Health pillars

Protect your heart

The heart is rhythmically and continuously pumping throughout life, without us being aware of the enormous performance and adaptability of this powerful organ.

Das Herz schützenTo keep this "motor" running for as long as possible, we need to protect our heart long-term.

Optimize the heart rate: Blood flow to the heart muscle occurs during the relaxation phase (diastole) via the coronary arteries, which are then dilated. A low heart rate can improve blood flow to the heart muscle; for example, blood flow doubles at 60 beats per minute compared to 100 beats per minute. In this way, the heart rate can be lowered without medication:

  • Cardiovascular training: This increases the contraction power and ejection output of the heart muscle, which means that fewer heartbeats are required. Three training sessions per week of 30 to 40 minutes each in the aerobic level are favorable.

  • Mental training: Meditation, progressive muscle relaxation, yoga and regular breaks help you to switch off from professional and personal stress. Focusing on the essentials and avoiding multitasking are active heart protectors.

Normalize blood pressure: With arterial hypertension, the heart muscle must work harder. Lowering blood pressure to below 140/90 mmHg is active heart protection (see article "Actively reducing high blood pressure").

Supply important nutrients: Because the active substances for the "heart motor" are not sufficiently present in today's processed foods, a heart-healthy diet is required:

  • Omega-3 fatty acids: Essential fatty acids are found in fish, wild animals and walnuts (in salads and desserts). Linoleic acids lower the "bad" LDL cholesterol and raise the "good" HDL cholesterol. They also have anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant effects.

  • Essential amino acids (methionine, cysteine) and vitamin B6: These are found in bananas, brown rice, and sunflower seeds. The heart muscle needs these substances to synthesize the heart-protecting amino acid taurine.

  • Chlorophyll and lycopene: Spinach and broccoli are recommended because the magnesium from the pigment chlorophyll protects the cell walls. The pigment lycopene in tomatoes prevents arteriosclerosis by preventing the deposition of LDL cholesterol.