Photo: SCA Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget / Flickr

Almost a third of people living in England have high blood pressure while 76 per cent of people aged 45-54 have high cholesterol. High blood pressure and high cholesterol are the major causes of heart disease while smoking, an unhealthy diet and a lack of exercise also put you at risk. Luckily depriving yourself isn’t the only way to help your heart. Who can argue with eating chocolate every day, plenty of sex and listening to your favourite music?

A chocolate a day…

A daily dose of good quality dark chocolate can help lower your blood pressure. A 2008 Italian study found that pre-diabetic people with high blood pressure who ate 99 grams of chocolate a day for 15 days dropped both their systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 4.5 and 4.2 points, respectively. This is thanks to the antioxidants in chocolate. You need to choose dark chocolate, though, with at least 70 per cent cocoa solids as it’s higher in antioxidants and lower in sugar than regular chocolate.

Get it on

Research has found that men who have sex twice a week or more are less likely to develop heart disease, while a Scottish study found that both men and women who had sex once over two weeks had lower blood pressure. Oxytocin (a hormone released during sex) reduces stress, while every half an hour in bed burns 60 calories.

Soothing sounds

An Italian study found that listening to music with a steady beat for 30 minutes a day while breathing deeply can lower systolic blood pressure by 4 points in three months. Inhaling for 2 seconds and exhaling for 4 seconds while listening to steady music relaxes blood vessels. It’s important to listen to the right kind of music, though. While band and genre don’t matter, you’ll only benefit if you enjoy the music you’re listening to.

Of course eating chocolate, plenty of sex and good music won’t help you beat heart disease if your lifestyle is unhealthy. Find out more about prevention on the NHS Choices website.

Tags: health