Posts Tagged ‘cardiovascular disease’
Lowering Blood Glucose Protects Senior’s Hearts
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The general news and the health news publications are full of articles recommending ways to deal with diabetes, but most of them do not make the connection between high blood glucose and cardiovascular disease. Many of the news articles address what folks can do to relieve their diabetic symptoms, but not too many provide preemptive remedies to prevent diabetes. They are following a ‘fix the sick’ approach or what has been called ‘sick care’ versus genuine health care which initially provides preemptive steps to prevent diabetes and other diseases. It turns out that the current medical standard used for deciding whether or not a person’s fasting blood glucose level is too high is about 15% higher than it should be according to a report in the one of the American Diabetes Association’s journals. In addition the report found that older men with glucose levels above the lower number of 80-85 mg/dL were predictably on a path to cardiovascular death. For senior men and most probably for senior women who are concerned about taking preemptive steps to foster their senior health it turns out that there is a solution that can provide a preemptive remedy against the dangerously high blood sugar. This remedy can provide a preemptive remedy against diabetes and promote the cardiovascular health of seniors. The remedy includes a water-soluble extract of cinnamon, chromium, and nutrients from seaweed and bladderwrack.
Glucose Control Needed For Preemptive Aging
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The latest medical and nutritional studies are strongly emphasizing the serious need for controlling glucose levels as a major factor needed for preemptive aging. For seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps to safeguard their senior health, glucose control is a critical matter. Our blood glucose levels play a crucial part in controlling our longevity. If our blood glucose is high either before or after eating it becomes a risk factor for cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease and increased mortality. The research findings about the dangers of high glucose are so clear that the International Diabetes Federation has issued a a warning to folks that do not suffer from type 2 diabetes that a glucose level over 140mg/dl after a meal is a major risk factor for a number of diseases including cancer and conditions known to cause serious injury to our cardiovascular health.
High glucose levels are harmful to our health, but low glucose levels provide real health benefits. Keeping glucose levels low is one of the benefits of caloric restriction which can be attained by limiting calories consumed by a healthy and nutrient-dense diet which has foods with a low glycemic index. When these foods are consumed the glucose levels fall, because the blood sugar is used up quickly by the body’s many different processes. This is very good news for seniors who want to take preemptive aging steps to foster their senior health.
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.
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.
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.
Why Is Topical Vitamin D Needed by Seniors?
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Recently the health reports in the media have contained a number of articles that promoted the benefits of vitamin D3 for seniors, because it contributes to inhibiting something like 27 age-related diseases. The preemptive aging benefits of vitamin D3 have been highlighted particularly for their ability to reduce the risk of disease such as cardiovascular disease and a number of age-related cancers particularly the hormonal based ones. As we age the ability of our skin to synthesize vitamin D3 from sunlight decreases so that by age 70 we only synthesize about 25% of the amount we did when we were in our 20′s. Fortunately seniors can access vitamin D3 in supplement form to make up the difference. This is good news for seniors who are concerned about their senior health.
Seniors who supplement with vitamin D3 can restore their blood levels of D3 to their youthful levels, but there is a problem. The vitamin D3 that is taken in supplement form is used by our bodies to help build and maintain strong bones. Our skin is the last organ to receive the vitamin D3 which is taken in supplement form. Fortunately for seniors there is good news to report on this matter. Vitamin D3 is available in topical form, so that it can be applied directly to the skin. Applied in topical form vitamin D3 will contribute to skin cell repair, growth and metabolism. It will help to destroy free radicals and stimulate the skin’s immune system. Applying vitamin D3 topically may provide a rejuvenating effect on aging skin.
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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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What Does Black Tea Provide for Senior Health?
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Green tea has been getting all the good press about its multiple health benefits which are especially supportive of senior health. Recent research has discovered that black tea provides compounds called theaflavins that complement the health benefits of the polyphenols in green tea. The theaflavins in black tea have grabbed the attention of the folks performing research on human longevity. The theaflavins help regulate the genes that produce inflammatory cytokines which have been implicated in promoting degenerative disease and aging. By interferring with inflammation at its initial stages, theaflavins provide a new way to block inflammation related diseases that include cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Beyond blocking inflammation, researchers have found that the theaflavins can contribute to reversing the effects of coronary artery disease. Additional research uncovered the mechanism by which the theaflavins operate to prevent the blood platelets from sticking together which is the first step in the process of cardiovascular disease. There is good news for seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive measures to foster their senior health against inflammation induced degenerative diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. Highly concentrated and purified theaflavins are currently available in supplement form for use by seniors as part of their preemptive aging regime.
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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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