Easy Ways to Help Your Heart

Bicycling Magazine recently published an article listing 20 easy ways to help your heart. Some of the recommendations include eating calcium rich foods, filling up on antioxidants, and treating high blood pressure. Number 8 on the list is "Go to the dentist."

The tip references a Taiwanese research study which showed that people who had their teeth cleaned twice per year for the past 2 years had a 24% lower risk of heart attack and a 13% lower risk of stroke compared with people who did not have a cleaning. Professional cleanings reduce inflammation and bacteria in the mouth, which lowers inflammation in other areas of the body such as the blood vessels.