New Delhi, Dec 1 (IANS): Amid the rising cases of Covid-19 in Delhi-NCR, health experts on Tuesday stressed that along with a focus on overall health, taking special care of your heart's health is extremely important because the virus affects more to people with heart and its related problems.

The doctors said that the biggest risk factor of heart diseases is unhealthy cholesterol levels. So, it is important to keep a track of your lipid profile and maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

As per a survey conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 79 per cent of Indians are suffering from dyslipidaemia i.e. unhealthy cholesterol levels.

Experts suggest that managing cholesterols by taking natural antioxidants from a very young age can help keep your heart healthy by controlling high cholesterol level along with other health benefits.

The latest antioxidant which is gaining popularity in India is Gamma-Oryzanol, a natural antioxidant found in rice bran. Gamma-oryzanol is a mixture of ferulic acid esters and is an important bioactive component which is mainly found in the germinated brown rice and rice bran oil.

"For good heart health keeping high cholesterol level in check is really important, Gamma oryzanol which is a natural antioxidant has properties that lowers bad cholesterol and increases the concentration of good cholesterol," said Dr Praveen Chandra, Head of Department, Interventional Cardiology, Medanta Hospital in Gurugram.

"It also helps in preventing heart attack by preventing platelet aggregation, a system where platelets blood gets stuck together and form clots that block arteries. So maintaining healthy cholesterol levels during Covid times is important," Chandra added.

As Gamma Oryzanol is found to be effective in controlling high cholesterol level in the body, it is registered in Japan and the US as a natural medicine to treat hyperlipidemia/dyslipidaemia (elevated cholesterol levels/unhealthy cholesterol levels).

"Gamma Oryzanol helps lower cholesterol because It helps decrease cholesterol absorption and increase cholesterol elimination," said Swapna Chaturvedi, Senior Dietician, Department of Dietetics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.

Recently, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has recognised Gamma-Oryzanol as a nutraceutical and a natural antioxidant to reduce high blood cholesterol.

"During COVID times, we need to be extra careful with our heart's health and ensure healthy cholesterol levels," the experts noted.