One in four people over the age of 40 will suffer from atrial fibrillation at sometime in their lifetime.
That's staggering...
Atrial fib is an irregular heartbeat in the upper chamber of the heart.
This heart arrhythmia causes the blood to pool and sit stagnant, which can cause small clots to form.
Atrial fibrillation is a huge problem and we need to take steps to prevent it, why?
First, atrial fibrillation significantly increases your risk of stroke. As the blood pools in the heart, clots can form and get transported to the brain causing big problems.
Second, atrial fibrillation requires the use of a number of medications such as blood thinners and anti-arrhythmia drugs, all of which can have significant side effects.
Third, atrial fibrillation is frightening, uncomfortable and can interfere with your ability to do everyday chores and activities.
So, what causes atrial fib?
Unfortunately, it's likely a complex set of causes that can be different from person to person.
Aging is one such risk factor...but, you can't do much about that can you?
Actually, you can.
Aging is a relative term...
I know some people who are 80 years old chronologically, but are 50 years old or younger on the inside.
Let me be clear...
Atrial fibrillation is not a natural function of aging, it's an unnatural DYSFUNCTION of aging.
Drug companies love it because once you have it, for the most part, you have it forever...requiring lots of drugs that can't be stopped once started.
Research suggests that a number of issue can contribute to atrial fibrillation risk, including:
- Chronic inflammation
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Plaque buildup in the arteries
- Stress & anxiety
and more...
Today, I want to focus on one very simple lifestyle change that can decrease your risk of developing atrial fibrillation by 38%!
Here it is...
Simply replace unhealthy fats within the diet, i.e. vegetable oils and trans-fats, with high-polyphenol extra virgin olive oil.
Researchers followed 6705 healthy people who did NOT have atrial fibrillation at the start of the study and put half the group on a low-fat diet and the other half on a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil.
At the end of the study, the group who followed the Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil enjoyed a 38% decreased risk of atrial fib!
Interestingly, the people who followed a Mediterranean diet high in nuts, but not extra virgin olive oil, enjoyed a much smaller benefit compared to the group who consumed the extra-virgin olive oil.
This tells us that it's not the monounsaturated fat that provides the majority of the benefit, because nuts contain a lot of monounsaturated fat; rather, it 's the polyphenol antioxidants found in the olive oil.
This is an important finding because, as I reported in a previous newsletter, not all olive oils are created equal and, in fact, most contain insufficient amounts of these antioxidants.
Researchers even discovered that many olive oil products were totally fake!
So...choose high-quality EXTRA-VIRGIN olive oil only.
The extra-virgin olive oil we recommend is called California Estates Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil by Life Extension Foundation. This oil is laboratory tested to contain much higher quantities of the heart-healthy polyphenol compounds believe to convey the majority of benefit...
How much do you need to take to gain the benefit?
In the research, they used 35-40 grams per day, which amounts to 2-3 tablespoons per day.
To be clear, research aren't suggesting that you take this oil in addition to the fats in the diet...rather, they recommend REPLACING other fats and oils with the extra-virgin olive oil.
So, just cut the unhealthy fats from the diet and replace with the high-polyphenol extra virgin olive oil and enjoy a 38% lower risk of atrial fibrillation!
You can order by phone at 888-794-4325, online by clicking the link below, or stop in the office and pick up a bottle!
If you find it difficult to get 1-2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in your diet, I might recommend simply cutting back on the unhealthy fat in the diet and simultaneously supplementing with an olive leaf extract capsule, which will deliver high levels of these heart-healthy polyphenols in 2-3 capsules per day!
