"Flabby" Blood Vessels?

"Flabby" Blood Vessels?

Now you're probably thinking, "I know about flabby arms, belly, chin, but flabby blood vessels"?? Turns out as we age, our blood vessels can weaken over time.  They can become "fragile". This is a pretty serious thing, as blood vessels reach every nook and cranny of our bodies as an intricate system that helps make up the cardiovascular system. The cardiovascular system includes the heart and all of the blood vessels, (arteries, veins, and capillaries), that supply the body’s tissues with the nourishment and oxygen they need.

Is There a Pill For That?

There are no pharmaceutical medications that have been shown to strengthen blood vessels. But there is an abundance of nutrients and natural compounds that can help build stronger blood vessels!

Nutrient dense fruits and veggies, such as cruciferous family, like broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and cabbage can help to protect and strengthen blood vessels. Also shallots, garlic and onion. Or from a fruit perspective, blueberry, raspberries and blackberries. All have terrific nutrients to "beef up" flabby blood vessels.

DARK CHOCOLATE - 

One tasty way to add healthy flavonoids that are known to promote healthy blood vessel function is to eat a few squares of dark chocolate a day. Dark chocolate containing a ratio of 70 percent or more of cocoa is high in the flavonoids procyanidins, catechin, and epicatechin — all 

recognized powerful blood vessel-strengthening compounds.
I LOVE the 90% cocoa bar, very little sugar, high in fiber & has a wonderful rich flavor. 

Can You Say Oligomeric Proanthocyanidins?

Ok how about a shortened form of the words - OPC's. OPC's are a family of bioflavonoids that work together as powerful anti-oxidants, neutralizing free radicals. They are naturally occurring in fruits, veggies, red wine, grape seeds and pine bark. It's what gives rich colors to plants, like the blue-violet red pigment in grape juice or red wine and pine bark. But the two main sources are the pine bark from the French maritime tree, called Pycnogenol® & grape seed extract of wine grapes.

OPC's can impact many areas of health. However, since we are talking about the cardiovascular system, OPC's can optimize: 

• Blood pressure, soften blood vessels, strengthen the arteries & help to prevent thrombosis. (a type of blood platelet clot) Studies have shown that OPC's may prevent cardiovascular disease by counteracting the negative effects of high cholesterol on the heart and blood vessels.

• What's more Pycnogenol® improves endothelial function.Vascular endothelial cells line the entire circulatory system, from the heart to the smallest capillaries. These cells have very distinct and unique functions that are paramount to vascular health.  A double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study with coronary artery disease patients showed that Pycnogenol® significantly improved endothelial function, whereas no effect was found with placebo.

There are around 200 studies regarding Pycnogenol® and it's positive effects on over 66 conditions. 

I've personally been taking OPC's for over 13 years now. They have impacted my health in a very positive way. I take it in an isotonic form, OPC3,  a powder that is mixed with an exact amount of water and drink on an empty stomach for up to 95% absorption rate. So I guess you could say I have been giving my cardiovascular system a "workout" for quite a while. So no flabby blood vessels here!

Now I just need to convince my upper arms to follow suit. LOL!

Helping You to Select The Best Health,

Sherry

www.selectthebesthealth.com