subject: All-natural Approaches To Prevent Coronary Heart Ailments [print this page] A study group has potentially identified new ways to reduce heart conditions, by using a chemical that's in green vegetables thatfunctions by increasing a normal defense mechanism our bodies use to guard arteries from disease.
Our arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen and nutrients throughout the entire body. When they're in top working order, arteries are flexible and strong.
Over time too much pressure can lead to artery walls to thicken and stiffen. This can reduce the flow of blood to organs and tissues - a process acknowledged as atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis can lead to angina, stroke and heart attack.
What this new work suggests is that arteries don't get clogged with plaque in the same way - bends and branches are more susceptible to plaque deposits.
And even though nature has given us a protein (called Nrf2) that's supposed to protect against this build up of plaque, the team found that this compound isn't active in the areas in arteries that are susceptible to disease.
Straight sections seem to have adequate amounts of Nrf2 that help to avoid inflammation, an early stage in the advancement of atherosclerosis.
What's genuinely positive about this specific research is that therapy with a commonly occurring chemical identified in green veggies (or brassicas) seems to switch on the Nrf2 in the ailment-susceptible areas.
While the study participants used were genetically engineered mice, the discovery that the arteries were susceptible in different locations, and this susceptibility could be tackled was critical.
Much more research is essential on human subjects suffering with atherosclerosis to see if ingesting this organic compound helps their health problem.
Sulforaphane is a pure compound in broccoli and other cruciferous greens. Once it's inside the body sulforaphane seems to be able to turn on Nrf2, which improves the cells' ability to keep themselves from becoming inflamed.
So, even though this investigation points to all-natural ways to stop heart illness, it is yet an additional instance of analysis proving what Mom knew all along - eat up your green, leafy veggies, they're very good for you!
