Downing sugary drinks like cola and fruit juice dramatically increases the chances one will suffer from high blood pressure, a team from the School of Public Health at Imperial College London found this week.

The study linked beverage consumption and blood pressure readings of about 2700 adults living in the UK. They found that consuming just one sugary drink every day increases systolic blood pressure by 1.6 mmHg and diastolic by .8 mmHg. Additionally, the research team found a clear link between sugary beverages and elevated BMI –an important risk factor for hypertension.

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Christian Goodman

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It’s common knowledge that restricting salt is one of the front line recommendations for preventing high blood pressure. However, new research conducted by Belgium’s University of Leuven questions that conventional wisdom.

In this study, they found that severely limiting salt intake (consuming less than 1500 mg per day) didn’t reduce heart attack and stroke risk in most people without high blood pressure. They do note that those with high blood pressure do benefit from restricting sodium. This study has come under attack from the American Heart Association and the American Medical Association for its conclusions.

Treating high blood pressure is more than cutting back on salt, but preventing it in the first place may need a new set of eyes.

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Warm regards,

Christian Goodman

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Those using exercise to fight high blood pressure should focus on high-intensity workouts like sprinting and tennis, a new study published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention & Rehabilitation found. In the study, a group of adults with high blood pressure were assigned to one of two training regimens. One had the subjects perform long, steady-state workouts like walking or light jogging. The other were asked to do interval training –alternate bouts of high-intensity activity followed by short rest periods.

The research team found that interval outperformed steady-state cardio work in terms of blood pressure reduction and improvement in fitness levels. The interval training lowered their blood pressure more than twice as much as the jogging group even though the amount of time that they exercised was significantly less.

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Warm regards,

Christian Goodman

Lycopene, the unique antioxidant in tomatoes that’s famous for reducing prostate cancer risk, may also help drop elevated cholesterol, reports a study conducted by University of Adelaide scientists. They found that habitual consumption of lycopene-rich foods like tomatoes and papayas was as effective as low-dose statins for cholesterol reduction.

They note that lycopene is particularly effective at combating “bad” LDL cholesterol. The researchers estimate that lycopene can lower LDL cholesterol by about 10 percent. You can reach your 25 mg daily target of lycopene by eating a half a can of tomato paste, two raw tomatoes or one glass of tomato juice. Processed tomato products like tomato paste contain significantly more lycopene than raw tomatoes, and have more sodium, so fresh is best.

To Your Health,

Scott Davis
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You can lower cholesterol even more with these tips…

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Those with high blood pressure that can’t live without their morning cup of Joe can drink up without worsening their hypertension, a research study involving more than 170,000 people found. While many public health officials warn those with high blood pressure to steer clear of Starbucks, this recommendation may be rooted more in what goes in the coffee as opposed to coffee itself.

The research, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found that even coffee addicts that downed five or more cups of coffee per day experienced the same hypertension risk of those that didn’t drink any. However, they warn that excessive caffeine consumption can get in the way of healthy sleep –something that definitely does boost blood pressure.

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Warm regards,
Christian Goodman

Those wondering what they should eat to lower their blood pressure may be surprised that the answer may be “nothing,” according to a research team from the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute. In a new study, they found that periodically fasting boosts overall heart health by reducing cholesterol and blood pressure.

In this study, a group of volunteers were assigned to fast for 24 consecutive hours. They found that the single-day fast was enough to significantly improve cardiovascular disease risk factors like hypertension, triglycerides and “bad” LDL cholesterol. The researchers add, however, that the long-term health effects of fasting have not been studied as of yet.

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We get this question a lot.  Usually, the people asking are those that are either newly diagnosed with a heart condition or have a loved one who just did.

The condition it is used primarily for is Coronary Artery Disease, or CAD. This is when the blood vessels surrounding the heart begin to narrow.  This puts a tremendous amount of strain on the heart in order to get the blood pumped through the body.

This strain, and acute attacks of it, are called angina.  This is the pain in the chest that people feel with stress in different forms such as that experienced during strenuous exercise, episodes of fear or anger, and environmental triggers that impact the body’s function such as heat exhaustion.
When prescribed for people with CAD, nitroglycerin comes in the form of a spray or a tablet.

Tablets can be the kind that dissolve quickly under the tongue for acute onset situations, or the extended release kind that is more for prevention of episodes.

It is not used to cure CAD; it only prevents or stops the angina attacks that result from it.

While this medication has many times been the primary factor in saving the lives of those with CAD during severe angina attacks, it carries a host of detrimental baggage with it.

That rise in blood pressure you feel in the airport security line may be more than just your imagination, according to results of a study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine this week. In this research, scientists from Columbia University polled the health and travel habits of 13,000 employees. The direct found a direct link between high blood pressure, obesity and frequent travel.

The researchers note that obesity related to excessive business travel likely fuels the hypertension seen in this study –those that hit the road at least once per month on business were 92% more likely to be obese compared to those that lightly traveled. Stress, unhealthy food options and long periods of inactivity are also important contributors to travel’s negative effects on blood pressure, the study author’s note.

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Almost a thousand readers responded to the poll in the margin regarding whether or not they prefer organic foods versus those that are enhanced or otherwise tinkered with. Of the respondents, 62% answered yes, that they do prefer organic food and drinks. The other 38% answered no. The preference is mixed, but does reflect a growing trend today toward organically- produced food.

Grocery stores abound anymore that are 100% dedicated to offering organic foods and other sundries.  It used to be if you wanted organic anytime after say, 1950, you had to grow it yourself or join a cooperative with a dozen other families.

Move over LDL, there’s a new cholesterol-class in town that should appear on every health conscious person’s radar screen. The AHA recently released the fruits of a massive research review involving 500 heart-health studies from the last 3 decades. The bottom line? Triglycerides –a little-known, but important type of blood fat—is just as important for healthy hearts as well-known HDL and LDL cholesterol. Triglycerides above 200mg/dl significantly ups your odds of suffering from a heart attack or stroke.

The AHA report also highlighted the importance of lifestyle as an effective treatment to fight triglycerides naturally. They note that cutting sugar intake to less than 150 g per day is an important first step towards triglyceride reduction. Having a healthy BMI, exercising daily and cutting saturated fat are also important, the AHA adds. Their research shows that making these relatively minor lifestyle changes alone is enough to cut triglycerides in half.

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