Can Olive Oil Help Prevent Heart Attacks?

 

New research shows that the combination of olive oil and good sleep have a number of health benefits, including the prevention of heart attacks and strokes. This study from St. Michael’s Hospital was recently published in Nature Communications, and provides doctors–and us–with some valuable information on how we can help keep ourselves and our elderly family members safer and healthier.

 

A protein called Apolipoprotein A-IV is found in the body naturally. After the consumption of foods, this protein increases in levels. After olive oil is ingested, the protein increases even more so. Research has shown that the higher these levels of protein are, the lower the risk of a heart attack or stroke becomes. This has been known for quite a while, but researchers haven’t always been sure just why this is. This new study gives a lot of information that could be useful at increasing the health benefits that seniors and others that are at risk of a heart attack will face.

 

Sleep also has an impact on ApoA-IV. Just like each individual has a natural circadian rhythm that determines sleep levels, there is a circadian rhythm that determines how ApoA-IV levels will rise and fall within the body. Making sure that proper, restful sleep is obtained on a regular basis can help ensure that this protein stays at an optimal level. In other words, people who get the right amount of sleep each night have better overall heart health.

 

Olive oil and sleep may both help protect the body from stroke and heart attack.

 

For example, the new research shows that ApoA-IV may be a platelet blocker and encourage platelet aggregation. When this occurs, cardiovascular illnesses that can cause heart attacks like thrombosis may occur because of blocked blood flow. By keeping these blood flow levels higher, heart attacks would then be far less likely to occur. Obviously, a lot of additional research will be needed, but the current literature is revealing a lot of new information–and it seems to be really easy to apply in our lives. Olive oil is already known to have a lot of health benefits because of the Omega-3 fatty acids that are associate with it, this is just another benefit that comes along with it. But because this is the first study linking ApoA-IV with thrombosis, a lot of work still needs to be done to turn this into effective action on the behalf of our doctors.

 

Scientists are still unsure what the best way to tap into the potential that ApoA-IV has to help improve lives.

 

A loved one that has suffered from some sort of health emergency often needs help afterward. Sometimes, short term care can be more than enough. In other cases, long term senior care becomes necessary. Depending on your loved one’s needs, the type of long term care needed might vary. In-home care is beneficial in most cases, but certainly not all. If you’re unsure of what type of care will be most helpful to your family, feel free to get in touch with us today to schedule a free consultation. We can help get you pointed in the right direction.

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