More and more people are suffering from heart disease and spend countless hours in the hospital undergoing treatment. Recently, however, patients with cardiovascular conditions are learning to control their illnesses through diet. Meals plans are a little more tailored than before and include foods that significantly improve cardio health like arginine-rich foods.
Arginine is a nutrient that has been found to have amazing effects on the heart and adding foods that contain it is a healthier, more organic way to increase your intake.
What are the benefits of arginine?
Arginine-rich foods and supplements are recommended for people with heart problems. When ingested, this nutrient turns into nitric oxide. Nitric oxide has a relaxing effect on blood vessels that are usually under pressure and can increase the blood flow to the heart for better functioning.
Apart from its heart-boosting abilities, it also assists your kidney to remove harmful substances and waste from the body. Another benefit is that arganine can speed up the healing of wounds and supports the immune system in fighting disease.
What are arganine-rich foods?
You can get adequate doses of this nutrient from red meat. Be very careful about the amount of red meat you consume because too much can lead to conditions like high blood pressure and kidney malfunction. Alternatively, you can dish up on seafood like shrimp, tuna, salmon and crabs.
Eggs, especially egg yolk, are loaded with arginine. If you need to up your consumption drastically, you can separate eggs and eat the yolk. However, if you like your eggs whole, you will still benefit from their arginine content.
The best vegetables in this category are spinach and lentils. All vegetables are essential to a healthy diet but these two in particular have the highest content.
Your carbs should originate from products made of wheat flour instead of processed white flour. Bread, pasta, rice and cereal made from whole wheat are great choices.
Arganine deficiency is usually found in people who eat low-protein diets. Arganine-rich foods like tofu, almonds, peanuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts and cashews can provide the protein you need.
Taking supplements
There is no problem with taking arginine supplements if they are prescribed to you by a doctor but an arginine-rich diet is always the safer choice if you simply want to improve your health. Speak to your physician about taking supplements with arginine-rich foods. Too much of L-arginine can cause allergic reactions, low blood pressure, abnormal electrolyte levels and digestive issues.
If supplements cause diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain or breathing problems, speak to your doctor right away. You should also inform your practitioner if you are on heart medication. The combination of heart meds and arginine supplements is known to cause harmful symptoms.
Who should you take more arganine?
Because the nutrient is believed to increase blood circulation, having too little of it in your body can lead to erectile dysfunction, skin rashes, loss of hair and slow healing of wounds. Low levels can also disrupt protein synthesis or produce fat around your liver.
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