How Inactivity Harms Your Health

I came across this nifty diagram showing how being inactive contributes to illness. Get moving to stay healthy! When you don't move you gain weight, especially around the middle. White blood cells from your immune system move into the fat around your organs. This ignites inflammation everywhere in your body, which leads to insulin resistance and more weight gain, and ultimately diabetes. This raises your risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke. This inflammation also leads to brain issues like dementia, Parkinsons and Alzheimers. Also increased is your risk for cancer. It is worth saying again. Get moving to protect your health!

Sugary Drinks Linked to High Death Tolls Worldwide

Consumption of sugary drinks may lead to an estimated 184,000 adult deaths each year worldwide, according to research published today in the journal Circulation and previously presented as an abstract at the American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention in 2013.

“Many countries in the world have a significant number of deaths occurring from a single dietary factor, sugar-sweetened beverages. It should be a global priority to substantially reduce or eliminate sugar-sweetened beverages from the diet,” said Dariush Mozaffarian, M.D., Dr.P.H., senior author of the study and dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University in Boston.

In the first detailed global report on the impact of sugar-sweetened beverages, researchers estimated deaths and disabilities from diabetes, heart disease, and cancers in 2010. In this analysis, sugar sweetened beverages were defined as any sugar- sweetened sodas, fruit drinks, sports/energy drinks, sweetened iced teas, or homemade sugary drinks such as frescas, that contained at least 50 kcal per 8oz serving. 100 percent fruit juice was excluded.

Estimates of consumption were made from 62 dietary surveys including 611,971 individuals conducted between 1980 and 2010 across 51 countries, along with data on national availability of sugar in 187 countries and other information. This allowed capture of geographical, gender and age variation in consumption levels of sugar- sweetened beverages in different populations. Based on meta-analyses of other published evidence on health harms of sugar-sweetened beverages, the investigators calculated the direct impact on diabetes and the obesity-related effects on cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.

In 2010, the researchers estimate that sugar-sweetened beverages consumption may have been responsible for approximately:

133,000 deaths from diabetes
 

45,000 deaths from cardiovascular disease

6,450 deaths from cancer

“Some population dietary changes, such as increasing fruits and vegetables, can be challenging due to agriculture, costs, storage, and other complexities. This is not complicated. There are no health benefits from sugar-sweetened beverages, and the potential impact of reducing consumption is saving tens of thousands of deaths each year,” Mozaffarian said.

Overall, in younger adults, the percent of chronic disease attributed to sugar-sweetened beverages was higher than the percent in older adults.

The health impact of sugar-sweetened beverage intake on the young is important because younger adults form a large sector of the workforce in many countries, so the economic impact of sugar-sweetened beverage-related deaths and disability in this age group can be significant. It also raises concerns about the future. If these young people continue to consume high levels as they age, the effects of high consumption will be compounded by the effects of aging, leading to even higher death and disability rates from heart disease and diabetes than we are seeing now.

Singh GM, Micha R, Khatibzadek S, Lim S, Ezzati M, and Mozaffarian, D. “Estimated global, regional, and national disease burdens related to sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in 2010.” Circulation. Published online ahead of print 06-29-15. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.114.010636

Folic acid supplementation may reduce progression of atherosclerosis.

Researchers have conducted a meta-analysis of relevant randomized trials to assess whether folic acid supplementation reduces the progression of atherosclerosis as measured by carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT). This analysis included 2,052 subjects from 10 folic acid randomized trials. The analysis showed that folic acid supplementation significantly reduces the progression of CIMT, particularly in subjects with chronic kidney disease (CKD) or high cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk but not in subjects who were generally healthy with only elevated homocysteine concentrations. Furthermore, meta-regression analysis of the data showed that the baseline CIMT levels and the percent reduction of homocysteine were positively related to the effect size. Consistently, a greater beneficial effect was seen in those trials with baseline CIMT levels ≥0.8 mm, and a reduction in the homocysteine concentration ≥30%. The authors conclude "Our findings underscore the importance of identifying target populations that can particularly benefit from folic acid therapy".

Qin X, Xu M, Zhang Y, Li J, Xu X, Wang X, Xu X, Huo Y. Effect of folic acid supplementation on the progression of carotid intima-media thickness: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Atherosclerosis. 2012 Jun;222(2):307-13.

Vitamin C and E supplementation is beneficial for oral contraceptive users.

Oral contraceptives may increase oxidative stress and increase cardiovascular risk in susceptible women. This study aimed to assess whether supplementation with vitamins E and C reduced this oral contraceptives effect. 120 healthy female individuals were divided into three groups: A, control; B, untreated oral contraceptives users; and C, treated oral contraceptives users with vitamin E (200 IU) and C (150 mg) supplementation for 4 weeks. In all cases, plasma glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GR) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) level were determined. The results showed significant increases in the plasma MDA level, and activities of GPx and GR in plasma were decreased in Group B compared to the control group. Supplementation with vitamin C and E significantly increased the activity of GPx and GR activity, and reduced plasma MDA levels in Group C. The authors concludes "These data suggest that low-dose oral contraceptives, by enhancing the stress oxidative and lipid peroxidation, may represent a potential cardiovascular risk factor, and the use of vitamins E and C may be beneficial in ameliorating this side effect of oral contraceptives".

Note: while there are food sources of these important antioxidants, I suggest taking a daily multi-vitamin that provides at least 400 IU of vitamin E and 500 mg

vitamin C.

Zal F, Mostafavi-Pour Z, Amini F, Heidari A. Effect of vitamin E and C supplements on lipid peroxidation and GSH-dependent antioxidant enzyme status in the blood of women consuming oral contraceptives. Contraception. 2012 Jul;86(1):62-6.

Your hearts desire..if you're a chocoholic...

A study at Cambridge University has found a delicious answer to reducing heart disease: Chocolate. Polyphenol rich chocolate consumption can slash your risk of heart disease by about a third. One likely mechanism is an increase in nitric oxide which might lead to healthier blood vessels, reductions in stickiness of platelets and beneficial affects on blood pressure, insulin resistance and lipid levels. The findings were presented today at the European Society of Cardiology Congress in Paris.

Antidepressants Appear to Speed Aging of Major Blood Vessels

The earliest stages of blood vessel disease (atherosclerosis) is sometimes detected through observation of some changes in the arterial wall. One of them is the decrease in elasticity, which is related to a high risk of development of atherosclerosis. Another change is the intima-media thickening, which is a primary stage of atherosclerosis and may be used to monitor asymptomatic individuals.

Antidepressants may boost mood at the expense of accelerated atherosclerosis for middle-age men, according to an observational study of more than 500 twins who had served in the Vietnam War.

Antidepressant use appeared to "age" carotid arteries by the equivalent of four years of atherosclerotic plaque accumulation compared with nonuse.

These data and conclusions should be considered to be preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. The study was published as an abstract and presented at a conference. Still it gives pause to the widespread use of anti-depressants, considering the link between depression and heart disease.

Don't forget to exercise! Aside from all the heart protective benefits in the image above..it lifts the spirits!

Shah AJ, et al "Association of antidepressant medications with carotid intima media thickness in middle aged veteran twins" ACC 2011.

Blood Vessel Damage and Elevated Homocysteine

A bit of background...the post before this one tells of a link between dementia and low vitamin B-12 and Folic Acid status. You are taking a good multi-vitamin aren't you? When we have too little of those two B vitamins, or of vitamin B-6 we run the risk of having an elevations of a compound in the blood called homocysteine. 


Why do we worry about this? Well, aside from the risk of dementia..or Alzheimer's, having elevated homocysteine also puts us in danger of heart attack, and blood clots in our brains or in our legs...and yes the ones in our legs are very dangerous. They can move to our lungs and kill us...just as a clot in the brain can cause a stroke, or one in a coronary artery can cause a heart attack.


Suffice it to say...we don't want to ignore elevated homocysteine. Homocysteine is thought to cause vascular disease because of its effect on blood vessel walls. Homocysteine binds to certain proteins in the body affecting their structure and function. The binding of homocysteine to proteins will degrade and inhibit repair and maintenance of three main vascular connective tissue structures—cartilage, elastin and proteolgycans—making them more susceptible to disease processes, including vascular disease.


How might we protect ourselves....well that part is easy!


B Vitamins...B-12, Folic acid and B-6..and another supplement called NAC. N Acetyl Cysteine. You can have your doctor add the homocysteine screening to your cholesterol panel next time you're in for a check-up...you ARE getting them routinely yes? If your multi-vitamin isn't getting the job done...meaning your level is higher than what is ideal...you could use a higher potency B-Complex for a bit, and some NAC to reduce your risk.


Here's an abstract from one study that identified the mechanisms I mentioned above for blood vessel damage...


"Elevated blood levels of homocysteine also are considered an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis and thromboembolism (the obstruction of a blood vessel by a clot), and are correlated with a significant risk for coronary, cerebral and peripheral vascular disease, myocardial infarction (heart attacks), peripheral vascular occlusive disease, cerebral vascular occlusive disease, and retinal vascular disease."

Lentz SR. 

"Mechanisms of homocysteine-induced atherothrombosis." J Thromb Haemost. 2005 Aug;3(8):1646-54.

       And one more thing to think about...stress, anger, and hostility..seem to raise homocysteine levels...Results showed that there was a positive and significant association between hostility and homocysteine levels for all participants, and a positive and significant correlation between anger in and homocysteine levels for men. This is one suggested potential mechanism for the increased cardiovascular risk associated with hostility and anger expression Psychological factors appear to be related to blood concentrations of homocysteine. It is possible that hostility may be a sign of more life stress, and that stress appears to increase homocysteine levels. So take it easy! 

 Stoney CM, Engebretson TO

"Plasma Homocysteine Concentrations Are Positively Associated With Hostility and Anger," , Life Sci, 2000;66(23):2267-2275.

  

Nothing Beats the Mediterranean Diet..for Overall Health

If you are trying to find the most effective heart-healthy eating plan, the Mediterranean diet might be perfect for you. The Mediterranean lifestyle incorporates the basics of healthy eating — plus a splash of flavorful olive oil and perhaps a glass of red wine — among other components that best reflect traditional cooking styles in countries that live along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.

The characteristics of the Mediterranean diet include eating much higher amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables, than other western pattern diets. You'll be using healthy vegetable oils, like olive oil when you cook and as a condiment. Fish is a hallmark of the Mediterranean way of eating: fish or shellfish is at least twice a week on a menu, and may be there daily, while red meat may only happen once a week or even less. Whole grains and small portions of nuts are also one of the essentials.

Research has shown that the traditional Mediterranean diet reduces the risk of heart disease. In fact, a recent analysis of more than 1.5 million healthy adults demonstrated that following a Mediterranean diet was associated with a reduced risk of overall and cardiovascular mortality, a reduced incidence of cancer and cancer mortality, and a reduced incidence of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases.

For this reason, most if not all major scientific organizations encourage healthy adults to adapt a style of eating like that of the Mediterranean diet for prevention of major chronic diseases.

Eat Mostly Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts and Whole Grains

The Mediterranean diet traditionally is fundamentally based on fruits, vegetables, pasta and rice. For example, residents of Greece eat very little red meat and average nine servings a day of antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables. The major benefit? A lower level of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol — the "bad" cholesterol that's more likely to build up deposits in your arteries.

Nuts are featured in a healthy Mediterranean diet. Nuts are high in fat (approximately 80 percent of their calories come from fat), but most of the fat is unsaturated and very healthy for your heart and blood vessels. Because nuts are high in calories, they should not be eaten in large amounts — generally no more than a handful a day. For the best nutrition, avoid candied or honey-roasted and heavily salted nuts. Eat raw walnuts, almonds and macadamia nuts...

Grains in the Mediterranean region are typically whole grain and usually contain very few unhealthy trans fats, and bread is an important part of the diet there. However, throughout the Mediterranean region, bread is eaten plain or dipped in olive oil — not eaten with butter or margarines, which contain saturated or trans fats. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and some fresh herbs and sea salt for a delicious dip for whole grain breads.

Be Wise About Fats

The focus of the Mediterranean diet isn't on limiting total fat consumption, but rather to be wise about the types of fat you eat. The Mediterranean diet discourages saturated fats and hydrogenated oils (trans fats, fried foods), all of which contribute to heart disease.

The Mediterranean diet uses olive oil as the primary source of fat. Olive oil provides monounsaturated fat — a type of fat that can help reduce LDL cholesterol levels when used in place of saturated or trans fats. "Extra-virgin" and "virgin" olive oils — the least processed forms — also contain the highest levels of the protective plant compounds that provide antioxidant effects.

Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats, such as canola oil and some nuts, contain the beneficial alpha linolenic acid (a type of omega-3 fatty acid). Omega-3 fatty acids lower triglycerides, decrease blood clotting, are associated with decreased sudden heart attack, improve the health of your blood vessels, and help moderate blood pressure. Fatty fish — such as mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon — are rich sources of the most beneficial omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA. Fish is eaten on a regular basis in the Mediterranean diet. I always suggest supplementing with 1000 mg combined EPA and DHA in addition to eating a fish based diet.

Be Wise About Wine

The health effects of alcohol are a subject of heated debate. Many doctors and nutritionists are reluctant to encourage alcohol consumption because of the dire negative health consequences of excessive drinking. However, alcohol — in moderation — has been associated with a reduced risk of heart disease in some research studies. Also some studies feel that a small amount of alcohol contributes to healthy brain aging.

The Mediterranean diet typically includes a moderate amount of wine. This means no more than 5 ounces (148 milliliters) of wine daily for women (or men over age 65), and no more than 10 ounces (296 milliliters) of wine daily for men under age 65. More than this may increase the risk of health problems, including increased risk of certain types of cancer.

If you're unable to limit your alcohol intake to the amounts defined above, if you have a personal or family history of alcohol abuse, or if you have liver disease, refrain from drinking wine or any other alcohol. Also keep in mind that red wine contains compounds that may trigger migraines in some people.

In Summary

The Mediterranean diet is a lifestyle that really supports health and longevity. There are many cookbooks to help you adapt your meals to these suggestions. Look Here:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_18?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=mediterranean+diet&sprefix=mediterranean+diet


Here are some guidelines to get you going:

• Eat an abundant array of vegetables and fruits — and switch to whole grains. A variety of plant foods should dominate your plate. Try to have three fourths of the "real estate" on your plate occupied by fruits and veggies. They should be fresh, and ideally in season. Strive for seven to 10 servings a day of veggies and fruits. Switch to whole-grain bread and cereal, and begin to eat more whole-gain rice and pasta products. Cut the white flour products out of your meals. Keep baby carrots, apples and bananas on hand for quick, satisfying snacks. Fruit salads are a wonderful way to eat a variety of healthy fruit.
• Find a Great Fish Market. Eat fish two to four times a week. Fresh or water-packed tuna, salmon, trout, mackerel and herring are healthy choices. Grilled and baked fish cook in minutes. Avoid fried fish, the benefits of Omega 3's are lost when the fish is fried
• Olive Oil not butter. Try olive oil as a healthy replacement for butter and get rid of margarine. Use olive oil in cooking. After cooking pasta, add a touch of olive oil, some garlic and green onions, and a small handful of parmesan for flavoring. Dip bread in flavored olive oil or lightly spread it on whole-grain bread for a tasty alternative to butter. Try tahini (blended sesame seeds) as a dip or spread for bread too.
• Go nuts. Keep almonds, cashews, pistachios and walnuts on hand for a quick snack. Choose natural peanut butter, rather than the kind with hydrogenated fat added. Try tahini (blended sesame seeds) as a dip or spread for bread. An incredible treat is a pitted date, stuffed with tahini, sprinkled with sea salt...
• Spices replace salt. Herbs and spices make food tasty and are also rich in antioxidants and healthy aging compounds. Season your dishes with herbs and spices rather than salt.
• Limit red meat. Substitute fish and poultry for red meat. When eaten, make sure it's lean and keep portions to about 4 ounces. Also be very sparing with sausage, bacon and other cured high-fat meats. Pork is the most inflammatory of all protein sources.
• Choose less and only low-fat dairy. Limit higher fat dairy products such as whole or 2 percent milk, cheese and ice cream. Switch to skim milk, fat-free yogurt and low-fat cheese. Eat Goat cheese.
• Vino, Grape or Pomegranate Juice. If alcohol isn't an issue for you have a glass of wine at dinner. If you don't drink alcohol, Purple grape juice has the same antioxidant benefits as wine. Pomegranate juice is a delicious lower sugar alternative.

February is Heart Month....

Although heart health risks, including high blood pressure, stroke and high cholesterol, are the top health concern for many people, people still struggle to incorporate “heart-healthy” foods into their diet. For example, while eight out of 10 in the US are aware of the relationship between omega-3s and heart health, less than half (48 percent) of Americans are currently consuming omega-3s for this benefit.

A diet that is low in saturated and trans fats, cholesterol and sodium can help reduce your risk for heart disease…think more fruits and vegetables, less burgers and fries…and along with the fruits and veggies…look for while grains and fiber…so we are talking about a diet like the Mediterranean Diet.

 

Foods that promote heart health include:


Nuts: As a rich source of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and unsaturated fat, nuts are a powerhouse food that can promote heart health. Almonds and hazelnuts are also high in vitamin E, which helps promote the function of a healthy cardiovascular system.

“Heart Healthy” Fats: Both monounsaturated fat (olive oil, walnuts, avocado) and the Omega 3’s may help promote heart health. Salmon, sardines, herring, trout and tuna are terrific sources of omega-3 fatty acids,as are some eggs.

Soy Protein: Getting your daily protein from soy sources can also help to reduce your risk of heart disease. Look for soy protein in nutrition bars, fortified soy beverages, tofu, soy cheese and edamame or try adding soy protein to your favorite smoothie.

Sterols and Stanols: These plant-based food components help block the absorption of cholesterol in the intestine, which can help lower LDL cholesterol levels. They are found in foods like corn, soy, wheat and some fortified foods like soft table spreads, orange juice and yogurt.

Dark Chocolate: Some dark chocolates can contain helpful components called flavanols. These cocoa-derived flavanols have been shown to help support the cardiovascular system, which helps move blood to and from the heart. When included in moderation, dark chocolate can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet.

Red wine and something in red wine called resveratrol might be heart healthy. The studies supporting red wine suggest antioxidants in red wine called polyphenols help protect the lining of blood vessels in your heart. These antioxidants come in two main forms: flavonoids and nonflavonoids.

Flavonoids. These antioxidants are found in a variety of foods, including oranges, grape juice, apples, onions, tea and cocoa. Other types of alcohol, such as white wine and beer, contain small amounts, too, but red wine has higher levels.These are just a few of the many healthful foods and food components that can promote heart health.

NIH Funded Research Shows How Fish Oils Protect Against Cardiovascular Disease

A researcher at Michigan Technological University is contributing to the growing body of evidence suggesting that the omega-3 fatty acids ( EPA and DHA)  found in fish oil protect against cardiovascular disease.

Fish oil has been shown to improve vascular function (blood flow) by decreasing triglyceride levels and the growth rate of atherosclerotic plaques, and by reducing blood pressure, according to Jason R, Carter, chair of the Department of Exercise Science, Health and Physical Education at Michigan Tech. Carter says that the underlying mechanisms responsible for these Fish Oil benefits are not entirely clear, but reduction of sympathetic nerve activity (the flight/fight response) may be an important contributor.

Fish Oil and Neurovascular Control in Humans (2008-2011)
The major goal of this project is to examine the  effects of fish oil on blood pressure and muscle  sympathetic nerve activity in normotensive and hypertensive individuals.

http://www.newswise.com/articles/fish-oil-protects-against-cardiovascular-disease