JOURNAL
Women's Heart Health - Heart attack symptoms and the ways to care for yourself
Cardiovascular diseases claim the lives of women every 80 seconds (AHA, 2020). While most of us are familiar with the iconic red dress, that symbolizes the American Heart Association’s, Go Red For Women Campaign. Not all of us are familiar with the statistic that doctors may be more likely to dismiss heart attack symptoms as not heart-related in women younger than 55. Researchers interviewed close to 3,000 individuals, both women, and men and found that 53 percent of women said their provider didn’t think their symptoms were heart-related, compared with 35 percent of men. (Harvard Health Publishing, 2018). This is because sixty-two percent of women present with more than three non-chest pain symptoms, compared to 54.8 percent of men. Because of this, 53 percent of women said their healthcare provider, misinterpreted or ignored young women who need care (Healthline, 2020). Additionally, women delay seeking care for symptoms such as dizziness or shortness of breath. In a small study conducted on women, ages 30 to 55, the most common reason why women delayed seeking care is that they had trouble recognizing the symptoms of a heart attack (Sing, 2015). If women experience three-non-chest pain symptoms of a heart attack, what are all of the warning signs?
Red Wine: Miracle or Myth?
Red wine has been the centre of debate for some time now, and most people have heard that one glass a day is good for your health. The miracle properties found in the odd glass of red wine, along with grapes, chocolate, and other natural sources, is attributed to the anti-oxidant resveratrol – and it is this belief that has led to a $30 billion boom of resveratrol supplement sales in the US alone[1]. But just what are the supposed miraculous benefits and are they all that they are claimed to be? A recent study into the effects of resveratrol suggests that they are probably not.
The Wonder of Resveratrol
Over the past few years, resveratrol has often been put forward as an explanation for the famous ‘French Paradox’ – that is, for the inexplicably low rate of heart disease amongst the French, despite having diets that are high in fat and cholesterol. The thing that they do have in common? A high consumption of red wine, and thus, resveratrol. In fact, resveratrol is attributed to aiding not only the fight against heart disease, but also many other factors too.
One-a-Day...Not so much
Vitamins and other supplements should help your health, not harm it —in fact; the whole idea behind the campaign to “take your vitamins” is to provide your body with essential nutrients it might not be getting through your diet.
However, there are some vitamins and minerals that may have adverse effects on your health if you take them in the form of supplements, these effects can range from transient and unpleasant symptoms, to severe and life-threatening diseases; in the worst cases, certain vitamins may raise your risk of cancer.
The Amazing Health Benefits of Breastfeeding
You have probably heard that breastfeeding provides a wide range of amazing health benefits for babies, but you may not realize that the act of breastfeeding can also substantially improve a mother’s well being. Read on to discover the five most fascinating and surprising ways in which choosing to breastfeed can boost your health and extend your life
1) It makes you less likely to develop a range of different cancers:
A large number of independent research projects have shown that women who breastfeed are reducing their chances of suffering from cancer. For example, those women who breastfeed for more than three months slightly reduce their risk of developing endometrial, ovarian cancers, and they are more than 10% less likely to develop breast cancer at some point in their lifetimes.
Too much sugar isn't so sweet for your wellbeing
Most Americans ingest an amount of sugar equal to their own weight each year. Consumption of such large doses of sugar (also known as maltose, sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, molasses, cane sugar, corn sweetener, raw sugar, syrup, honey or fruit juice concentrates) can increase a wide number of diseases.
According to the American Heart Association the average American adult consumes 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, and it's a whopping 68 kg per year. Teens consume even more – on average an American has 34 teaspoons a day.