Stop shingles to avoid heart trouble! Shingles—

a painful, blistery rash that can occur in anyone who’s had chickenpox— has just been linked with a 59% increased risk of heart disease! And although it’s estimated one in three of us will develop shingles at some point, it doesn’t have to happen to you. Protect yourself by:

Fortifying your defenses with fruit salad

Eating at least three servings a day of fruits and vegetables reduces your risk of ever having a shingles outbreak 33%, according to a recent British study. That’s because produce is chock-full of bioflavonoids and other antioxi- dants that strengthen your immune system’s ability to find and destroy the virus.

Cutting your risk 50% with tai chi!

Turns out, the gentle, rotating movements of this Chinese martial art are potent virus- busters! Just going through the motions for 30 minutes three times a week boosts the antibodies that destroy the shingles virus 50%, reveals a 25-week UCLA study. Prefer other types of exercise? “Swimming, gardening, yoga—any calming activity can help strengthen your immune system against shingles,” says Robin Evans, M.D., a clinical instructor of dermatology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx.

Pumping up your protection with a shot!

Research shows that a single dose of the shingles vaccine Zostavax (which the CDC advises adults age 60 years or older receive) lowers the risk of the disease 51%. And if you do get shingles? The shot reduces severity and discomfort 61%, and cuts the odds of longlasting nerve pain 66%.

Keep your eye on the news! A new shingles vaccine, Shingrix, proven to be even more effective, is expected to get FDA approval by year’s end.

Nurturing nerves with B-12!

This key B vitamin helps form the protective sheath around nerve roots where shingles erupts if the chickenpox virus (aka herpes zoster) wakes up from its dormancy. “We need B-12 for our nerves to function optimally so they can fend off the shingles virus,” says Dr. Evans. That means eating lots of B-12 rich foods, such as red meat, mackerel, sardines and eggs, and for vegans and seniors, asking your doctor about taking a B-12 supplement.