Experts recommend oral hygiene improvements to reduce heart disease risk
Health experts are urging the public to take steps to protect their hearts in a new campaign ahead of National Heart Month. Every day, the heart pumps more than 7,000 litres of blood around your body, and it pays to look after it. Heart disease is one of the UK’s biggest killers, and a good oral hygiene regime is a great place to start if you’re trying to boost heart health.
As part of the campaign, experts have devised a daily routine to follow, which will help to protect the heart, starting with at least two minutes devoted to cleaning the teeth. Research shows that 25 percent of adults don’t brush their teeth once a day, let alone twice, as advised by dentists. The advice from experts is to set a timer when you brush, and to focus on each quadrant of the mouth for 30 seconds.
Regular dental visits are also of paramount importance. Neglecting dental health can prove costly for your overall health, as gum disease can be a significant risk factor for heart disease. Harmful oral bacteria can enter the bloodstream, increasing the risk of inflammatory effects elsewhere. Research suggests that having your teeth professionally cleaned just once a year can reduce the risk of stroke by 13 percent and heart attacks by 24 percent.
Other recommendations include adding berries to your breakfast, taking krill supplements, and engaging in regular exercise. There’s also good news for tea drinkers, as studies suggest that people who drink 3-6 cups of tea per day have a 45% lower risk of developing coronary heart problems than those who have fewer than 1 cup per day. Those who are keen to look after their heart are also urged to sing along to the radio to de-stress, to snack on nuts and apples, to eat at least 2 portions of oily fish per week, and to spend time in the great outdoors to boost vitamin D production.
