Vitamin C Linked to Lower Blood Pressure
VITAMIN C LEVELS LINKED TO LOWER BLOOD PRESSURE
A study has concluded that a higher intake of fruits and vegetables, for which a greater blood concentration of vitamin C was used as an indicator, decreases the risk of developing high blood pressure by up to 22 percent for those in the top quarter of vitamin C levels.
The large epidemiological study adjusted for numerous potentially confounding factors, such as age, sex, body mass, alcohol consumption, smoking, blood pressure medications, and even vitamin C supplementation. In other words, the link between higher vitamin C levels and reduced blood pressure risk was found whether the subjects took supplements or not, so long as the vitamin C concentrations were high. Only the systolic blood pressure reading (the number on the top) was included in the study.
This research will not be published until the September 2011 issue of the journal Hypertension, but it is available online now at http://bit.ly/qZlsRX with subscription or access fee.
Another Benefit of Olive Oil
OLIVE OIL REDUCES RISK OF STROKE IN OLDER PERSONS
Scientists have found that older people who regularly consume olive oil both as cooking oil and as salad dressing have a 41 percent lower risk of having a stroke than those who never use olive oil.
The study followed 7,625 people aged 65 and over for five years. The team also looked at blood levels of oleic acid, a biological indicator of olive oil intake, and found that those in the highest third of blood levels had a 27 percent lower chance of having a stroke.
Previous research showed olive oil is linked to a reduced incidence of cardiovascular risk factors, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and high cholesterol. In these cases, and in the current study, there is insufficient proof that any component in olive oil affects these risks; it is possible, for instance, that olive oil makes other healthy food choices such as salads or cooked vegetables taste better, thus increasing consumption of healthier foods.
This study was released June 15, 2011 but will not appear in print until a future issue of the journal, Neurology. It is available online now at http://bit.ly/j9Cyym with subscription or fee.
Even More Reason to Manage Weight, Cholesterol & High Blood Pressure
NON
-ALCOHOLIC LIVER DISEASE POISED FOR EPIDEMIC STATUS
A study projects that new cases of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) will soon push this type of chronic liver disease (CLD), one of the major worldwide causes of morbidity and mortality, into epidemic status. (NAFLD is a spectrum of disease in people who do not drink alcohol excessively and ranges from excess fat in the liver, to fat in combination with inflammation and liver cell injury, to cirrhosis and its complications, particularly liver cancer.)
During the first cycle of statistics studied (1988-1994), NAFLD accounted for 46.8 percent of all CLD; but by the third cycle studied (2005-2008), NAFLD accounted for 75.1 percent of all CLD cases.
At this rate, prevalence will increase a further 50% by 2030. The researchers concluded that it is urgent to alert the public to the importance of exercise, proper diet and avoiding obesity, all of which lower NAFLD risk.
The study may also suggest a need to prevent the underlying causes of NAFLD, which in addition to obesity, include: metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance associated with diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. This not-yet-published study was presented in Berlin today, April 2, 2011, at the International Liver Congress.
Sugar & Sweetened Drinks Worse Than Salt for Hypertension
SUGAR & SUGAR-SWEETENED DRINKS LINKED TO HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE
Researchers ha
ve found that those who consume more fructose and glucose (sugar) than the median have higher blood pressure, with a more pronounced spike among those who also consume more salt.
Also, those who drink just one sugar-sweetened soda per day have modestly higher blood pressure readings. However, those who drink diet soft drinks have lower blood pressure.
The systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings for those who consume more fructose and glucose, as well as more salt, were higher by 3.4 and 2.2 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), respectively. The blood pressure scores for those who consume sugar-sweetened sodas were 1.6 and 0.8 mm Hg higher, for the systolic and diastolic readings, respectively, for every diet soda consumed. (Systolic blood pressure is the upper number in a blood pressure reading and diastolic is the lower. Fructose and glucose are both found in high-fructose corn syrup, the most common sugar found in soft drinks.) This study was released February 28, 2011 by Hypertension, but will not appear in print until a future issue of this journal. It is available online now at http://bit.ly/h0me1x.
Your Heart Health Needs More than 6 Hours of Sleep
INSUFFICIENT SLEEP INCREASES RISK OF STROKE AND HEART ATTACK
Researchers conclude that chronically getting less than six hours of sleep a night produces hormones and chemicals in the body that are associated with greater risks of developing high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, heart attacks, strokes, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity.
In fact, regularly sleeping less than six hours a night can result in a 48% higher risk of developing or dying of heart disease and a 15% greater risk of developing or dying of a stroke.
Sleeping over nine hours a night has been linked to illness, including cardiovascular disease.
It is the chronic lack of sufficient sleep that produces long-term risk, not an occasional late night and early morning. The study analyzed data from 470,000 participants from eight countries. This study was released online February 8, 2011 by the European Heart Journal and will appear in a future print issue. It is available online now at http://bit.ly/erusY4 without charge.
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Ways to Support Healthy Longevity
Several Habits To Support Longevity
From Prevention Magazine:
1. Cut out the bad fat.
Bad fat being saturated and trans fats. Good fats like Omega 3 essential fatty acids (EFA) are really important for heart, brain and skin health. For an excellent source of Omega 3 EFA, see Antarcti-Krill. Another type of “good fat” are the monounsaturated fats like those from nuts, avocados and olive oil.
2. Reduce your “added” sugar intake.
Too much “added” sugar can result in additional wrinkles because sugar binds to proteins in skin, damaging collagen. To avoid “added sugars,” reduce your consumption of packaged foods and any resulting “added sugar” to no more than 160 calories per day. That would be equivalent to 1 can of soda per day.
3. Develop your friendships.
Close friendships are actually more important in your overall longevity than strong family ties.
4. Get to bed on time.
Lack of sleep affects aging. It adversely affects weight, diabetes and high blood pressure. To help you get the sleep you need, try Z-Caps.
5. Reduce your stress.
Increased stress builds hormones in the blood stream which delay wound healing, increase blood pressure, reduce cognitive function memory, adversely affect mood and learning. To help you cope with stress, try InSight Natural or InSight HT.
Try deep breathing at least twice a day to support healthy stress management.
6. Listen to your iPod at <50% volume.
Listening to loud music can result in early hearing loss. Experts suggest listening to your iPod at <50% volume and invest in a good set of noise canceling headsets so that you can still hear the music, but at a lower and safer volume level.
Blueberries Reduce Risk of High Blood Pressure
BLUEBERRIES REDUCE RISK OF HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE 
A study found that a compound in blueberries and strawberries lowers the risk of hypertension (high blood pressure). Thanks to the anthocyanins (a flavonoid) in blueberries, researchers found, those eating at least one serving a week reduced their risk of developing the condition by 10 percent, compared with those who rarely or never eat blueberries. Those consuming strawberries weekly showed an eight percent lower risk.
Over 14 years, researchers studied 134,000 women and 47,000 men who did not have hypertension at the start of the study, assessing their health every two years and their diets every four. Newly diagnosed cases of high blood pressure were analyzed in relation to the dietary intake of anthocyanins and the reduced risk was found. The study team concluded that an anthocyanin intake level that is achievable by diet alone could serve to prevent this condition, which leads to stroke and heart disease.
The team suggested raspberries, aubergines (eggplants) and blood orange juice as equivalent alternatives. This study was released recently but will not appear in print until the February, 2011 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. It is online now at http://bit.ly/ft6gVu.
1 Week of Salt Reduction Can Substantially Lower Health Risks
SALT REDUCTION LOWERS BLOOD PRESSURE IN DIABETICS:
A study concludes that substantially limiting salt (sodium) intake for about a week lowers existing high blood pressure in both type 1 and type 2 diabetics, which in turn reduces other diabetic risks, including stroke, heart attack and diabetic kidney disease.
This review noted that a daily salt reduction of 8.5 mg resulted in a drop in blood pressure similar to that achieved with blood pressure medications. (Diabetics are more likely to develop high blood pressure.) The study team recommended that diabetics reduce their salt intake to at least 5 to 6 grams a day – which is the current guideline for the general population – and preferably even lower.
Reducing salt intake can be challenging for anyone. Few people are aware that the majority of salt intake comes from processed foods, implying that the focus should be less on the shaker and more on the supermarket and chain restaurant. This study was published in the December, 2010 issue of The Cochrane Library. It can be read online now at http://bit.ly/gfQxAq.
The Link Between Sleep & Inflammation
POOR OR INSUFFICIENT SLEEP INCREASES HEART RISK
Researchers have found that insufficient or poor-quality sleep causes higher levels of inflammation in the body. Inflammation is a risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
The study team recorded sleep quality, using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index survey, as well as the number of hours of sleep. Subjects regularly getting fewer than six hours of sleep, as well as those regularly getting a poor quality of sleep, had higher levels of three inflammation markers: fibrinogen, IL-6 and C-reactive protein (CRP). People in the highest third of CRP levels have been shown to have roughly twice the risk of heart attack, compared to those with lower levels, according to the American Heart Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Previous studies have shown that people getting between seven and eight hours of sleep live longer, while those getting more than eight, or less than seven, are more likely to have high blood pressure, obesity, or psychological stress. Inflammation may be the mechanism by which poor sleep quality increases heart disease and stroke risk. This study was presented in Chicago on November 14, 2010 at the Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association. It has not yet been journal-published.
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Vitamin D May Boost Heart Failure Survival
A study has found that heart failure patients with reduced levels of vitamin D have lower rates of survival than patients with normal vitamin D levels.
As a result, researchers suggest that a low intake of vitamin D may be a factor in the development, and outcome, of heart failure. Vitamin D is produced by the skin when it is exposed to the natural ultra violet-B, or UV-B, radiation from the sun. Most tissues and cells have a vitamin D receptor; and evidence suggests vitamin D reduces the risks of several chronic illnesses such as common cancers, autoimmune diseases, kidney diseases, chronic infectious diseases, high blood pressure – and apparently, heart failure.
The study team described the evidence of a protective effect from vitamin D as “compelling,” and recommended that heart failure patients should be advised to take vitamin D supplements and eat oily fish or eggs. The study was presented August 31, 2010 at the annual congress of the European Society Cardiology. It has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Calorie Restriction Can Cut High Blood Pressure
A study has concluded that a substantially calorie restricted, or CR diet may serve as an effective non-pharmacological treatment for hypertension, or high blood pressure, even in a short-term program. (CR is a dietary regimen that restricts calorie intake substantially below normal levels, while still maintaining normal nutrient levels; it has been shown over many decades to increase median and maximum lifespan in a wide variety of species.)
The study also suggested that even a short-term CR diet may help prevent cardiac hypertrophy, which is a thickening of the heart muscle that decreases the size of the chambers of the heart. In just five weeks, a CR diet reduced the systolic blood pressure – the upper number of a blood pressure reading – and reduced ventricular wall thickness. Additionally, this short period of calorie restriction dilated artery walls and improved various other circulatory factors. This study was released August 9, 2010 but will not be published until a future print issue of the journal, Hypertension. It is available online in the meantime at http://bit.ly/9szxLy.
A Bittersweet Solution For High Blood Pressure
A statistical analysis of 15 previous studies has found that people with hypertension, or high blood pressure, can significantly reduce their blood pressure readings by ingesting dark chocolate, due to its high flavanol content.
The flavanols dilate blood vessels thus dropping pressure. The benefit translates to a lowering of the systolic reading – the upper number in your blood pressure reading – by 5 points. That may not seem like much but it is comparable to the blood pressure benefit of 30 minutes of physical activity a day (a reduction of 4-9 points) and over five years, could cut the risk of a cardiovascular event by as much as 20 percent.
However, a reduction in readings was seen only in those with hypertension and not in those with normal readings. Also, the study team questioned the “practicality” of using chocolate or cocoa as a treatment for high blood pressure. Released June 28, ahead of being published in an upcoming issue of the open-access journal BMC Medicine, full details of this study can be read online at: http://bit.ly/aoc9LF.
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Sugar Sweetened Drinks Linked to High Blood Pressure
A study suggests that reducing consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks results in a reduction of blood pressure readings among adults.
In this study of 810 adults, reducing the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages by just one serving a day produced a significant reduction in both systolic and diastolic readings – meaning the upper and lower numbers in a blood pressure reading. An analysis of diet drink and caffeine consumption showed no blood pressure effect, suggesting that it is the actual sugar content of these beverages that is producing the higher blood pressure readings. Sugar and sugar-sweetened beverages have previously been associated with a higher risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
A brief summary of this study was released May 24 but details will not be made available until the study is published in the online and print editions of a future issue of the journal, Circulation.
Good Fats Fight Heart Disease
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A study suggests foods rich in good fats may partly offset risk factors for ischemic heart disease (IHD). High cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and aging are risk factors for IHD, a reduced blood supply to the heart. But IHD rates are low in Spain, where risk factors are high. So scientists compared blood levels of unsaturated fats in healthy people with those showing signs of IHD and concluded greater levels of oleic, alpha-linolenic and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids – found in olive oil, walnuts and fish, respectively – protected against IHD. This brief summary was released May 12 but details are withheld until a future issue of the online and print editions of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. |
