If you’re 50 years old and want to avoid having a heart attack, lower your risk factors. A risk factor is anything that increases your risk of heart attack. The common ones are high cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, high blood pressure, cigarette smoking, and inactivity. I always emphasize the importance of diet and exercise, and the reason for this is simple: It reduces your risk of having a heart attack.
Now, let’s discuss another risk factorlow levels of the hormone DHEA.
DHEA is used by your body to produce all other hormones, including testosterone, estrogen and progesterone. For reasons we don’t yet know, our production of DHEA declines as we get older, and as it drops, a host of diseases seem to come out of the woodwork, heart disease being one of them.
Low DHEA Levels Can Be a Predictor for Heart Disease
A retrospective study on heart patients found that a reduced blood level of DHEA is a specific and independent marker of heart disease. The DHEA levels of 49 male survivors of heart attacks were compared with those of 49 controls. The patients who had the heart attacks had significantly reduced DHEA levels. They remained low even when they were controlled for cholesterol, blood pressure and other risk factors.
Conventional doctors give patients drugs to lower blood cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and even to elevate a low HDL level. All of these drugs have major side effects, and it is not even proven that they reduce the risk of heart disease.
Whereas it has not been proven that elevating the DHEA level in the blood with supplemental hormone will prevent a heart attack, it is far safer and more reasonable than all the cholesterol-lowering drugs guzzled every day. Even though any physician can write a prescription for DHEA and any pharmacist can “compound” (put the hormone in a capsule) and dispense it to a patient, the only physicians who are doing this are the unconventional ones.
Why is there resistance to giving a perfectly safe, naturally occurring hormone that might ward off a heart attack? I cannot answer that, except to say that breakthroughs are simply ignored unless they happen to be a patented prescription drug.
Look for the Real Thing
There are several products on the market that are promoted as containing DHEA, but they don’t contain enough to have a measurable effect on your blood level. Additionally, many who promote the use of plant products often state that true DHEA is not available. That is obviously not true, because I have been prescribing it for many years. The prescription DHEA costs less than many of the drugs used to lower your cholesterol levelthe average cost for 50 mg per day is around $20 a month.
In the same way you measure your blood cholesterol level and blood triglyceride level, you should be measuring your DHEA level as well. If your DHEA is below the average range for your age, strongly consider supplementing with DHEA to bring your blood level up. The dose I use is 25 to 50 mg per day in women and 50 to 100 mg per day in men, while monitoring the DHEA sulfate levels.
DHEA strengthens many other aspects of your body, including brain function, energy level, and immune system. Heart disease is surely not the only condition you could be avoiding by supplementation with DHEA.
Reference:
Mitchell, LE et al. Evidence for an association between dehydroepiandosterone sulfate and nonfatal, premature myocardial infarction in males. Circulation, Jan. 1994;89:89-93.
For more information visit http://www.searchhearthealth.com
Tag: HDL
Healthy Heart – Major Factors Behind Coronary Heart Disease
Today people are just too unaware about their everyday actions they perform that play a vital role in either helping to minimize, delay or prevent the effect of a coronary heart disease or even make it worst; getting a control over the risk factors is the key. Besides a family history of coronary heart disease, you cannot control this but you can surely control your behavior and delay the time as long as possible to when it might get you. Gender and age factor also play a vital role behind coronary heart disease.
Cholesterol level is the first major factor. Basically cholesterol resembles to a soft lipid fatlike substance that works as a fuel source in the body. Atherosclerotic plaque builds up in cases of excessive cholesterol. A heart attack results in due to blockage in the blood flow because of plaques accumulating in the arteries. Bad cholesterol or LDL cholesterol gets transported throughout the body at different sites, hormones get made plus cell membranes get repaired with the use of this LDL cholesterol. It can easily get stuck on your arteries walls. On the other hand HDL or the good cholesterol goes to the liver directly being altered and removed out of the body.
The second major factor behind coronary heart disease is the blood pressure. A less then 130 mm of mercury for the systolic blood pressure and less then 85 millimeters for the diastolic blood pressure is said to be a normal blood pressure level. As this pressure rises because of anything, mostly because of stress or diet, it would put pressure on the brain and the heart. You should regularly check your BP levels. If you are someone normal then going once every year for a thorough checkup would be good, and if you are someone having such problems then regular checkups every month should be done.
Diabetes is the third major factor. It is a chronic disease caused when there is a high insulin resistance or deficiency. Type-2 diabetes is highly responsible for coronary heart disease and it comes because of obesity commonly. This can be prevented by keeping your body in shape, join a gym, exercise regularly, and eat a balanced diet. If you really want to stay away from coronary heart disease then give up smoking if you do smoke, get active in your life and reduce or leave alcohol consumption.
These were just a few major factors behind a coronary heart disease so watch out for everything that might get you in trouble.
Oey Piu Hian
http://www.cardiacinformatics.com
In Singapore Heart Disease Is Like Other Common Ailments
Coronary heart disease or atherosclerosis is a state in which the blood vessels responsible for supplying oxygen to the heart muscle, are blocked by gathering of plague. In the early stage of this disease, there is probably no symptom. That time the doctor, too, may be unable to detect it. But after duration of some years the disease may be fatal several times more and that can even cause sudden death due to the inability of the arteries to get blood enough to the muscle of the heart to maintain its functionality. Coronary heart disease is mentioned among the top most causes of death for women and men.
No sole cause is responsible for cardiovascular ailments. However, researchers and doctors have found out some particular risk factors that can enhance the risk of this type of diseases. Some of the vital risk factors include high cholesterol, family history, smoking, obesity, and high blood pressure. Though you can’t alter your family history, you can reduce your risk of coronary heart disease by restraining some of the few other risk factors.
There are seven key steps to reduce the risk of various heart diseases. They are as follows-
Doing physical exercise regularly
Lowering the total cholesterol level of the body
Quitting smoking
Taking a low-dose aspirin every day
Reducing dietary consumption of animal fats
Increasing the dietary consumption of whole grains and fresh fruits
Visiting doctor for a test of cholesterol and angiogram
Besides, some doctors think now that drinking moderated alcohol may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. The doctors now identify two distinct cholesterols good cholesterol or HDL and bad cholesterol or LDL. Analyzing the report of the blood cholesterol test, the doctor may suggest that one should increase the HDL cholesterol level and decrease the LDL cholesterol level.
How can we detect the coronary artery disease? The coronary artery disease treatment entails various medical procedures. A good way to measure and diagnose the depth of coronary artery disease is the use of coronary angiography. It is exercised when a doctor suspects a person of having such a disease.
When the damage is caused, the body will initiate a healing process. The healing process leads the deposition of plagues at a place where the arteries are damaged. We should keep it in mind that building up of plague in the coronary arteries may begin in childhood. This plague can completely block or narrow few of the coronary arteries overtime. Finally, this condition reduces the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the muscles of the heart.
Prevention is better than cure. So, knowing the reasons of coronary heart disease is very essential. There is no substitute to early detection. Following the advice of the doctor is the best practice that we should obey to avoid few of the conditions of heart attack. Dr Lim of Singapore is a renowned heart specialist. She has a unique heart care clinic dedicated to the service of heart patients.
The Beet Can Protect Against Heart Disease And Certain Types Of Cancer
Beet (Beta vulgaris) is a plant belonging to the family Amaranthaceae, formerly classified in the family Chenopodiaceae. The root of the beet is very popular around the world, used cooked or raw vegetables is one of the most prized in cooking, its flavor sweet and tastes like earth attracts the palate. Although used as food is also effective when used medicinally, is the cure of diseases or as a preventive.
The roots contain red powerful compounds that help protect against heart disease, birth defects and certain types of cancer, especially colon cancer.
The pigment that gives beets their color-reddish purple is betacyanin is also a powerful agent in fighting cancer. Its effectiveness against colon cancer, in particular, has been shown in several studies. This pigment is absorbed into the blood and can increase the transport capacity of oxygen in the blood by up to 400 percent.
In an animal study beet fiber increased the activity of two antioxidant enzymes in the liver, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase. The liver is the main organ of detoxification of the body, where toxic substances are broken down and eliminated, a process that generates a large amount of free radicals. Glutathione peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase are the bodyguards for liver cells and biliary tract, protecting them from attack by free radicals.
Although this study has not only increased the activity of antioxidant protection in liver but also on the levels of total cholesterol fell by 30%, their triglycerides fell 40% (elevated triglycerides, the form in which fats are transported in the blood are an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases), and the level of HDL (beneficial cholesterol) increased significantly.
In animal studies, scientists have observed an increase in the number of colonic CD8 cells, which are immune cells responsible for detecting and eliminating abnormal cells.
In patients with stomach cancer, when scientists compared the effects of fruit and vegetable juices for the formation of nitrosamines, carcinogenic compounds produced in the stomach from chemicals called nitrates, it was discovered that beetroot juice is a potent inhibitor of cell mutations caused by these compounds. Nitrates are commonly used as chemical preservatives in processed meats.
People whose diets are focused on betaine (found naturally in vegetables such as beets and spinach), have levels of inflammatory markers at least 20% lower than individuals with lower average consumption American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Detopoulou P, Panagiotakos DB , et al.).
Beets are particularly rich in folate, vitamin B, which is essential for the growth of normal tissue. Eating folate-rich foods is especially important during pregnancy, because without enough folic acid, the backbone of the child does not develop properly, a condition called neural tube defects. The daily requirement of folic acid is 400 micrograms. A cup of cooked sliced beets contains 136 micrograms of folate.
The green leaves can be cooked and are also rich in beta carotene, folic acid, chlorophyll, potassium, vitamin C and iron.
Nutritional value per 100g.
Vitamin A: 20 IU
Thiamine: .02 mg
Riboflavin: .05 mg
Niacin: .4 mg
Vitamin C: 10 mg.
Calcium: 27 mg.
Iron: 1.0 mg.
Phosphorus: 43 mg.
Carbohydrates: 9.6 gm.
Protein: 1.6 gm.
Calories: 42
The beetroot is a treatment traditionally used to combat leukemia. Therapy with beets, with consumption of about two pounds of mashed beet per day, has been reported favorably to the cases of leukemia and cancers (including cancer).
Research also shows that beetroot juice can help inhibit the development of colon cancer and stomach. It is believed that the beet red when eaten regularly can help against oxidative stress caused by certain disorders.
The red beet fiber helps reduce cholesterol levels by 30 to 40%, can also help normalize blood pressure. Sugar helps to maintain the elasticity of the arteries, when consumed regularly can help prevent varicose veins.
The iron content of red beet, although not high, it is the best quality that makes it a powerful cleanser and blood builder. This is why sugar is very effective in treating many diseases caused by toxic and pollution.
The beet juice is highly alkaline which makes it effective in the treatment of acidosis. Drinking juice regularly can help relieve constipation.
Beetroot and carrot juice in combination is excellent in the cure of gout, kidney and gall bladder may also help in the following problems, headaches, toothaches, dysentery and lumbago, skin problems, menstrual problems etc..
The beet juice is very strong, do not take much if your body is not used, it is advisable to increase the amount of beetroot medium-size to 1 every week. The juice is so strong that you may feel dizzy during cleaning, this discomfort is normal as the toxins are being eliminated. It is advisable to drink plenty of water to aid in the elimination of toxins. When you start eating sugar regularly, you will see a red color in urine or feces, there is nothing to worry because this is just the color of beet. When the beet is cooked part of its nutrient content is destroyed, you can consume it as juice or raw.
Marcelo Rigotti.
Agronomist, Dsc. Agronomy.
www.curaplantas.com.br
Ginger – Powerful Antioxidant For Alzheimer’s, Cancer And Heart Disease
Not only is ginger (Zingiber officinale) one of the most popular of all the spices but is also of the top five antioxidant foods (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, July 2006). Numerous studies investigating ginger’s medicinal properties have also shown it to be effective in conditions such as motion sickness and the prevention and treatment of diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, inflammatory diseases and stomach ulcers.
Research has shown ginger to have effects against the following conditions:
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Two of ginger’s most important antioxidants, curcumin and gingerol, have been shown to inhibit and even reverse the deposition in the brain of the amyloid plaques that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, zingerone, another of ginger’s antioxidants, neutralizes the powerful oxidant, peroxynitrite, which has also been implicated as an aggravating factor in Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.
CANCER
Several phytochemicals found in ginger have demonstrated strong anticancer activities in both laboratory and clinical studies. While ginger’s anti-tumorigenic effects have yet to be fully understood, they are thought to involve the following mechanisms:
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY: Cancer is often associated with inflammatory processes and ginger’s potent anti-inflammatory activity reduces the risk of inflammation-induced malignancy. Ginger is an effective COX-2 inhibitor, curtailing the activity of potentially damaging COX-2 enzymes, the overproduction of which may cause harm to several tissue types.
CANCER CELL DEATH: The pungent vanilloids, gingerol and paradol found in ginger, are very effective in killing cancer cells. They achieve this both by direct cytotoxic activity against the tumour and indirectly by inducing apoptosis in the cancer cells. Reducing tumour initiation and growth: The phytochemical zerumbone antagonises the processes of both tumour initiation and promotion. It does this by inducing antioxidant enzymes and by weakening the pro-inflammatory signalling pathways associated with communication between cancer cells.
PREVENTS DNA DAMAGE: Melatonin is an antioxidant produced by the body that is also found in some plants, such as ginger. It has the valuable property of being able to access most parts of the body, including brain and nervous tissue, and protects DNA against carcinogenic free-radical damage.
ANTIBACTERIAL: Ginger can eliminate all strains of Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria that are the principal cause of stomach cancer.
CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE AND CHOLESTEROL
Ginger has been shown to lower dangerously high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, while raising the levels of beneficial HDL. These lipid-modulating effects are partly due to the inhibition of fat absorption from the intestines. In addition, ginger’s cardioprotective effects are enhanced by its ability to reduce platelet stickiness and in so doing further reduce the risk of heart attacks and thrombotic strokes.
ANIT-INFLAMMATORY PROPERTIES
Ginger’s long-valued role as a treatment for arthritis and other inflammatory conditions has now been substantiated by a number of scientific studies that show how it is involved in several anti-inflammatory mechanisms. It is a strong inhibitor of COX-2 enzymes, pro-inflammatory cytokines and prostaglandins that are all important components of the inflammatory response. Abnormal tissue inflammation occurs when an excess of prostaglandins, cytokines and COX-2 enzymes are released by cells in joint tissue. The more of these molecules that are released, the more inflammatory cells and chemicals are attracted to the joints where they cause pain and damage to the joint surfaces. These substances are integral to inflammatory mechanisms that can involve many tissue types, as well as the condition known as chronic systemic inflammation.
ANTIMICROBIAL EFFECTS
The hydrochloric acid found in the stomach is a powerful defence against ingested pathogens and rapidly destroys almost all organisms that are taken in with food. Helicobacter pylori, however, is an unusually resilient bacterial species that thrives in the hostile, extremely acidic environment of the stomach. Once established, this bacteria causes a range of problems including indigestion, esophagitis, gastritis, stomach and duodenal ulcers, and stomach cancer. Ginger has traditionally been used as a treatment for stomach ailments, and it has recently been shown to kill all nineteen pathogenic Helicobacter pylori species. The regular ingestion of ginger should help to kill these dangerous bacteria before they become established, and thereby pre-empt the need for antibiotics which destroy many valuable intestinal bacteria, in addition to their intended targets.
DIABETES
Although there has been relatively little investigation into the antidiabetic properties of ginger, promising early studies show that it can increase insulin sensitivity. This suggests that, in all likelihood, it is a valuable prophylactic spice against this disease.
OBESITY
Ginger has a dual antiobesity effect. The phytochemicals gingerol and shogaol increase the metabolic rate and thus help to “burn off” excessive fat and also suppress the absorption of calorie-dense dietary fats from the intestines.
ANTIOXIDANT EFFECTS
Ginger is a source of a large number of important antioxidants that, amongst other activities, reduce lipid oxidation by enhancing the activities of crucial internally produced antioxidants, such as superoxide dismutase. Melatonin, in particular, is not only a highly effective free-radical scavenger itself, but also stimulates production of the main antioxidant enzyme of the brain, glutathione peroxidase.
Ginger’s prominent role in traditional medical systems have been validated by contemporary research. As is the case with most spices, its preventive effects are enhanced when taken with other spices as there are synergistic effects between the medicinally active compounds that occur in this food group.
Risk Factors for Heart Disease-Health
HDLs are involved in reverse transport; that is, they accept cholesterol from the blood and tissues and transfer it to VLDLs and LDLs for transport to the liver, where it can be degraded, disposed of, or recycled. HDLs protect the arteries from atherosclerosis by clearing cholesterol from the blood. Cardiovascular health depends greatly on low levels of total cholesterol and LDLs and a high level of HDLs. Cigarette smoking, diabetes, elevated triglyceride levels, and anabolic steroids lower HDL, whereas physical exercise, weight loss, and moderate alcohol consumption raise it.
Moderate alcohol consumption (two drinks or less per day) increases HDL cholesterol levels. An alcoholic drink is defined as a 5 ounce glass of wine, or a 12 ounce beer, or 11/2 ounces of 80 proof spirits. However, alcohol is a depressant that is responsible for nearly 50,000 traffic deaths annually and contributes to one third of all drownings and boating deaths. Alcohol impairs judgment and removes inhibitions so that people under its influence behave in ways they ordinarily would not while sober. Alcohol consumption is not an acceptable way to raise HDL cholesterol.
The higher the HDL, the greater the protection from cardiovascular disease. The average value for men is 45 mg/dl, and for women it is 55 mg/dl. This biological difference in HDL levels between genders partly explains the lower incidence of heart disease in premenopausal women as compared with men. After menopause, HDL levels in women begin to decrease, as does their protection provided by this subfraction of cholesterol. The ratio between total cholesterol (TC) and HDL (TC/HDL) should also be considered when the risk is interpreted. This ratio is determined by dividing TC by HDL. Another blood fat, the serum triglycerides, is involved in the development and progression of atherosclerosis. Average serum triglycerides, depending on age and gender, range from 50 mg/dl to 200 mg/dl.
Elevated triglycerides may not directly cause atherosclerosis, but they often accompany and add to the severity of other blood fat abnormalities. For example, high triglycerides tend to be accompanied by low HDLs, high LDLs, and high total cholesterol. This profile is predictive of the development of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.
A number of studies have shown that sedentary hypertriglyceridemic people can reduce serum triglycerides by as much as 45% when they participate regularly in moderately intense exercise. Physically fit people metabolize serum triglycerides more effectively than sedentary people and are able to clear them from the blood more rapidly after a high-fat meal.
Heart Disease And Cholesterol
For years, the medical community has held that a high level of cholesterol causes heart disease. While few will dispute this belief, there are other factors that may lead to severe and even fatal heart conditions.
Conducted by medical experts, the Framingham Heart Study determined that high blood cholesterol is a contributing factor of CHD, or coronary heart disease. These study results showed that people with higher levels of cholesterol were more likely to develop coronary heart disease. On the other hand, it is unusual for people with low cholesterol to suffer from CHD.
This connection between high blood cholesterol and heart disease was also confirmed by another group of experts, whose studies showed that lowering the total LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) level could actually reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. A recent series of cholesterol trials using statin drugs suggested that lowering both total and LDL cholesterol levels could greatly reduce the chance of experiencing heart attack, angioplasty (a surgical bypass) or death due to a coronary heart disease-related cause.
In addition to high cholesterol levels, there are other risk factors that can increase the risk of developing heart disease. Even though some risk factors can be lowered with diet, medication or lifestyle changes, others cannot be altered. The more combined risk factors you have, the higher your chance will be of experiencing heart disease.
The greatest unchangeable risk factors are as follows:
* Your age. The greatest risks are faced by women over 55 and men over 45
* Family medical history. If you have parents or a sibling who died from heart disease at the ages stated above, you face a higher risk
Fortunately, some risk factors can be changed:
* Cholesterol. Limit your high total cholesterol and your high LDL or “bad” cholesterol. Lower your levels of HDL or “good” cholesterol
* Reduce your blood pressure
* Stop smoking
* Diabetes (diabetics face a higher risk of developing heart disease)
* Little or no physical activity
* Lose excess weight
If you have one or more of these high-risk factors, see your physician to find out how you can take action and reduce your chances of suffering a heart attack.
Some experts believe that high blood cholesterol and heart disease are indeed connected. On the other hand, there are those who hold that too much animal fat resulting in high cholesterol is the contributing factor to heart disease. These experts argue that there may or may not be “good” and “bad” cholesterols. They also believe that factors such as physical activity, mental stress and a change in body weight may influence the levels of the blood cholesterol, and that high blood cholesterol is a simply reflection of an unhealthy lifestyle, but not dangerous.
Experts may disagree on the factors of cholesterol and heart disease. The one thing everyone agrees on, however, is that we all need to reduce the risks and increase our quality of life.
Heart Disease Diet
Heart disease signs and symptoms vary depending on which form of heart disease is present, but experts agree that proper nutrition and regular exercise are an important part of treating and preventing cardiovascular disease. Whole grains are an important part of a heart healthy diet. Remember the more processed a grain is the less nutritious it is. Stick with foods as close as possible to their original source. Processed flours and grains do not add anything to the diet but increase your blood glucose levels. When it comes to the saturated and trans fats in our diet it is important to limit their intake as much as possible. Choose fats that have two grams or less saturated fat per tablespoon. This is a good rule of thumb for limiting the fats in your diet.
Bad diet and heart disease has very obvious causality. The food such as salty or sugary snacks, fast food and red meat which consists of a majority of high-fat processed foods all consider as a bad diet. Unfortunately, junk food has become less expensive than good food like fruits and vegetables. Excess weight leads to greater chances of developing other conditions that lead to heart disease. One indicator of a healthy weight is a BMI of less that 25. A ten percent reduction in weight can lower your blood pressure. Good heart disease prevention may also mean controlling the blood pressure and having LDL cholesterol at low levels. The best way to attain these goals is by making appropriate changes to diet and even by taking medications if so recommended by the doctor. Clearly, having low blood sugar levels will consider as heart disease prevention.
There are many ways in limiting our consumption of fats and cholesterol. We can cut down on eggs intake to three or less a week. Use low-fat or skim milk instead. Avoid whipped toppings and cream substitutes as they may contain coconut oil which is more saturated than butter. Also avoid frying and stewing meat as these cooking methods increase fat content. Eat more cottage cheese, farmer cheese, pot cheese, ricotta or yogurt instead of hard processed cheese. Their food supply came directly from nature, what they could grow, harvest or hunt. Each culture had a source of animal protein, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and sometimes fruit.
Diet is one thing, which a person has to maintain, in order to prevent heart disease and stroke. To prevent heart disease from getting worsening, you need to follow a strict and healthy diet. First of all, realize the major risk factors of heart disease. Fluctuation in blood pressure level, cholesterol level, diabetes, smoking and alcohol consumption may cause heart problems. A moderate intake of alcohol (no more than two drinks per day for men or one drink per day for women) could reduce risk of heart disease in men over age of 40 and women over age of 50. Some types of alcohol contain antioxidant and do help in increasing HDL cholesterol and clear LDL cholesterol. However, high intake of alcohol increase blood pressure, so it is not recommendable to take alcohol to improve your heart.
The Beet Can Protect Against Heart Disease And Certain Types Of Cancer
Beet (Beta vulgaris) is a plant belonging to the family Amaranthaceae, formerly classified in the family Chenopodiaceae. The root of the beet is very popular around the world, used cooked or raw vegetables is one of the most prized in cooking, its flavor sweet and tastes like earth attracts the palate. Although used as food is also effective when used medicinally, is the cure of diseases or as a preventive.
The roots contain red powerful compounds that help protect against heart disease, birth defects and certain types of cancer, especially colon cancer.
The pigment that gives beets their color-reddish purple is betacyanin is also a powerful agent in fighting cancer. Its effectiveness against colon cancer, in particular, has been shown in several studies. This pigment is absorbed into the blood and can increase the transport capacity of oxygen in the blood by up to 400 percent.
In an animal study beet fiber increased the activity of two antioxidant enzymes in the liver, glutathione peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase. The liver is the main organ of detoxification of the body, where toxic substances are broken down and eliminated, a process that generates a large amount of free radicals. Glutathione peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase are the bodyguards for liver cells and biliary tract, protecting them from attack by free radicals.
Although this study has not only increased the activity of antioxidant protection in liver but also on the levels of total cholesterol fell by 30%, their triglycerides fell 40% (elevated triglycerides, the form in which fats are transported in the blood are an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases), and the level of HDL (beneficial cholesterol) increased significantly.
In animal studies, scientists have observed an increase in the number of colonic CD8 cells, which are immune cells responsible for detecting and eliminating abnormal cells.
In patients with stomach cancer, when scientists compared the effects of fruit and vegetable juices for the formation of nitrosamines, carcinogenic compounds produced in the stomach from chemicals called nitrates, it was discovered that beetroot juice is a potent inhibitor of cell mutations caused by these compounds. Nitrates are commonly used as chemical preservatives in processed meats.
People whose diets are focused on betaine (found naturally in vegetables such as beets and spinach), have levels of inflammatory markers at least 20% lower than individuals with lower average consumption American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (Detopoulou P, Panagiotakos DB , et al.).
Beets are particularly rich in folate, vitamin B, which is essential for the growth of normal tissue. Eating folate-rich foods is especially important during pregnancy, because without enough folic acid, the backbone of the child does not develop properly, a condition called neural tube defects. The daily requirement of folic acid is 400 micrograms. A cup of cooked sliced beets contains 136 micrograms of folate.
The green leaves can be cooked and are also rich in beta carotene, folic acid, chlorophyll, potassium, vitamin C and iron.
Nutritional value per 100g.
Vitamin A: 20 IU
Thiamine: .02 mg
Riboflavin: .05 mg
Niacin: .4 mg
Vitamin C: 10 mg.
Calcium: 27 mg.
Iron: 1.0 mg.
Phosphorus: 43 mg.
Carbohydrates: 9.6 gm.
Protein: 1.6 gm.
Calories: 42
The beetroot is a treatment traditionally used to combat leukemia. Therapy with beets, with consumption of about two pounds of mashed beet per day, has been reported favorably to the cases of leukemia and cancers (including cancer).
Research also shows that beetroot juice can help inhibit the development of colon cancer and stomach. It is believed that the beet red when eaten regularly can help against oxidative stress caused by certain disorders.
The red beet fiber helps reduce cholesterol levels by 30 to 40%, can also help normalize blood pressure. Sugar helps to maintain the elasticity of the arteries, when consumed regularly can help prevent varicose veins.
The iron content of red beet, although not high, it is the best quality that makes it a powerful cleanser and blood builder. This is why sugar is very effective in treating many diseases caused by toxic and pollution.
The beet juice is highly alkaline which makes it effective in the treatment of acidosis. Drinking juice regularly can help relieve constipation.
Beetroot and carrot juice in combination is excellent in the cure of gout, kidney and gall bladder may also help in the following problems, headaches, toothaches, dysentery and lumbago, skin problems, menstrual problems etc..
The beet juice is very strong, do not take much if your body is not used, it is advisable to increase the amount of beetroot medium-size to 1 every week. The juice is so strong that you may feel dizzy during cleaning, this discomfort is normal as the toxins are being eliminated. It is advisable to drink plenty of water to aid in the elimination of toxins. When you start eating sugar regularly, you will see a red color in urine or feces, there is nothing to worry because this is just the color of beet. When the beet is cooked part of its nutrient content is destroyed, you can consume it as juice or raw.
Marcelo Rigotti.
Agronomist, Dsc. Agronomy.
www.curaplantas.com.br
Natural Heart Disease Risk Reduction, Weight Loss
You can group cardiovascular disease into diverse groups.Some of these elements are not variant, like the inherited factors, as well as the factors connected to age and gender. There are other elements which are just as noteworthy, and perhaps more self-destructive, and these factors can interpose in the process of ameliorating your health.I am here accosting lifestyle factors, smoking, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, a lack of exercise and obesity, as well as others..
Prior to starting up any diet or exercise syllabus, and I demand to be clear here, everyone needs to consult a physician, in order to ensure their capacities for physical exertion, and set up demarcations thereto.In addition, in order to find a fitting diet for your body type, I must accent the importance of the advice of a nutritionist. So, the message is established, think of your wellness now, do not forget to see your doctor. We are approaching obesity as a disease, as played off to a aesthetic circumstance, it is a global problem with people today. The presence of obesity leads in a more size able chance of heart disease or stroke, even given the absence of other risk elements. Obesity pressures the heart to run harder, as well as being identified in affiliation to coronary disease, high cholesterol, diabetes and high blood pressure.
What can a person do, to counterbalance the position, when obesity is existing situation?As previously mentioned we should cover obesity as a disease and as one of the components that step-up the number of deaths from cardiovascular diseases. The same as any other disease, the original step towards remedy is the admittance of illness, look for medical care. After this gear up your life for a heartily diet, in conjunction with a daily routine of physical exercises that will render physical well being and augmented emotional balance on a daily basis.
And what is the solution? The first course of action is to combat risk factors with all plausible exertion.
I recommend following these 4 tips put forward by Isabel De Los Rios.
1. Quit Smoking. The practice of tobacco for smoking has been celebrated as a fundamental factor in heart disease, to a large extent due to chemical additives (not that I am suggesting the use of tobacco).The peril of a heart attack in a smoker is two times steeper than in a non-smoker. The presence of passive inhalation of tobacco also exposes individuals to a higher relative incidence of cardiovascular disease.There is evidence that smoking increases the levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) and depresses HDL (good cholesterol), accelerating the onset of atherosclerosis. That is, smoking is also directly contributing for the accumulation of fat in the walls of coronary arteries, bearing on the heart and blood vessels. The evidence has demonstrated that a person who is already inclined to high rates of cholesterol is increasing his/her risk of heart disease by smoking.
2. Walk, walk, walk. If getting time for a integrated exercise curriculum is just too much of a challenge right now, just start by walking. I have known many people who Have strengthened and reversed their severe heart conditions by getting outside and walking. If you can, find a scenic route there’s nothing more quieting than the outdoors. (I highly advocate whistling and singing while you walk. It creates for happy thoughts).
3. Calm down. By this I mean, do not stress about matters you do not Have to, or have command over.The most affirmative thing I did, other than eat healthy food, was to relax, and increase the playfulness.
4. Don’t start, again, don’t start a low fat diet.You can exacerbate a bad condition with misguided effort.Get rid of the saturated fats (hydrogenated oil and the like problematic oil in French fries and donuts) and eat heart-healthy fat, like coconut oil, olive oil, walnuts and whole eggs. And at the risk of sounding redundant, before you begin any program, consult your dietitian, and your MD. Good health! For further information on our programs, please Visit Us @ EliKen Health,.