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Home remedies for matters of the heart

- Premila Veramoothe­a is a holistic practition­er based in Gauteng. For enquiries, e-mail her at pramiev@gmail.com

CHEST pain does not necessaril­y mean a heart issue. Of the thousands of people who visit the emergency rooms, 80% of the diagnoses are unrelated to the heart.

There are many other causes of chest pain. However, whenever you feel pain in the chest, you must visit your doctor immediatel­y to rule out the possibilit­y of a heart attack or any other problems related to the heart.

Heart disease can include issues such as coronary artery disease, congenital heart disease, irregular heart beat (arrhythmia) and heart-valve problems.

The causes and symptoms vary depending on the type of heart disease. Common symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pain, slow or racing heartbeats, light-headedness, fatigue and fainting.

When dealing with heart diseases, it is important to consult your doctor for a proper diagnosis and treatment. You can use some of these home remedies to change to a healthy lifestyle and to improve your health and heart.

Here are a few home remedies that can help you manage and maintain a healthy lifestyle. TURMERIC

It helps prevent atheroscle­rosis ( hardening and narrowing of the arteries).

The active ingredient, called curcumin, found in turmeric, helps to maintain a healthy heart by reducing cholestero­l oxidation, plaque build-up on the arterial walls that causes narrowing of the arteries, and clot formation. Use turmeric regularly when preparing your meals. Boil one teaspoon of turmeric powder in a cup of warm milk. This remedy can be taken once or twice a day. CAYENNE PEPPER

Cayenne pepper contains a compound called capsaicin, which is used to treat heart and circulator­y problems.

It reduces the risk of irregular heartbeats and circulator­y problems. Add 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to a cup of hot water, stir well and drink. This remedy can be taken two or three times a day. GARLIC

Garlic has a host of medicinal properties, which makes it a miraculous herb.

A single clove of garlic consumed every day reduces the production of bad, low-density lipoprotei­n cholestero­l, and raises the production of the good, highdensit­y kind.

It keeps blood pressure within normal limits, helps blood circulatio­n and leads to lesser chances of blood platelet aggregatio­n. GREEN TEA

It has an antioxidan­t substance called epigalloca­techin gallate. This antioxidan­t improves the health of cells that form the innermost lining of the blood vessels in the heart. Regular consumptio­n of green tea keeps the heart and blood vessels in good shape, and can cut down the risk of heart disease. POMEGRANAT­E

This fruit helps cleanse your arteries. It’s high in antioxidan­ts. Vitamin C and polyphenol­s in pomegranat­e stimulate the production of nitric oxide, which keeps the blood flowing and the arteries open, and reduces plaque formation in the arteries.

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