects of risk factors such as smoking, obesity, and high blood pressure increase after menopause,” says Prof. Gerdts.

What can we do?

Prof. Gerdts hopes to incite action among the medical community; she calls for healthcare providers to place more emphasis on sex differences when treating cardiometabolic disorders.

The present study highlights an imbalance in available research, in an effort to pave the way for further work.

The outlook is promising if we consider that cardiac arrest — which is more common in men — is now treatable and preventable. If the same resources and research were applied to the factors that put women at risk of heart failure, perhaps similarly effective interventions could be developed in the near future.

In the meantime, it is important for healthcare providers to help women in high-risk groups lower their blood pressure, reduce the risk or effects of obesity, and put quitting smoking at the top of their list of 2020 goals, if necessary.

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The high-fat, low-carb keto diet has been around for 100 years as a therapeutic treatment for epileptic seizures, but it’s recently gained favor with celebrities and heath enthusiasts alike as a foolproof way to lose weight. The idea with keto is to shift the body into a state of fat-burning ketosis, by banishing nearly all carbs (no sweet apples or bread allowed), and fueling up on 70 to 80% fat every day.

It’s been tried by Hollywood stars including the Kardashians and Halle Berry, while Silicon Valley tech workers swear by its ability to lift their mental fog. Doctors are also starting to believe the plan holds promise for staving off diabetes. There’s even evidence to suggest that maybe it could one day help some drugs better combat cancer.

Health experts are still cautious about recommending the plan across the board, however, not only because it’s difficult to follow, but more importantly, because there isn’t much long-term data about what it may do to heart health after years or decades of use. Cardiologists and kidney doctors are already expressing serious concerns about what they’re seeing in practice when certain patients go high-fat.

Going low-carb can be bad for your heart

Cardiologist Elizabeth Klodas says not all of her patients have done well on the trendy plan.

“Stop. Stop!” she told Insider. “In my own practice, the people that have adopted it, their cholesterols can just go crazy.”

She’s not the only heart doctor to have pointed this out.

Cardiologist Ethan Weiss, who himself has become an ardent follower of a high-fat keto diet plan, says that while high cholesterol isn’t a common issue with keto, it can happen.

“I think the vast majority of people who go on this diet will have no trouble with their cholesterol,” Weiss told Business Insider last year. “But I’m not going to tell the people that do have trouble with their cholesterol that it’s not a problem.”

He sometimes suggests a high-fat keto plan to his patients working to manage diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic issues. But he’s cautious about how and when he prescribes it, recommending what he calls a “heart healthy” keto, with lots of fatty fish, olive oil, nuts, and avocado in the mix.

Klodas said those are all healthful additions to any diet that she would endorse to her patients, too.

“It’s not about high fat, low fat, it’s good fat, bad fat,” she said. “The oils in nuts and seeds, oils in fish, avocados, you don’t have to worry about those, those appear to be anti-inflammatory, they help cholesterol.”

But evidence suggests people tend to fuel up on bacon, cream, and coconut oil when going keto instead of favoring unsaturated, healthy fats.

Perhaps this is why studies show that people who follow low-carb diets tend to have a higher risk of death, and in particular, tend to die from coronary heart disease far more often than people who eat more carbohydrates. (Not everyone who goes low-carb will restrict their carb intake enough to enter fat-burning ketosis, however.)

Whether your diet is low-carb or high-carb, make sure you’re eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, and nuts

Klodas also doesn’t buy into the idea that going low-carb, while shunning the fruits, vegetables, beans, and grains that we know are linked to positive health outcomes, is a good idea.

“If you look at populations that eat a keto-type diet, the Inuit, for example, very few fruits and vegetables, right? Their average lifespan is 10 years shorter,” Klodas said. “None of these Blue Zones where people live long, well … none of them follow a keto diet.”

Klodas said the secret to better health lies in cooking more for yourself and incorporating more produce, like fruits, vegetables, and beans into what you eat. These can be high-carb, but also promote overall health.

Instead of overhauling people’s diets completely (often a failing strategy), Klodas has asked many of her patients to shift their eating routines through small, incremental changes. She started a line of packaged “Step One Foods” six years ago, which all include lots of fiber, alpha-linoleic acid, and plant sterols to help lower cholesterol.

The idea is that patients might make two simple “swaps” to their diet a day, switching out an afternoon candy bar or a breakfast pastry with something from her line like a serving of oatmeal or a smoothie.

At an American Heart Association scientific session in 2018, Klodas presented academic research conducted (in conjunction with the Mayo Clinic and University of Manitoba) on 54 patients, which suggested that her swaps really work. They helped people reduce their total cholesterol by about 5% in a monthlong trial, without any additional drugs.

She sees her program as one small way to start people down a path to choosing more healthful foods, lowering their overall cholesterol without the potential for some of the mind-altering side effects that statins can have.

“What I see are deficiencies of fiber, antioxidants, healthy fats,” she said. “That’s the thing that’s really missing in people’s lives.”

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Oftentimes, a high systolic blood pressure (the top number) can indicate poor heart health, but does the same hold true when your blood pressure spikes due to exercise?

To answer this question, researchers at Stanford looked at stress test results taken both at rest and at peak exercise of 7,500 men collected over the course of 20 years and compared them to their mortality rates.

The study, which was published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, found that high systolic blood pressure during exercise may not necessarily indicate that a person is at risk for heart disease—as long as workload, or intensity, is taken into account.

Current guidelines from the American Heart Association define an exaggerated systolic blood pressure (SBP) response to exercise as a peak SBP of 210 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) in males and 190 mmHg in females. These high blood pressure (BP) levels are often interpreted to show increased risk of heart disease.

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However, in this study, researchers found that higher the peak systolic blood pressure during treadmill testing, better the health prognosis of the individual. Meaning, that people reaching a higher SBP value lived longer than those with low SBP at peak exercise.

Why? Physiologically, systolic blood pressure rises with rising workload (like during a treadmill or bicycle stress test), Kristofer Hedman, Ph.D., physician at Linkoping University in Sweden told Runner’s World. People who are fitter—which is related to higher survival rates—are usually able to reach higher workloads, spiking their BP higher.

Especially in well-trained athletes, achieving high workloads also means a high blood pressure reading at peak exercise, well above current thresholds. In well-trained athletes, performing close to 20 METs (running at 13 mph, or a 4.6-minute mile), it is not uncommon to see SBP values around 250 mmHg, but for an unfit individual, that would be a high SBP reading, as they might reach only 6 to 7 METs (a slow jog), explained Hedman.

Unless the reading is extremely high—a value over 260–270 mmHg would probably never be considered “normal”—it is likely not indicative of anything else than a high fitness level, as long as the test is normal in all other aspects, Hedman said. These would include the heart rate response, the electrocardiogram (ECG), and/or symptoms such as chest pain, excessive dyspnea (labored breathing), and nausea.

“So, if you have a great fitness, you will achieve a high workload, thus probably a higher systolic BP, and have a better prognosis,” said Hedman.

On the flip side, though, higher SBP alone doesn’t mean better fitness. Rather, in healthy people, rising SBP will follow rising METs.

This shows that it’s important for physicians to take workload into account, rather than just looking at the blood pressure reading when interpreting results of things like stress tests. Higher systolic blood pressure in a person at a high workload—say, sprinting—is not as troubling as a high SP in a person reaching a low workload, like at an easy jog.

“An important contribution of our work is that we show that accounting for workload is probably more appropriate and should be considered in all cases,” Hedman said. “This is largely neglected today.

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Obesity rates have been rising in the United States for several decades, a trend that has public health officials concerned given the serious health risks associated with the condition. 

About 93.3 million people in the United States are obese – nearly 40% of the adult population – according to a 2018 study.

Obesity is considered a major risk factor for various conditions, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and cancer. Almost 365,000 deaths each year can be attributed to obesity, according to Harvard Health. 

To calculate it, you can simply input your height and weight into an online BMI calculator like this one. A BMI between 25 and 29.9 is considered overweight. A BMI of 30 and over is considered obese. Anything beneath 18.5 is viewed as underweight. 

Waist circumference is another way to determine your risk for obesity and its related health issues. For women, a waist size larger than 35 inches is of concern. For men, it’s a waist larger than 40 inches. 

Even losing few pounds can improve cardiovascular health, according to the American Heart Association. Not only can the body circulate blood in a more efficient manner, but it can also manage fluid levels better.

Additionally, losing weight can help people who are obese better manage high blood pressure as well as high cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Obesity also increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. 

Still, BMI only can tell us so much about our health. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, it “may overestimate body fat in athletes and others who have a muscular build” or it “may underestimate body fat in older persons and others who have lost muscle.”

Dr. Robert H. Shmerling, of Harvard Health, cautions that BMI is not a measure of patient’s total health. There are people with a high BMI who are healthy and people with a normal BMI who are not, he says. Still, Shmerling finds it a useful tool because a high BMI is linked to increased risk for various health conditions.  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also does not consider BMI a diagnostic tool for disease risk. It recommends making time for regular health evaluations from a trained healthcare provider.

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Followed by many celebrities and fitness enthusiasts to lose weight, the keto diet might seem a bit unreasonable for good heart health. After all, what you eat is a low-carb, moderate-protein, and high-fat diet.

The keto diet is all about getting in the state of ketosis, a metabolic process that is achieved when your body uses up fat for energy. Typically, your body uses up carbs for energy.

Although many criticize the keto diet, including fitness coach Jillian Michaels, it has produced some good results for a registered dietician Susan Ryskamp from the University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center.

Earlier this year, Ryskamp said, “It [keto diet] can be very effective in treating and supporting weight loss,” noting that ketosis “kind of mimics a fasting state in the body.”

A 2017 study has found that losing even a small amount of weight through the keto diet can reduce obesity and high blood pressure, which are the potential cardiovascular risk factors. The study found that the keto diet reduced LDL (bad) cholesterol and increased HDL (good cholesterol), protecting heart health.

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High blood pressure or hypertension is a serious health condition which should not be ignored. If ignored high blood pressure can put you at a higher risk of heart diseases and can majorly affect your heart hearth health. A healthy diet and lifestyle are the best way to maintain blood pressure levels. Some foods can work well for the heart which can naturally reduce blood pressure and help you control hypertension. Cardamom is one spice which is can help you control high blood pressure. Cardamom is loaded with flavours and a strong aroma. It is commonly used in teas and other foods to add a special flavour. It is a common ingredient of almost every Indian household. Incorporating a small amount of cardamom in your diet can help you maintain healthy blood pressure levels.

Hypertension: Benefits of cardamom for high blood pressure

The antioxidant and diuretic properties of cardamom help hypertension patients maintain healthy blood pressure levels.

Chief Dietician Ms. Pavithra N Raj explained the relation between cardamom and blood pressure, “Cardamom is known as the “Queen of Spices”, the most important benefit of cardamom is that it has antioxidant properties which promote heart health. Cardamom also contains fiber, the nutrient that can help lower cholesterol levels and enhance heart health. Because of these properties, the spice also can lower blood pressure levels and this benefits the heart health as well.”

Ms. Pavithra further added-

There are two main types of cardamom-

Green: which is generally used for sweets or desserts

Black: which is used for the preparation of gram masala

Cardamom due to its antioxidant and diuretic properties it increases the urine volume and excreted higher levels of sodium and potassium ions. This, in turn, helps to relax blood vessel walls, which decreases blood pressure.

Hypertension: How much cardamom should be consumed?

According to a study conducted in 2009, consumption of around 3 grams of cardamom divided into two doses for almost 12 weeks continuously can help in reducing blood pressure. It can improve heart health and reduce the risk of heart diseases by controlling one of the major risk factors which is high blood pressure.

You can add cardamom to your teas or milk. It can also be used as a seasoning on desserts and other foods. Cardamom is also used as a mouth freshener; therefore you can also chew it. If you are suffering from high blood pressure form long, you must not ignore it and get yourself tested. Adding cardamom alone cannot work wonders for your blood pressure. Incorporate a healthy diet and some exercises to your schedule.

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