Posts Tagged ‘cardiovascular disease’
Are Onions Really a Super Healthy Food?
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Onions and their close cousin garlic have been used since ancient Egyptian times as an integral part of healthy diets and natural medicine. During World War II British and Russian soldiers in the field regularly used onions to heal wounds, because of their reported antibacterial and antiseptic properties. Today we know more details about the health benefits of onions, because many of the phytonutrients have been recognized for their value in the prevention and management of conditions such as cancer and cardiovascular disease. Two of the most important chemicals in onions are flavanoids and organosulfur compounds. The organosulfur compounds provide the strongs flavors and the flavanoids color the onions red, yellow, or brown. An outstanding property of onions is their ability to aid in the prevention and management of a number of cancers including prostate cancer.
Another important health benefit provided by consuming onions is they contribute a rich source of bioavailable quercetin. Quercetin is a flavanoid that may be very beneficial for cardiovascular health. Research results suggest that quercetin may contribute to preventing the oxidation of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) thereby protecting against a major contributor of artherosclerosis. Recent research suggests that onions may protect against high blood pressure which is an important predictor of heart attack. This is good news for seniors who want to take preemptive aging steps to foster their senior health.
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Why Black Beans Are a Super Healthy Food
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Why have black beans which are a plain simple food been a staple in the diet of folks in Central and South America for more than 7,000 years? It turns out that the folks in those regions figured out long ago that this plain simple black bean is a nutritional powerhouse. They are sometimes called the ‘poor man’s meat’, because by combining them with rice or corn which are complementary grains you get a protein that is low-calorie, but it is basically fat-free and full of a large range of nutrients. For example the polyphenols in black beans assist in preventing the oxidation of cholesterol which short circuits artheroschlerosis. This is good news for seniors, because blocking artheroschlerosis is a prime requirement for preventing cardiovascular disease.
In addition to the polyphenols, black beans contribute magnesium that improves circulation of blood and oxygen to the entire body which is another plus for senior’s cardiovascular health. The high fiber content of black beans helps to prevent heart disease and heads off digestive disorders. Their high folate content also helps guard against heart attacks. Finally, another major contribution provided by black beans is their high concentration of cancer-fighting antioxidants. This is certainly good news for seniors who are trying to find preemptive aging means to improve their senior health.
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Reduce Your Cardiac Risk Factors
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The leading cause of death in the Western world is atherosclerosis. As we age seniors low density lipoproteins (LDLs) become oxidized, which results in the oxidized LDLs accumulating on arterial walls. This accumulation of oxidized LDLs on the arterial walls causes hardening of the arteries. Recent research has shown that in seniors the high density lipoproteins (HDLs) that normally prevent the LDLs from becoming oxidized are not able to perform this function. The researchers suspect that as we age one of the HDL’s helper enzymes, known as paraoxynase (PON-1), drops to a lower level in the blood. PON-1 is produced in the liver and after it is released into the blood it attaches to the HDL, in order to assist the HDL to inhibit the buildup of lipoperoxides in LDL cholesterol.
The researchers have demonstrated that there is a correlation between folks with low blood levels of PON-1 and cardiovascular disease risk. Seniors need to counter the age related drop in PON-1 levels in the blood by raising their PON-1 levels. It turns out that there are several substances that have been found to boost PON-1 levels. Pomegranate and its extracts have shown to increase the PON-1 levels in the blood by a large amount. Two other potential PON-1 boosters have been identified as quercetin and resveratrol. This is good news for seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps to support their cardiovascular health by reducing their cardiac risk.
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Which Vitamin Protects Your Heart & Bones?
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Most seniors are knowledgeable about the need for sufficient calcium to keep their bones healthy and avoid osteoporosis. What many do not know is that a particular vitamin is required to maintain both healthy bones and a healthy heart. Doctors have known for some time that a lack of calcium in bone results in osteoporosis, but calcium deposits in the arteries result in cardiovascular disease. What is needed is a way to regulate the amount of calcium needed for healthy bones and healthy arteries.
Studies in the Japan have revealed that a particular form of vitamin K contributes to maintaining strong bones in seniors. It is found in a food called natto which contains vitamin K2. This form of vitamin K is also found in egg yolks, organ meats, and dairy products. In one study in Japan folks who were suffering from osteoporosis were treated with vitamin K2 and the number of spinal fractures was reduced by over 50%. In parallel studies have shown that even modest amounts of vitamin K2 fight cardiovascular disease by keeping calcium out of the arteries which prevents the formation of dangerous calcified plaques.
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Be Good To Your Heart
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February is almost over, but it is not too late to be good to your heart, because February is American Heart Month. Seniors need to protect themselves against atherosclerosis which includes both heart attack and stroke. Here is the United States atherosclerosis is the number one killer. The first line of an effective preemptive aging defense is a lifestyle that includes both a healthy diet and regular exercise. A healthy diet that will support cardiovascular health needs to include foods that are low in calories and saturated fats, contains beneficial omega-3 fats provided by fish and fish oil supplements. Additional nutrients that provide additional cardiovascular support include CoQ10, niacin, and vitamin C. In addition to the omega-3-rich fish oil supplements, CoQ10, and other nutrients which are a vital part of a heart healthy diet, seniors need to include regular exercise with the approval of their physicians. The regular exercise may be as important as the heart healthy nutritional regime in avoiding cardiovascular disease.
Before February ends it would be a good idea for seniors to become aware of the warning signs of a heart attack both for their own sake and that of family members and friends. In the case of a heart attack the warning signs include chest discomfort that lasts more than a few minutes or comes and goes; discomfort in other areas of the body, such as one or both arms; shortness of breath, perspiration, nausea and/or lightheadedness. In the event any of these symptoms occur it is imperative to call 911 immediately for help.
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Long Term Supplement Users Are Healthier
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Recently some encouraging news surfaced in regard to long-term use of multiple dietary supplements. In a journal that specializes in nutrition it was reported that folks who had used long-term multiple dietary supplements were less likely to have diabetes or elevated blood pressure. The researchers gathered their information from over 270 folks in regard to multiple dietary supplement use patterns, nutrition and health. The participants filled out questionnaires and took physical examinations as part of the study, in order to give the researchers a baseline for comparison with non supplement users and those who took a single multivitamin/mineral supplement.
The researchers used all the information gathered from the 270 folks and compared their data with that gathered from over 759 folks who did not use dietary supplements or who only used a single multivitamin/mineral supplement. What they found was the 270 users of multiple dietary supplements were less likely to suffer from diabetes and hypertension. They were more likely to have low levels of the typical disease related biomarkers such as C-reactive protein that is associated with chronic inflammation. Their homocysteine levels which are linked to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke were also lower. In addition the multiple supplement users were more likely to register optimum levels of the beneficail high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and triglycerides.
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Why Is Oatmeal So Good for Your Heart?
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Over ten years ago the FDA affirmed that consuming oatmeal may reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, but recent research confirms that conclusion and actually amplifies it. The health benefits of consuming wholegrain oats are even greater than originally discovered. In a recent article researchers point out that in the years since the FDA granted a ‘heart healthy’ claim for oats, new research has shown that consuming oats and oat-based products reduces total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Consumption of oats does not produce adverse effects on the high density lipoprotein (HDL) or on the triglycerides.
When consumption of oats and oat-based products is combined with a healthy lifestyle-management program the results in terms of health benefits can extend beyond just reducing total cholesterol and LDL. These extended benefits may include a reduced risk of diabetes, a decreased trend to obesity, and a reduced risk of atherosclerosis. The way that oats might reduce the risk of atherosclerosis would be by favorably modifying the subclass and particle number of LDL. This is excellent news for seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps against age-related diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
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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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Is Magnesium Deficiency Linked to Aging?
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Recent estimates of magnesium deficiency in the United States put the number of folks in that category to be about 50% of the total population. The reason for concern about this magnesium deficiency that is spread across half the folks in the United States follows from the links to a number of major age related diseases. Seniors especially need to be concerned, because the diseases that have been linked to magnesium deficiency include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, osteoporosis and even some cancers.
In laboratory studies performed at the cellular level, cells that were cultured with normal levels of magnesium were compared with those that were not. The cells that were cultured without the normal level of magnesium manifested accelerated aging compared with the cells that were cultured normally. The researchers suspect that magnesium deficiency over the long term can damage the health of the cells and may very likely be promoting long term chronic disease. This is good news for seniors who are searching for information to help them take preemptive anti-aging steps to foster their senior health. Natural sources of magnesium include figs, lemons, grapefruit, yellow corn, almonds, dark green vegetables and apples.
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Seniors Live Longer & Healthier with Vitamin D
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The benefits of achieving adequate blood levels of vitamin D, which is often called the ‘sunshine vitamin’, have been documented in numerous health research reports. Lack of sufficient blood levels of vitamin D have been implicated as contributing to the development of over 25 age related diseases. By one estimated at least 50% of seniors in the United States to not have adequate blood levels of vitamin D. In a recent study that involved more that 3,000 participants over an eight year period, those with the highest blood levels of vitamin D were compared with those that had the lowest levels. The participants with the lowest blood levels of vitamin D were much more likely to die of cardiovascular disease compared with those who had the highest levels.
The same research study performed additional analysis of the data from the study of the participants and found additional negative health effects in the participants with the lowest blood levels of vitamin D. Typically those with the lowest levels manifested a greater increase in the incidence of cancer, stroke, sudden cardiac death, and death due to heart failure. This is good news for seniors who are concerned about seeking preemptive aging information to avoid these type of negative effects on their health. The informed seniors can increase their vitamin D blood levels by taking vitamin D supplements, in order to protect their senior health.
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