Check these natural plant ingredients to help human cardiovascular health
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the world's No. 1 killer. It has the characteristics of high morbidity, high disability rate and high mortality. It is the main reason for the increase of mortality in all countries, including China. With the arrival of aging and unreasonable life structure, chronic diseases, led by cardiovascular diseases, have become a public health problem threatening the world. Cardiovascular diseaseIt generally refers to the ischemic or hemorrhagic diseases of the heart, brain and whole-body tissues caused by hyperlipidemia, blood viscosity, atherosclerosis and hypertension. According to reports, the number of deaths caused by cardiovascular problems in the world every year is 17.7 million, accounting for 31% of the total number of deaths. Although cardiovascular diseases at home and abroad have been controlled and prevented to a certain extent in recent years, the number is still rising, and is expected to reach 23.3 million by 2030.
According to China cardiovascular disease report 2017, domesticCVD The mortality rate ranks first among all causes, accounting for more than 40% of residents' disease deaths. According to previous investigationsCurrent calculationThere are 290million CVD patients in China, including 13million stroke patients, 11million coronary heart disease patients, 5million cor pulmonale patients, 4.5 million heart failure patients, 2.5 million rheumatic heart diseases, 2million congenital heart diseases and 270Million hypertension patients. The adult diabetes prevalence rate in China is 10.9%, the treatment rate is 32.2%, and the treatment control rate is 49.2%. Behind the huge figures is a huge medical burden. Since 2004, the average annual growth rate of hospitalization expenses for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases is much higher than the growth rate of GDP. How can each of us survive the high medical expenses?
A large number of studies have confirmed that hypertension, dyslipidemia (mainly increased cholesterol), diabetes, obesity, smoking, lack of physical activity and unhealthy eating habits are the main and modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease, but these causes can be prevented from the beginning and strangled in the cradle through various intervention measures. Among them, reasonable diet and correct lifestyle are the most effective ways of cardiovascular prevention and control. The application of natural functional raw materials and ingredients in daily diet has been gradually recognized by the scientific community and the public.
flavone
Scutellarin:It can reduce cerebrovascular resistance, improve cerebral blood circulation, increase cerebral blood flow and resist platelet aggregation. It is used for the treatment of paralysis after cerebrovascular disease.
Apigenin:It is distributed in warm tropical vegetables and fruits, and the content in celery is the highest. It also has a high content in some medicinal plants, such as plantain seed and vine. Natural antioxidant has the functions of calming, calming, lowering blood pressure, relaxing blood vessels, preventing atherosclerosis, inhibiting tumor, etc.
Flavonol
Quercetin:Studies have confirmed that quercetin can significantly inhibit platelet aggregation induced by ADP, thrombin and platelet activating factor (PAF), and also has the role of adjuvant treatment of hypertension and coronary heart disease. Its derivative, quercetin oxyacetic acid lysine salt, has been clinically proved to be useful in the treatment of atherosclerosis and hemorrhagic diseases.
Myricetin:It has an antagonistic effect on platelet activating factor, and has the effects of antithrombotic, anti myocardial ischemia and improving microcirculation. Natural antioxidants are beneficial to the elimination of free radicals in the body. They can also reduce blood cholesterol and blood sugar. At present, it has been widely used in food, health products, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.
Kaempferol:It has the physiological function of preventing and delaying the oxidative stress reaction, which is the inducement of many diseases, such as atherosclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases, diabetes, cancer, inflammation, etc. it is a natural antioxidant. In addition, it has the functions of relieving cough, relieving asthma and antibacterial, and its application prospect can not be underestimated.
Flavanol & Flavanone
Hesperidin / hesperidin：It belongs to flavanone. A large number of studies have found that hesperidin and hesperidin have good effects on cardiovascular protection, such as anti-oxidation, anti-inflammatory, anti myocardial remodeling, blood lipid regulation, anti atherosclerosis, anti myocardial ischemia, anti thrombosis, lowering blood pressure and anti arrhythmia. They are good heart protectors.
Catechin:It belongs to flavanols and is rich in tea, especially in green tea. It is widely recognized for its antioxidation, anti-aging and prevention of oral diseases. In recent years, catechins have also been found to have broad application value in cardiovascular diseases. Studies have shown that catechins can help reduce cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in the blood, increase the concentration of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and regulate vasoconstriction and relaxation, so as to inhibit the rise of blood pressure and maintain cardiovascular health.
anthocyanin
Delphinidin:It is derived from Delphinium. Studies have shown that delphinidin can significantly inhibit vascular endothelial cell dysfunction, mainly by increasing endothelial activity, inhibiting apoptosis, reducing lipid peroxidation and inflammatory reaction, increasing cell antioxidant function, promoting endothelial cell secretion and inhibiting monocyte and endothelial cell adhesion, so as to significantly inhibit endothelial cell oxidative stress injury.
Cyanidin:It is found in black bean, black rice, purple potato and other plants. Oxidative stress, inflammatory reaction, vascular injury and nerve apoptosis can aggravate the brain injury caused by ischemic stroke, resulting in cerebral ischemia and hypoxic necrosis. Studies have confirmed that cyanidin can reduce free radical damage, inhibit inflammatory response, protect vascular endothelial cells through a variety of ways, so as to achieve brain protection.
isoflavone
Soy isoflavones:Also known as phytoestrogen, it can regulate estrogen secretion, delay female menopause, and delay aging, and has received high attention in the fields of medicine, food and so on. Besides being beneficial to women's health, estrogen has also been proved to be related to heart disease and blood lipids. Soybean isoflavones are natural antioxidants, which can improve the antioxidant activity of low-density lipoprotein in serum, inhibit the formation of atherosclerotic plaque in vascular wall, and thus prevent atherosclerosis. At the same time, it can help to expand the elasticity of blood vessels, increase the compliance of blood vessels, and keep the heart arteries unimpeded.
Genistein:Derived from Sophora japonica and Canary flower, it can induce cell death and inhibit angiogenesis. It is a potential nemesis for the prevention of chronic diseases. A recent study showed that genistein has a certain protective effect on brain injury in mice, or it is related to the antioxidant effect of genistein and the regulation of pi3k/akt pathway.
Lutein:Lutein is one of the natural carotenoids. It is recognized as an eye protection star. It is the main pigment and component of retinal macula. It can alleviate the visual degradation caused by aging and protect the eyes. Because of its strong anti-oxidation, it can resist the damage of free radicals to the body cells and organs, effectively reduce the thickening trend of arterial wall, and prevent cardiovascular sclerosis and coronary heart disease caused by aging.
Astaxanthin:It is a carotenoid found in marine organisms and is called the fourth generation of natural antioxidants. Natural astaxanthin has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and immune enhancing effects. In recent years, astaxanthin has become the focus because of its role in anti-aging and lowering blood lipids. Scientific clinical experiments have proved that astaxanthin can reduce low-density lipoprotein and improve the level of high-density lipoprotein, so as to prevent arteriosclerosis and ischemic brain damage. In addition, some studies have shown that astaxanthin can reduce the ratio of coronary artery wall to lumen, reduce the increase of aortic elastin, and thus reduce blood pressure.
Lycopene:It is known as "plant gold". Studies have confirmed that it has strong antioxidant activity, which is about 100 times that of vitamin E. it is known as "the new favorite of health products in the 21st century". Lycopene not only has obvious effects in anti-aging, anti-cancer and enhancing human immunity, but also helps to prevent and treat high cholesterol and hyperlipidemia in terms of cardiovascular disease prevention. According to some studies, oral administration of natural lycopene can reduce serum cholesterol to below 5.2mmol/l, which is conducive to slowing down the development of cardiovascular diseases.
Omega-3 &omega-6: Omega-3Fatty acids mainly include α - linolenic acid, EPA and DHA. α - linolenic acid is an essential fatty acid for human body, but the human body cannot synthesize it by itself and can only be supplemented by taking it from food; EPA, known as the blood vessel scavenger, can reduce triglycerides by 25%~30% and increase the level of high-density lipoprotein; EPA and DHA also have the effects of anti arrhythmia, improving vascular endothelial function, reducing blood pressure, platelet sensitivity and serum triglyceride. Omega-6 fatty acids are mainly linoleic acid. Linoleic acid is another essential fatty acid for human body, which also needs to be ingested through food. It is a precursor of γ - linolenic acid and arachidonic acid, which helps to reduce cholesterol and prevent thrombosis. Omega-3 and omega-6 play a synergistic role in the body and jointly participate in life activities. Studies have confirmed that when the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 is 1:4, it can best protect cardiovascular health. However, a recent study published on NEJM indicated that supplement of omega-3 could not prevent cardiovascular events in diabetic patients, and a large number of scientific experiments were needed to further explore and verify the right and wrong.
Resveratrol:It exists in grapes, Polygonum cuspidatum, peanuts, etc. it has a wide range of biological and pharmacological activities at the cellular level. It mainly antagonizes atherosclerosis through mechanisms such as anti-inflammatory activity, antioxidant activity, inhibition of platelet aggregation, inhibition of foam cell formation, inhibition of neovascularization in plaque, regulation of vasoconstriction and relaxation, and inhibition of oxidative modification of low-density lipoprotein. However, the effectiveness of human treatment has not yet been established, which needs further research by researchers.
Curcumin:Extracted from Zingiberaceae plants, it has become a "victorious general" because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, lipid-lowering, anti atherosclerosis and cardiovascular health benefits. Studies have shown that curcumin can promote the metabolism of low density lipoprotein in liver and adrenal gland, improve the excretion of this substance by gallbladder, and inhibit the absorption of this substance by spleen, so as to reduce lipid and prevent the occurrence of atherosclerosis.
Coenzyme Q10:Coenzyme Q10 is a fat soluble quinone compound, which is one of the essential elements of human life activities. A large number of studies have confirmed that coenzyme Q10 can effectively improve heart failure symptoms, improve cardiac function and reduce mortality. It can also help reduce blood pressure and prevent arteriosclerosis. Coenzyme Q10 has been used as a dietary supplement and additive in Europe and the United States 20 years ago. It started relatively late in China and has only attracted attention in the clinical and food fields in recent years.
Allicin:As the name suggests, allicin comes from garlic. It is an organic sulfur compound. It is widely loved by the public because of its bacteriostasis, sterilization and prevention of gastric cancer. In addition to these biological activities, allicin can also reduce plasma cholesterol, inhibit platelet activity, reduce blood viscosity and blood pressure. Studies have shown that allicin can promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, reduce peripheral vascular tension, and inhibit the levels of cholesterol and fibrinogen. Therefore, allicin can be used to prevent coronary heart disease, coronary artery spasm, and inhibit the occurrence of atherosclerosis and thrombosis.