According to the American Heart Association, several kinds of meditation can reduce cardiovascular risk. Meditation has long been recommended to clear the mind and lower stress levels. The American Heart Association (AHA) does not claim that meditation and heart health are inextricably linked. However, the current study indicates that the amount of evidence is increasing. The American Heart Association’s first statement on meditation, published last month in the Journal of the American Heart Association, claims that the practice may reduce cardiovascular risk. The American Heart Association isn’t ready to suggest meditation as a way to lower your risk of heart disease, arguing that it shouldn’t be used in place of tried-and-true measures like regular exercise. Through the centuries, humans have practiced meditation in various forms. However, it has gained popularity as a secular practice in recent decades. According to the National Health Interview Survey, around 8% of Americans practice meditation. According to the American Heart Association, 17% of heart disease patients expressed interest in participating in a clinical meditation trial. The AHA assessment had to omit various kinds of meditation, such as yoga and tai chi, from its findings. These activities’ physical exercise is already proven beneficial to heart health. Researchers included several kinds of sitting meditation in their reviews, such as Samatha, Vipassana, mindful meditation, Zen meditation, and others. These types of meditation may be linked to lower stress and anxiety levels, lower blood pressure, and a lower risk of heart attack; however, the evidence isn’t conclusive yet.
There is no danger in meditation
The American Heart Association posits that there are little to no hazards connected with meditation. However, meditation should not be used in established therapy for persons who wish to improve cardiovascular health. The AHA is sticking to its previous guidelines on strategies to improve cardiovascular health until further research on the link between meditation and cardiovascular risk becomes available. While prescription treatments for high cholesterol, blood pressure, and other risk factors are available, various lifestyle changes can help improve heart health. Regular physical exercise, as well as blood pressure and cholesterol monitoring, are among them.
Carbohydrates Could Be Worse For Your Heart Health Than Fat
Carbohydrates, according to researchers, have a more significant ‘adverse influence’ on cardiovascular risk factors. They also provide some surprise fruit and vegetable recommendations. Carbohydrates, rather than fat, appear to have a more significant deleterious influence on heart health. These conclusions were drawn by researchers from Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE). The research looked at the diets of 125,000 people from 18 different nations. According to the researchers, carbs, not fat, have the most significant negative influence on cardiovascular risk factors.
Foods should you consume
According to researchers, an optimum diet would contain 50 to 55 percent carbs and 35 percent fat, which should be borne in mind, along with the sort of fat consumed. Monounsaturated fats are good for you, such as those found in olive oil, almonds, and avocados. Meanwhile, according to studies, saturated fat, commonly present in red meat, has no influence on cardiovascular health. According to the authors, carbohydrates, such as rice, beans, and bread, are widespread in many low-income countries. Carbohydrates, like lipids, come in a variety of forms and qualities, depending on what’s available. Whole grains are healthier than white bread and pasta, which are heavily processed. The quality of food must be considered in low-income settings. People with diabetes should be especially mindful of this since lipids have a minor impact on insulin and blood sugar levels, but refined carbs can significantly affect them. Aside from fat and carbohydrate guidelines, other PURE study researchers discovered, perhaps more shockingly, that when it comes to fruits and vegetables, you might have too much of a good thing. According to the study, three to four servings per day is the maximum amount consumed. Moderate consumption is linked to health advantages, such as decreased cardiovascular and total mortality risk. Increased portions, however, appear to bring them to a halt. Still, obtaining enough fruits and vegetables should be the priority for many Americans rather than overeating.