From omega oil to cholesterol tablets, we test three ways to look after your heart
CARDIOVASCULAR disease is the UK’s leading cause of mortality among women.
It kills one in 14 a year – around 2.5million – making it ten times deadlier than breast cancer.
But there are things you can do to look after your heart.
Exercise, a Mediterranean diet, checking cholesterol and blood pressure monitoring can all help.
Today, Jane Atkinson looks at how best to care for your ticker. . .
OMEGA 3 OIL
ABOUT 98 per cent of adults don’t have enough omega 3 in their bodies.
These essential fats are an energy source, keep your heart healthy and also help with lung health and immunity.
A lack of omega 3 is linked to depression and an increase in belly fat.
The body can’t make these fats so you need two to three portions of fish a week, or a supplement.
Osavi have just launched a range of high-quality, marine fish oil supplements from Norway.
I tried a teaspoon a day of the lemon-mint flavour, which you have to knock back.
It doesn’t have enough of a flavour to mask the oil and the texture is tricky as it sticks around your mouth but, at the end of the day, it is only a small spoon of oil you’re taking.
If you don’t like pills, this is a great option. £17.20 on Amazon.
See osavi.com.
CUT CHOLESTEROL
HEALTHSPAN’s Plant Sterols are clinically proven supplements to help reduce cholesterol.
Figures from the British Heart Foundation have revealed that more younger people are being diagnosed with high cholesterol.
Levels of non-HDL, or “bad cholesterol”, in the blood are closely linked to risk of coronary heart disease.
These sterols can lower cholesterol by up to 12 per cent without any side effects.
Each tablet supplies 800mg of sterols so I knocked back three to get the 2,400mg recommended per day.
Because sterols work in a different way to statin drugs, the two can be used together to lower cholesterol levels even further.
Healthspan Plant Sterols – 90 capsules, £15.95, healthspan.co.uk.
MONITOR RATE
IF YOU want to check your heart rate in real time or keep a record of it, you need a heart rate monitor.
Polar has straps that go around the chest but with the dinky new Polar OH1+ you can pop it on your arm with an armband.
It’s waterproof and can clip to your goggles when swimming to get your heart rate through your temple.
You can use it as a standalone device or pair it with various fitness apps, sports watches and smart watches, thanks to Bluetooth and ANT+ connectivity.
It has 6-LED optical heart rate solution and its built-in memory can store up to 200 hours of data.
I loved this.
Accurate data and it lost connection with my watch for just one second on a 45-minute run. £51.50, polar.com/uk-en.