Posts Tagged ‘cardiovascular health’
Healthy Senior Hearts – From Fish to Nuts!
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Most health conscious seniors are well aware of he many benefits of the omega-3s fats from fish which are the richest source of the omega-3s. The omega-3s were discovered in the 1970’s when researchers figured out that the Eskimos in Greenland ate a high fat fish based diet, but very seldom developed heart disease. Many additional studies have been conducted by both the FDA and the American Heart Association that have confirmed the benefits of eating oily fish or consuming fish oil. It turns out that in addition to fish there are plant sources of omega-3s. The plant sources include flaxseeds, flax oil, and chia seeds. They provide alpha-lineolic acid (ALA) which our bodies convert to the EPA and DHA forms that are found in fish. Other good foods sources of ALA are pumpkin seeds and walnuts. The list of benefits is long and impressive. Here are some of the highlights. The omega-3s are known to improve cardiovascular health, to provide relief from inflammatory diseases, to raise the levels of the ‘good’ HDL cholesterol, and to lower the levels of the ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol. This is good news for seniors who are looking for preemptive aging information that they can implement to enhance their senior health.
Why is the Omega-6 GLA Good for Seniors?
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The health news reports are full of glowing accounts of the health benefits of the Omega-3 fatty acids especially the EPA/DHA from fish and other foods. In parallel many health reports point out that the typical American diet is unbalanced, because it contains too much omega-6 fatty acids. It turns out that most vegetable oils including corn, soybean, and safflower provide an excess of omega-6 fatty acids. Eggs and poultry are additional sources of excess omega-6 fatty acids in the typical American diet. The one exception to this general rule is the omega-6 fatty acid known as gamma linolenic acid (GLA), because research has shown this nutrient has the power to combat atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, obesity, diabetes and cancer. As we age our bodies begin to stop producing GLA and most folks do not get enough from their diet. The latest research is providing very strong evidence that GLA can contribute to preempting a wide range of typical age-related disorders by itself and together with EPA/DHA. Many of these disorders are caused by inflammation that senior bodies can not moderate because of the breakdown of of the aging bodies ability to produce the anti-inflammatory enzyme. This enzyme produces anti-inflammatory molecules from dietary fats. Taking supplemental GLA derived from Borage can substitute for this defect in senior bodies, in order to reduce inflammation. The health results can be substantial particularly in regard to promoting cardiovascular health.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Soy Is a Healthy Nutritional Source for Seniors
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Many articles in the press have promoted the health benefits of consuming soy as a food. In fact in 1999 the FDA allowed a health claim to be made for soy as a food. This action by the FDA was very unusual; it came under attack by certain folks who were later identified as representing a narrow slice of the food industry. These critics apparently felt threatened by the success of soy which would take away some of their pre-soy approval profits. The end result of this story has a happy ending for seniors who are concerned about fostering their senior health. As a result of the criticism, many clinical studies and research were performed on soy and the verdict is in; soy is a very healthy source of nutrition for all ages including seniors.
Soy proteins and its isoflavanones provide a wide range of health benefits through direct and complementary paths in our bodies. They operate by various means to reduce inflammation and block oxidation. These healthy effects provide a multilayer protection against cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis as well as many other unhealthy conditions that accompany aging. It turns out that soy protein and isoflavones have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. This is very good news about soy for seniors who are concerned about taking preemptive aging steps to promote their cardiovascular health.
The Big Four Lifestyle Changes for Senior Health
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Now that the Federal Government has passed Health Care Reform legislation this would be an appropriate time to take take a serious look at what each one of us can do to reform our individual health care practices. Seniors need to be particularly attentive to taking care of our senior health by the choices that we make in terms of the foods we consume, supplements that we take, and the exercise schedule that we follow. When you get right down to the nittygritty there is a lot that seniors and boomers can do to prevent or preempt diseases from ever getting started. This becomes more serious for folks the older we get, because of the special issues that affect senior health. We can choose our lifestyle so that we head in a direction with a high probability of attaining greater health or in an opposite direction with an equal probability of coming down with one of the big three diseases.
The big three killer diseases are cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. A small number of lifestyle changes can reduce the probability of seniors contracting one of the big three by 80%. Instead of raising your health insurance premiums these lifestyle changes will very likely keep them steady and in some cases may actually lower them. These lifestyle changes are attainable by most folks, but they do require sincere commitment. The alternatives for not embracing these changes are higher health insurance premiums for everyone, seriously degraded quality of life and early death. The big lifestyle changes can be reduced to four. They include eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, and not smoking. As one motivation coach put it, “Where attention goes, energy flows, and the result shows”. Practicing the healthy four lifestyle changes will help seniors preempt cancer, promote cardiovascular health, and avoid diabetes.
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