t is important that from a young age we can grow with the awareness of having healthy habits, and that we always take care of our hearts. The heart has been found to contain an independent and well-developed nervous system with more than 40,000 neurons and a complex and dense network of neurotransmitters, proteins, and supporting cells. Therefore the heart emits information to the brain and is the only organ in the body with this property, it can inhibit or activate certain parts of the brain depending on the circumstances. Therefore we must take care of it and avoid damaging the circulatory network that carries blood to all our organs driven by the heart.
Let's talk about vascular calcification, which consists of the deposit of calcium phosphate salts on the wall of the arteries, as if they were rocks, which prevents the arteries from dilating or contracting normally to regulate blood pressure. Over time, this leads to heart and vascular disease.
The circulatory system is a complex network of capillaries, blood vessels, and arteries. These tubes carry oxygenated blood through the body, helping to power all of its functions. When oxygen is depleted, you exhale carbon dioxide into your lungs, you inhale, and more oxygen-rich blood reaches your lungs, and the cycle begins again. As long as the blood vessels are clean and clear, the blood can flow freely. As calcifications form, this vascular network is obstructed.
Knowing these two factors we must take preventive measures and with awareness of a healthy lifestyle to take care of our heart.
Have cholesterol levels in normal ranges: the body produces cholesterol, this is necessary to form healthy cells, but having high cholesterol levels can increase the risk of suffering from heart disease. Having high cholesterol makes it possible for fatty deposits to form in your blood vessels, and over time these deposits grow, making it more difficult for blood to flow through your arteries. Those deposits, too, can suddenly break apart and form clots that cause a heart attack or stroke.
Control your blood pressure: This defines the amount of blood that the heart pumps and the resistance to this flow by the arteries. Tension measures how hard the heart pushes blood into the arteries and other organs. The more blood your heart pumps and the narrower the arteries, the higher the pressure.
Eat a healthy diet: Avoid saturated fats, we have them in butter, cheese, whole milk, ice cream, coconut oil, chicken skin, red meat. Increase the consumption of vegetables, low-glycemic fruits, fibers, grains, whole grains.
Do aerobic exercises: Increases energy levels and relieves stress, strengthens the heart muscle, reduces blood pressure and cholesterol levels, helps burn calories, etc. Choose an activity that allows you to work your heart and lungs, walk, swim, ride a bike, climb stairs, dance, jog, etc.
Lose weight: The safest thing is that if you start making the previous recommendations, you will lose weight. Losing between 5% or 10% of weight will help you improve your cholesterol levels and therefore will also help you avoid the formation of plaque or calcifications.
Don't smoke: Smoking increases the risk of peripheral vascular disease and abdominal aortic aneurysm. It speeds up the heart rate, constricts the main arteries, and can cause disturbances in the rhythm of the heartbeat, causing the heart to work harder. It also increases blood pressure, which in turn increases the risk of strokes.
Control stress levels: Stress increased blood pressure, can increase cholesterol and triglycerides, changes the heart palpitations by taking it out of its rhythm. Having health is true wealth, since with health we can achieve all our dreams, our goals, and it is not difficult to achieve it, as long as we are aware.