Posts Tagged ‘Blood pressure’
Sex Promotes Cardiovascular Health
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Is sex really that important? As more and more research is done on the subject, it’s becoming clearer and clearer that having healthy sex is essential to a healthy life — and that sex can even help you to live longer. Numerous studies have shown that an active sex life is closely correlated with longer, healthier life which is of special importance for promoting senior health. Specifically, it seems like sex may lower the risk for heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular diseases. A European study in the 1990’s found that men who had weekly sexual activity reduced their risk of heart attack or stroke by more than 40%. In 2010, the New England Research Institute conducted a massive study confirmed that weekly sex reduces risk of heart disease by 45%.
Additional benefits of engaging in sexual activity include reduction in stress and lower blood pressure. Another benefit of the oxytocin released during orgasm: it calms the nerves. Studies done on lab rats have shown that oxytocin counteracts the effects of cortisol (a stress hormone). Sex also helps you sleep better. When he rolls over and starts snoring after a good bout in the bed, it’s not just physical exhaustion. Oxytocin not only calms you down, but it also specifically promotes sleep. In conclusion seniors who engage in sexual activity are taking a preemptive aging step that fosters their cardiovascular health.
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Can Garlic Breath Save Your Heart?
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In common folklore wearing garlic is supposed to repel vampires, but in our workaday world consuming garlic may have a major health benefit. For some time garlic has been touted as food that can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease is of particular importance to seniors. Previous research into how garlic contributes to cardiovascular health focused on its ability to help our bodies synthesize both NO and CO. Garlic apparently helps our bodies boost the levels of both carbon monoxide (CO) and nitric oxide (NO) so that the heart is better protected against cardiovascular disease. This is good news for seniors who are searching for ways to take preemptive aging steps to foster their senior health, but there is even better news about garlic.
Recent research has discovered that garlic helps our bodies synthesize a third molecule known as hydrogen sulfide (H2S) which is not as well known as the first two, but which your nose has probably detected. The H2S molecule gives off the familiar odor of rotten eggs. The H2S molecule is the one that is responsible for the infamous ‘garlic breath’ that appears after anyone has eaten anything containing garlic or its extracts. The small amount of H2S that is generated from eating garlic is not toxic and apparently has a beneficial effect on our cardiovascular health. Specifically the H2S molecule produces several physiological effects that benefit cardiovascular health including relaxing blood vessels, promoting the development of new blood vessels, and lowering blood pressure.
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Senior Health Requires Sufficient Magnesium
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When the topic of magnesium deficiency is raised it usually has to do with balancing calcium to ensure healthy bones, but there is much more to discuss. According to the National Institute of Health (NIH) magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. Magnesium helps to keep heart rhythm steady, it promotes healthy blood pressure, and its role in managing cardiovascular disease is rapidly emerging. Additional benefits for cardiovascular health are provided by magnesium, because of its role in reducing the risk of developing type 2 diabetes which threatens cardiovascular health. In a recent study the participants with a lower level of magnesium showed an increased risk of coronary heart disease greater than 50%.
This is very good news for seniors who are trying to take steps against preemptive aging by making certain that they are getting sufficient magnesium for their general senior health and for their cardiovascular health in particular. It turns out that the foods sources that are high in magnesium are generally popular. The magnesium rich foods include nuts, dark green leafy vegetables, legumes, whole grains and fish. Fish that are high in omega-3 fatty acids are also high in magnesium. Low cost dietary supplements of magnesium are available in the event that folks discover that they are not getting sufficient magnesium from the foods in their diet.
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Can Green Tea Extract Provide Dual Anti-Aging Protection?
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Recent British research has shown that consuming green tea extract greatly increases the burning of fat and it additionally benefits insulin sensitivity in healthy men. In the study the men engaged in half an hour of moderate intensity exercise before and after taking the green tea extract or a placebo. In the case of the men who took the green tea extract their fat oxidation was more than 15% greater compared with the men who took the placebo. For the men who took the green tea extract their fat burning proved to be a larger contributor to their total energy expenditure.
In the second half of the study the researchers measured the subjects’ glucose tolerance before and after they consumed the green tea extract. The researchers found that after consuming the green tea extract the subjects showed improvements in insulin sensitivity. A similar study in Japan reported that adults suffering from visceral-type obesity showed reductions in body fat, blood pressure, and low density lipoprotein (LDL) after consuming a high-catechin green tea extract. The results of these two studies indicate that consuming green tea extract can provide anti-aging effects against both cardiovascular disease and diabetes. This is good news for seniors who are concerned with taking preemptive anti-aging steps to improve their senior health.
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Potassium Supports Cardiovascular Health
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For many years doctors have been insisting that seniors decrease their sodium intake in order to benefit their cardiovascular health. The doctors were emphasized that decreasing the sodium intake would ensure that seniors had healthy blood pressure levels. Typically this meant folks had to decrease the amount of table salt they consumed, because it was typically the largest source of sodium in folks diets. Recent research suggests that it is equally important for seniors to increase their potassium intake to optimize their cardiovascular health.
The research was conducted for over 10 to 15 years on more than 2,000 men and women who were diagnosed with pre-hypertension. The results showed that it was the ratio of sodium to potassium in their diets that determined their risk of suffering from the consequences of cardiovascular disease. Those who had a higher ratio of sodium to potassium showed a higher risk of cardiovascular disease events such as heart attack, stroke, or death. This is good news for seniors who are concerned about protecting cardiovascular health, because they can easily implement this preemptive aging dietary approach.
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Phytonutrients Defend Against Age-Related Diseases
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In the last ten years scientific research has validated the value of phytonutrients as a first line of defense against many age-related diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Phytonutrients are plant-based nutritional compounds. One of the outstanding phytonutrients is chia which is frequently called “the perfect food from Nature”. Chia seeds are loaded with many nutrients including protein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fatty acids, and fiber. The chia seeds are edible and have a pleasant nutty flavor. Chia has been used as a food from Aztec times when it was a staple in their diet. In our time scientific research has documented chia’s ability to prevent a number of age-related diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. With over 55 million Americans currently estimated to be pre-diabetic any food that can support preemptive aging against diabetes needs to be taken seriously. The research indicates that chia can support a preemptive role in preventing diabetes and in reducing its effects in folks who are already suffering from it. In one study of diabetic patients who were at risk for heart disease those who took supplements of chia showed major improvment across a range of disease markers for diabetes including lipid profiles, inflammatory and clotting factors, and blood pressure. They also showed considerable improvement in the markers for cardiovascular disease including C-reactive protein and systolic blood pressure. Fortunately for seniors chia is available in the form of concentrated powders that will be effective in fostering senior health.
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