Looking for a sweet way to take a big bite out of your risk for cardiovascular disease? Go eat some fruit! In an evaluation that included over 450,000 Chinese adults followed over a seven-year period, those consuming fruit regularly enjoyed a significant reduction in the risk for heart attacks, strokes, and high blood pressure. Study […]
I include fresh garlic in my diet every day. Here are 5 reasons why you should too! Garlic is a powerful natural antibiotic that has antiviral and antibacterial properties. (If I feel a cold or bug coming on, I make a garlic kale salad that has at least 8 cloves of minced garlic in it. […]
Including a bowl of cereal for breakfast is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to tap into the health-boosting power of whole grains. Eating whole grain cereal may be especially valuable for reducing the risk of high blood pressure. After following over 13,000 male physicians for 16 plus years, scientists found that men […]
If you enjoy your yogurt like I do, you will be pleased to know that in addition to getting a nice dose of several critical nutrients like calcium, zinc, potassium, B vitamins and those awesome beneficial bacteria (probiotics) – yogurt may help lower your risk of high blood pressure. In a study that followed the […]
Although science has been lacking, my instincts have always told me that sunlight has health benefits well beyond its profoundly important role of providing the body with vitamin D. And now we have some concrete, proof-of-principle data to support my health intuition. For this evaluation, researchers from the University of Edinburgh monitored the blood pressure […]
Like other nuts, almonds are on a roll for health, and this delicious food has landed another scientific triumph. For this study, scientists had a group of young to middle age men consume a handful of almonds as a snack everyday for one month. A control group of study subjects consumed their regular diets without adding […]
When it comes to blood pressure and stroke risk, even “a little bit above normal” may be deadly. Strokes are the 4th leading cause of death and based on a review of 12 previous studies, folks with blood pressures in the upper prehypertension range (130-139 systolic and 85-89 diastolic) had a 79 percent greater risk […]
In an uplifting report that adds to the well-deserved and glowing reputation of omega- 3 fats for heart health, scientists determined that increasing our intake of these precious and vital fats helps lower blood pressure. The analysis combined the data from 70 formally published clinical trials and found that study subjects who increased their intakes […]
The alarm bells for exposure to BPA have been getting louder over that past few years, and higher blood pressure may indeed be another cause for concern. BPA is a compound found in some plastics as well as the liners used for most canned foods and beverages. Although a definitive verdict on BPA exposure and health is […]
Although lifelong exposure to the sun’s UV rays is a known risk factor for non-melanoma skin cancers, it is important to balance this with the fact that regular prudent, “safe” sun exposure also has key health benefits. That was the passionate plea from the world’s most esteemed vitamin D researchers who recently published a review […]
The diminutive blueberry may be a powerhouse food for cardiovascular health. That was the conclusion from a new clinical trial that tested if a daily dose of blueberries could lower blood pressure. For this study 48 women with mild to moderate high blood pressure were given the equivalent of one cup of blueberries daily in the […]
Think that putting on a few pounds is harmless – think again. In a sobering new study presented at a recent scientific meeting, researchers demonstrated that gaining as little as five pounds is enough to drive up blood pressure, particularly if the weight is gained in the belly. For this eight-week study, scientists had […]
