Supplements for Cholesterol: What Works? – Cholesterol – Health.com

Supplements for Cholesterol: What Works? – Cholesterol – Health.com.

Meat linked to increased diabetes risk: Meta-analysis

Meat linked to increased diabetes risk: Meta-analysis.

The Super green List: Connecting Human and Ocean Health

According to seafoodwatch.org, seafood plays an important role in a balanced diet. It’s often rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which help boost immunity and reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer and other ailments. Omega-3s are especially important for pregnant and nursing women, and young children. Unfortunately, some fish carry toxins that can become harmful when eaten frequently.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is releasing a “super green” list that ranks fish by sustainability and levels of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Species that make the list include farmed mussels and oysters, line- or pole-caught albacore tuna, wild-caught Alaskan salmon and Pacific sardines.
Combining the work of conservation and public health organizations, the Monterey Bay Aquarium has identified seafood that is “Super Green,” meaning that it is good for human health and does not harm the oceans. The Super Green list highlights products that are currently on the Seafood Watch “Best Choices” (green) list, are low in environmental contaminants and are good sources of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Read more…

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7 Causes Of High Cholesterol – Do you have high cholesterol? – Health.com

7 Causes Of High Cholesterol – Do you have high cholesterol? – Health.com

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Meta-analysis supports safety of soy, red clover

Meta-analysis supports safety of soy, red clover

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Preventable Health Problems

The United States spent about $2.2 trillion on healthcare in 2007. This accounts for 16 percent of our gross domestic product, and that’s projected to rise to 20 percent by 2017. Much of this healthcare spending can be tied to preventable health problems.

Here are some examples of preventable health problems:

The largest numbers of deaths in the United States are caused by two preventable causes – tobacco smoking and high blood pressure – killing an estimated 467,000 and 395,000 people respectively in 2005. Currently, one in three American adults (about 73 million people) has high blood pressure; one in every six Americans age 20 or older has high cholesterol. Anyone suffering from high cholesterol or hypertension is at heightened risk for heart disease, according to HealthBeat, a Harvard Publication. Heart disease is projected to cost more than $304.6 billion in 2009, including health care services, medications, and lost productivity (CDC).

Case for obesity: Excess weight is a significant factor in four of the six leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. Obesity has fueled a 45 percent rise in diabetes over the past 20 years; someone born in 2000 has a 1 in 3 chance of developing the disease (US News Jan’09).
Obesity increases a person’s risk of illness and death due to diabetes, stroke, heart disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, and kidney and gallbladder disease. Obesity may increase the risk for some types of cancer. It is also a risk factor for the development of osteoarthritis and sleep apnea (NY Times June’08)

Case for colon cancer: Statistics show that although the death rate from colon cancer has dropped in recent years – likely mostly because of screening efforts – colorectal cancer still strikes almost 150,000 Americans every year and kills about 50,000.
Disease prevention is a key part of health care reform and the U.S. needs to do a better job preventing deaths through improved screening technology and ensuring more people have access to the tests, such as colonoscopies, says gastroenterologist Dr. Jon LaPook. He has his own colonoscopy recorded (see video, courtesy of CBS NEWS) to remind people of the importance of regular screenings.

Here are some simple preventive measures:

Low-risk factors for hypertension include a Body mass Index (BMI) of less than 25; an average of 30 minutes exercise per day; a good diet as measured by the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) or a Mediterranean-style diet centered on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and fish instead of red meat and processed foods. Also beneficial is an anti-inflammatory diet that is focused on reducing saturated fat and trans fats and eating more foods rich in alpha-linolenic acid—like flax seed, walnuts, and canola oil—and omega-3 fats.

Lifestyle therapies are considered first-line interventions for managing both long- and short-term risks, including fat loss, increased physical activity, and adopting a healthy diet, including whole grains, fruits and vegetables, fish and lean protein, and low-fat dairy, fiber supplements; reduced intake of saturated fat and cholesterol. Many experts agree that whole grains are notably beneficial for maintaining vital markers of cardiovascular health like blood pressure, cholesterol levels, homocysteine levels and inflammation, in addition to aiding weight management.

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Gum Disease and Heart Disease Association Revealed

The association between gum disease (periodontitis) and coronary heart disease (CHD) has been known for years, but a genetic link between the conditions hadn’t been confirmed until now. German scientists at the University of Kiel found that the two diseases share a genetic variant on chromosome 9. This discovery helps explain association between the two illnesses. Dr. Arne Schaefer and his colleagues verified this genetic association in groups of 180 periodontitis patients and 1,100 CHD patients. “We think that periodontitis should be taken very seriously by dentists and diagnosed and treated as early as possible,” Schaefer said. He further noted that periodontitis and CHD share risk factors such as smoking, diabetes and obesity.
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How do walnuts and fish compare in protecting against heart disease?

Lifelong Supplements™ health news! High blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels are risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD). It is well known that increased consumption of omega-3 fatty acids decreases the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD). However, the question consumers often ask is whether plant- and marine-derived omega-3 fats work similarly in prevention of CHD.
A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that including walnuts and fatty fish in a healthy diet lowered serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, respectively, which affects CHD risk favorably. These findings show that walnut (a rich source of plant-derived omega-3) and fatty fish (a rich source of marine-derived omega-3), although both types are cadio-protective, target different risk factors when consumed in amounts recommended for primary prevention of CHD.
Here is a brief description of the study. In a randomized crossover feeding trial, 25 normal to mildly hyperlipidemic adults consumed 3 isoenergetic diets (about 30% total fat and <10% saturated fat) for 4 weeks each: a control diet (no nuts or fish), a walnut diet (1.5 oz walnuts/day), or a fish diet (4 oz salmon, twice/week). Fasting blood was drawn at baseline and at the end of each diet period and analyzed for serum lipids. The results showed that the participants who followed the walnut diet had a 5.3% lower serum total cholesterol level and a 9.5% lower LDL (bad) cholesterol level when compared to the control diet. Those who followed the fish diet decreased their triglyceride levels by 10.7%, and increased their HDL (good) cholesterol by 3.4% compared to the control diet. The reference for the study is: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 89, pages 1657S-1663S, 2009.
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Lifelong Supplement™ News: Increased Potassium Intake may Lower Blood Pressure

Lifelong Supplements™ health news! A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine 2009, volume 169, pages 32-40 shows that the ratio of sodium-to-potassium in subjects’ urine was a much stronger predictor of cardiovascular disease (CVD) than sodium or potassium alone. The researchers determined average sodium and potassium intake during two phases of a study known as the Trials of Hypertension Prevention. The researchers collected 24-hr urine samples intermittently during an 18-month period in one trial and during a 36-month period in a second trial. The 2,974 participants, initially age 30–54 and with blood pressure readings just under levels considered high, were followed for 10–15 years to see if they would develop cardiovascular disease. The study concluded that higher sodium to potassium excretion ratio is associated with increased risk of subsequent CVD, with an effect stronger than that of sodium or potassium alone.

To lower blood pressure and cut the effects of salt, adults should consume 4.7 g of potassium per day. According to an Institute of Medicine report, most American adults aged 31–50 consume only about half as much as recommended.

In the United States where people consume diets high in processed foods and large amounts of sodium, 1 in 3 persons have hypertension. An increase in potassium with a decrease in sodium is probably the most important dietary choice (after weight loss) that should be implemented to reduce cardiovascular disease.
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NIH Study – Calorie Intake Determines Weight Loss

Lifelong Supplements™ health news! , A two-year National Institutes of Health-funded study that assigned 811 overweight people to one of four reduced-calorie diets found that all trimmed pounds just the same. It didn’t matter what foods participants ate (not protein, fat or carbohydrate ratios), but rather how many calories they consumed, according to the Wall Street Journal report. This finding “really goes against the idea that certain foods are the key to weight loss,” says Frank Sacks, the lead researcher and a professor of cardiovascular-disease prevention at Harvard School of Public Health. Click here The Wall Street to learn more.
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