Archive for the ‘Cardiovascular’ Category
Seniors Need This DNA Friendly, Anti-Aging Compound
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This super anti-aging compound is found in every cell in our bodies. Maintaining high levels of this compound is required in order to maintain excellent health and genuine longevity. The name of this compound which was discovered back in 1888 is glutathione, but its importance for senior health was not appreciated for nearly a hundred years. The earliest studies in the 1920’s and 1930’s focused on its role in protecting the eyes of seniors from cataracts, macular degeneration, and a host of other eye diseases. Later in the 1980’s research in the United States established the link between high levels of glutathione in the blood and tissue with folks who experienced robust health and extreme longevity.
The following items provide very good news for seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps to foster their senior health. In terms of aging, damage to DNA is one of the causes of accelerated aging, but glutathione assists strongly in DNA repair. When it comes to cardiovascular health, one of the major causes of cardiovascular disease is oxidation of fats in the blood which can be greatly reduced by glutathione. The damage to DNA strands has been linked to cancer; glutathione has the ability to prevent DNA damage and repair damage after it has occurred which makes it one of the most powerful cancer preventers known to modern medicine.
Seniors can increase their intake of glutathione by consuming cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. In addition they can take the supplement N-acetylcysteine (NAC) which is broken down in our bodies into glutathione.
Tea Party Can Boost Senior Cardiovascular Health
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In a recently published report from Europe, researchers reported some very good news for folks who drink lots of tea. The good news they report concerns how much tea drinking lowers the risk of dying from coronary heart disease. The researchers followed their clients over a thirteen year period. The number of folks in the study exceeded 35,000. During that time folks who consumed between 3 – 6 cups of tea per day lowered their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by more than 44%. The people involved in the study were screened prior to initiation in the study and monitored during the next thirteen years in order to check for any developing cardiovascular conditions or deaths due to cardiovascular disease. The report did not identify the tea as either black tea or green tea, but given the history of black tea consumption in Europe black tea was probably provided the majority type of tea consumed by the participants. It turns out that both black tea and green tea contain compounds that have been linked in previous studies with lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease. What is significant about this European study is the large number of pre-screened participants and the length of time they participated in the monitored study. This is very good news for seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps to foster their senior health by boosting their cardiovascular health.
Preemptive Aging Foods for Seniors
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Seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps to safeguard their senior health need to take the first step and choose foods that promote senior health. The foods at the top of the preemptive list are the foods that preempt cancer which is one of the leading enemies of senior health. The good news for seniors is a follows. Foods that preempt cancer are some of the tastiest foods around. In the first place are all the colorful berries that include blueberries, blackberries, cranberries, raspberries, strawberries, and so on. Most of the berries contain tumor fighting compounds such as polyphenols and ellagic acid which are the enemies of cancer. Another winner is chocolate as long as it is 70% cocoa which is true for some of dark chocolate bars. It turns out that cocoa contains polyphenols similar to the berries and it also contains antioxidants. As an added bonus, cocoa contains a class of chemicals known as catechins that offer protection against cancer and heart disease. Finally seniors can moderately choose daily to imbibe a glass of red wine for its high concentration of resveratrol content that is provided by the grape skin. The resveratrol contributes in some unknown way to suppress metabolites associated with cancer growth. In summary, drinking a daily glass of red wine, eating some dark chocolate, and consuming a variety of berries throughout the week can provide an array of preemptive aging foods for seniors who are concerned about protecting their senior health against cancer.
Vitamins D and K Combine for Heart & Bone Health
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For seniors who are concerned about fostering their senior health avoiding the age-related diseases of artheriorsclerosis and osteoporosis are important goals. For many years the role of vitamin D in promoting healthy bone structure has been well known. Only recently has vitamin D’s role in assisting cardiovascular health been established. In 2009 a nationwide health survey reported that vitamin D deficiency was linked to cardiovascular disease in a large sample of the folks in the USA.
In parallel with vitamin D, vitamin K contributes to the replenishment and formation of bone tissue. A vitamin K deficiency will interfere with the formation of bone tissue. Replenishing bone tissue requires both vitamin K and vitamin D, because they work synergistically to optimize bone mineralization. Similarly, a deficiency of vitamin K and vitamin D can lead to arterial calcification which leads to cardiovascular disease. This dual deficiency appears to explain the ‘calcification paradox’ seen in seniors who suffer a loss of calcium from their bones and an abnormal increase in calcium in their arteries. The dynamic duo of vitamin D and vitamin K operate together to to prevent calcium deposits in vascular tissue and to optimize bone mineralization. There is good news for seniors who are concerned about avoiding the age-related diseases of artheriorsclerosis and osteoporosis. Seniors who want to foster their senior health can supplement with vitamin D and vitamin K to prevent both osteoporosis and artheriorsclerosis, because both vitamins are now available in supplement form.
Seniors Can Eat Healthier Fruits & Vegetables
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Lately, every publication that comments on eating healthy foods stresses the importance of eating organic fruits and vegetables. Granted the arguments for eating organic foods are very strong the question can be asked is this true in the case of all fruits and vegetables. Might it be possible to find some common, popular fruits and vegetables that are very healthy, but not necessarily organic? This possibility is very important to seniors who are concerned about their senior health, but who are watching the cost of food as a large part of their budgets, because organic foods are generally considerably more expensive than non-organic foods.
It turns out that there is some good news for seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps to foster their senior health. A number of fruits and vegetables qualify as healthy, because they are not covered with harmful pesticide residue. Seniors can eat these fruits and vegetables in place of organic ones and use the money they save to buy the other vegetables and fruits in the organic category. Among the vegetables that qualify as healthy in the non-organic category are: Sweet corn, sweet peas, asparagus, cabbage, eggplant and sweet potatoes. The fruits that meet the healthy criteria are honeydew melon, watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, avocado, and kiwifruit. Seniors can afford to eat non-organic fruits and vegetables from the above lists and foster their senior health.
Delicious Juice Drink for Senior Health
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One of the enemies of senior health is clogged arteries. Several options that are available to provide relief for folks with this condition include, bypass surgery, angioplasty, and chelation supplied by an alternative medicine doctor. If a patient opts for chelation they are in for a long procedure that is unpleasant and expensive. Angioplasty does not always insure a long time remedy, because up to 40% of them suffer re-narrowing of their arteries in less than half a year’s time. The third option bypass surgery is expensive and carries an element of danger, because a small percentage of patients die on the operating table.
There is some good news for seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps to foster their senior cardiovascular health. It turns out that there is a fourth option that does not require any drugs, surgery or IVs. This option is safe, inexpensive and best of all it is effective. The fourth option is delicious pomegranate juice which is already known for a number of health benefits. Pomegranate juice is already known to supply a rich source of antioxidants and be a defense against prostate cancer, but it can also prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol which results in preventing arterial plaque or clogged arteries. In a controlled test folks that drank about 2 ounces of pomegranate juice a day reduced their plaque measurements by 13% in 3 months and more than 33% in a year. Over 2,300 years ago Hippocrates the ancient Greek physician who is known as the Father of Medicine said that we should “Let food be your medicine”. Today the words of Hippocrates are being verified in our time by findings such as this about the benefits for cardiovascular health from drinking pomegranate juice.
Walk Frequently for Senior Health.
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The latest statistics show that about 50% of American adults to not engage in exercise despite the common knowledge that exercise is very beneficial for a healthy life. Seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps to foster their senior health need to take the big important step of exercising frequently. It turns out that one of the simplest exercises that many seniors can perform is walking. For seniors even walking slowly can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease. Obviously walking farther, faster, and more frequently will provide greater benefits for senior health. It turns out that walking is a generally ideal exercise for many seniors, because it can be tailored to each person’s ability and needs.
Walking at any level of exertion will increase breathing and heart rate which will improve the health of the entire circulatory system including the heart. Walking regularly will generally improve balance, coordination, and leg muscle strength. A recent study reported that very senior men who walked more than two miles a day reduced their risk of dying by 50% compared with those who walked less than a mile every day. It turns out that walking which improves cardiovascular health usually results in attaining a healthy weight, because obesity is the enemy of good health. Obesity is linked to cardiovascular disease and many cancers. Among the cancers that strike seniors breast cancer afflicts women and prostate cancer afflicts men. Walking can promote a healthy weight, prostate health in men, and breast health in women.
Why Colorful Foods Are Healthy For Seniors!
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Vegetables and fruits come in a broad spectrum of colors including all the colors of the rainbow starting from purple through blue, green, yellow, orange, and red. They come in additional colors including white, tan, and brown. Bright colorful fruits and vegetables are loaded with health promoting phytochemicals. The colors that include red, white, and blue are most appropriate now, because they are the colors of the upcoming 4th of July celebration. For example tomatoes, cherries, watermelon, red apples, red peppers, and cranberries all contain the phytochemicals lycopene and anthocyanin that help reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers such as prostate cancer. This is good news for seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps against cancers and for cardiovascular health. Alternatively white vegetables including garlic, onions, and cauliflower which contain the phytochemical allicin which lowers cholesterol and blood pressure and increases the body’s immune system’s resistance to infections.
Finally the blue fruits including blueberries, blackberries, purple grapes, and plums contain the phytochemicals anthocyanin and phenolics that reduce the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Nuts Complement Senior Health.
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Everyone has heard the warnings about eating too many fatty foods, because it can lead to obesity. Some folks think that they should not eat nuts, because they do contain more fat than say fruits and vegetables. There is some good news for seniors who want to receive information about preemptive anti-aging steps that they can take to foster their senior health. It turns out that nuts which are often complimentary in bars and restaurants are actually complimentary to our health needs. For example, a grand analysis of over 24 clinical trials demonstrated that folks who regularly consumed nuts had improved blood lipids meaning improved triglycerides and LDL/HDL cholesterol ratings. This is very good news for seniors who are concerned about fostering their cardiovascular health.
Additional benefits of eating nuts include reduction of hypertension, reduction of the risk of heart disease for women suffering from diabetes, and improved blood sugar control when nuts are consumed with carbohydrates. For all of these reasons it would be a good idea to include nuts as part of one’s daily diet. The preferred type of nuts are those that are raw or dry roasted. Consuming about 1/4 cup every day is a good general rule, because eating more than that quantity will supply too many calories.
Will Grapefruit Juice Improve Absorption of CoQ10?
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The warnings against drinking grapefruit juice if folks are taking certain drugs have been known for a number of years. Certain compounds in grapefruit inhibit the normal absorption of drugs such as the statins, antidepressants and many other drugs. The absorption of these drugs is increased when they are taken along with grapefruit juice which makes the concentrations absorbed dangerous, because the doses are too high. Seniors who are concerned about fostering their senior health need to take heed of these warnings about mixing these drugs with grapefruit juice. By way of contrast drinking grapefruit juice when taking supplements may be beneficial.
It turns out the drinking grapefruit juice when taking the supplement CoQ10 can actually improve the absorption of CoQ10 by nearly 50%. Researchers in the Far East verified that the absorption of CoQ10 is improved this much by drinking grapefruit juice. This is very good news for seniors who are taking CoQ10 for their cardiovascular health, because it means that they will be increasing the absorption of this vital heart healthy supplement. The main caution concerns drinking grapefruit juice would be for seniors who are taking drugs under a doctor’s care. They need to check with their doctor before drinking grapefruit juice or eating grapefruit.
