- The gist of this article
Every year, 17.5 million people die prematurely from cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart disease and stroke. It is the world’s number one killer today and by 2030 this figure is expected to rise to 23 million. Could food supplements help to reduce these numbers …???
Living longer, better, more heart-healthy lives
The World Heart Federation assures us that when we make “just a few small changes” to our life, we can “live longer, better, more heart-healthy lives. It’s about saying to yourself, the people you care about and individuals all around the world, ‘what can I do right now to look after MY HEART ... and YOUR HEART?’” Well, one of the easiest things you can start with is take food supplements that take care of your cardiovascular health.
Start supplementing your diet
In light of this, it’s rather curious that in its Healthy Hearts propaganda, the Heart Federation fails to pay any attention to that “small & easy change” that everyone can make in his or her daily dietary habits. Start supplementing your diet with extra vitamins, minerals and other bioactive nutrients. This is by far the easiest and most effective “small change” that you can accomplish and when you make the right choices, the results can be impressive. Vitamin C and magnesium top the bill when it comes to heart health. OPCs, especially Masquelier’s OPCs, top the bill when it comes to vascular and circulatory health. My book OPCs, Dr. Jack Masquelier’s Mark on Health tells you all about the cardiovascular benefits of Masquelier’s OPCs.
Changes proposed by the Healthy Heart Federation
But if you’re interested in the “small changes” that take a bit more effort, then take a look at the changes proposed by the Healthy Heart Federation.
Cut down on sugary beverages and fruit juices – choose water or unsweetened juices instead. Swap sweet, sugary treats for fresh fruit as a healthy alternative. Try to eat 5 portions (about a handful each) of fruit and veg a day – they can be fresh, frozen, tinned or dried. Keep the amount of alcohol you drink within recommended guidelines. Try to limit processed and prepackaged foods that are often high in salt, sugar and fat. Make your own healthy school or work lunches at home. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity 5 times a week, or at least 75 minutes spread throughout the week of vigorous-intensity activity. Playing, walking, housework, dancing – they all count ! Be more active every day – take the stairs, walk or cycle instead of driving. Exercise with friends and family – you’ll be more motivated and it’s more fun ! Download an exercise app or use a pedometer to keep track of your progress.
And above all, stop smoking. For most smokers, that’s not a “small change,” but it’s the single best thing you can do to improve your heart health. According to the Heart Federation, within 2 years of quitting, the risk of coronary heart disease is substantially reduced. But it will take 15 years before your risk of CVD returns to that of a non-smoker.
Do you always have time …?
With regard to these small lifestyle-changes we are supposed to make, apart from drinking water instead of fruit juice, we are advised to change many of our daily routines. But, unless you’re already a fitness addict, do you have time for half an hour “moderate intensity” physical exercise 5 times per week if you’re a working mother who has to take care of 2 children and a husband ? Do you always have time to prepare wholesome meals and avoid what the Heart Federation calls “processed foods” ? And, if so, why would you avoid prepackaged foods when many of these foods are already low in sugar, fats and salt ?
250 million deaths
You see, if the “few small changes” proposed by the Heart Health people would do the trick, if it were that simple, how is it then that the Federation expects 23 million deaths in the year 2030 ?! An increase of more than 30% in deaths per year compared to the year 2018. Adding up all the yearly deaths, from 2018 until 2030, this means that approximately 250.000.000 ‒ 250 million !!! ‒ people will die from cardiovascular disease. That’s half the population of the European Union. It’s 75% of the population of the United States. The expected rise in the number of CVD-deaths tells us that in day-to-day reality it’s not so easy to make the “few small changes” in our lifestyle.
Cardiovascular health and Masquelier
So, why not begin with supplementing your daily diet and then try to make the “small changes” proposed by Heart Federation !?! That may very well accomplish more than chosing water instead of fruit juice. For one thing, it may replace the vitamin C that you will be missing when not drinking fruit juice. When it comes to circulatory health, consider what Jack Masquelier accomplished in this field. All his life he devoted to uncovering the cardiovascular benefits of OPCs. The research continued after Masquelier retired and brought us proof that Masquelier’s OPCs score high in what scientists of the University of Maastricht called the Cardiovascular Health Index.
Masquelier’s OPCs meet highest professional requirements
The World Heart Federation seeks to help people live longer, better, more heart-healthy lives. It believes in a world where heart health for everyone is no longer a privilege but a “fundamental human right and a crucial element of global health justice.” Well, when health justice must be done, the Federation should no longer exclude dietary supplements for healthy hearts from its agenda and propaganda. Including food supplementation is a much better way to transform cardiovascular disease from a life threatening disease to one that can be prevented and managed. This is what drove the nutritional pioneer Jack Masquelier in his lifetime research of OPCs and his development of methods to produce them in a quality that meets the highest professional requirements needed in the successful and consistent prevention of cardiovascular disease and the management of cardiovascular health.
