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Crab is good for your heart

June 19, 2008

Need an excuse to splurge on crab legs, crab salad, or a cold crab cocktail on a cool rainy day? How about avoiding heart disease and cancer? Crab meat in general, and crab legs in particular, are loaded with zinc, a powerful antioxidant that’s just been found to help ward off both health threats.


Getting your daily dose of zinc — up to 12 milligrams (mg) per day — can help protect you from heart disease and cancer. In a recent study, these killers were linked not only to a lack of zinc but also to an excess of copper and a deficiency in magnesium. And being low on zinc made any problems with the other two minerals much worse. Researchers are still trying to determine whether the minerals were the direct cause of the outcome, but while they sort out the science, aim for 12 mg of zinc daily from food. Can’t hurt, could help, and — if you’ve got a yearning for crab — it tastes terrific.

 

Of course, crab’s not the only good source of zinc. Oysters can’t be , and clams and lobster are high on the list, too. On a more walletfriendly level, you’ll find beneficial amounts of zinc in nuts, peanut butter, beans, poultry, red meat, whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, and yogurt. And a multivitamin with minerals will fill in any gaps.

 

Written by James · Filed Under Heart 

Intake of tea can reduce risk of Heart Attack

June 17, 2008

Drinking four cups of tea a day cuts the risk of a heart attack, according to a review of studies by the British Nutrition Foundation. The review suggests that tea can also improve your mood, strengthen bones, boost hydration and increase alertness, reports the Daily Express.

For her study, Carrie Ruxton, a dietician and member of the independent Tea Advisory Panel, reviewed existing scientific literature on black tea, the type found in most teabags in Britain. Clinical studies reveal that natural plant antioxidants found in tea, called polyphenols, have beneficial effects on many biochemical processes in the body. The advantageous properties include reducing the risk of a heart attack.

Dr Ruxton said: “The clearest consistent evidence points to an association between tea consumption, in excess of three cups per day, and a reduced risk of myocardial infarction or a heart attack. This is good news for the many avid tea drinkers in Britain. My study also found emerging evidence that older women — those most at risk of brittle bones — had significant increases in bone density if they drank more than four cups of tea a day. It is clear that tea is worthy of further research and, in the meantime, can be enjoyed within the optimal intake range of three to eight cups per day,” she added.

Written by James · Filed Under Heart 

Get Vitamin D for good heart

June 12, 2008

Men who have low levels of vitamin D may be at an increased risk of having a heart attack, according to a new study. According to background information in the article, earlier studies have shown that the rates of cardiovascular disease-related deaths are increased at higher latitudes and during the winter months and are lower at high altitudes."This pattern is consistent with an adverse effect of hypovitaminosis D (vitamin D deficiency), which is more prevalent at higher latitudes, during the winter and at lower altitudes,” the authors write.

While other explanations are possible, vitamin D has been shown to affect the body in ways that may influence the risk of heart attack or heart disease.

Edward Giovannucci, M.D., Sc.D., of Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, and colleagues reviewed medical records and blood samples of 454 men (age 40 to 75) who had non-fatal heart attack or fatal heart disease from the date of blood collection (between January 1993 and December 1995) until January 2004.

They then compared the data from these men with records and blood samples of 900 living men who did not have a history of cardiovascular disease. The men’s diet and lifestyle factors, recorded by selfadministered questionnaires were also noted.

Men with a vitamin D deficiency (having 15 nanograms per milliliter of blood or less) had an increased risk for heart attack compared with those with a sufficient amount (having 30 nanograms per milliliter of blood or more) of vitamin D.

“After additional adjustment for family history of myocardial infarction, body mass index, alcohol consumption, physical activity, history of diabetes mellitus and hypertension, ethnicity, region, marine omega 3 intake, low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and triglyceride levels, this relationship remained significant,” the authors write.

Men with intermediate levels of vitamin D had a higher risk of heart attack than those with sufficient vitamin D levels. “Vitamin D deficiency has been related to an increasing number of conditions and to total mortality. These results further support an important role for vitamin D in myocardial infarction risk,” the authors write. “Thus, the present findings add further support that the current dietary requirements of vitamin D need to be increased to have an effect on circulating 25(OH)D [vitamin D] levels substantially large enough for potential health benefits,” they conclude.

The study appears in June 9 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Written by James · Filed Under Heart 

Benefits of Vitamin K

May 26, 2008

Know what’s super bad for your body? Inflammation. It’s thought to be at the core of problems like heart disease and heart attacks.

Know what’s a great way to quiet inflammation? Get your fill of vitamin K. Good choices: just about anything leafy and green — from spinach to turnip greens.


Fanning the flames of inflammation
Inflammation is your body’s response to injury or infection. And when it occurs in your blood vessels, inflammation can be a sign of bad things to come — like ruptured arterial plaques, clot formation, heart attack, and stroke. Enter leafy greens. They pack a real vitamin K punch, and more and more research is linking high vitamin K intake to a lower bodywide inflammation index.


Going for the green
Bored with salads? The trick to getting more greens — and more vitamin K — into your diet may be learning to use them more creatively. Start with something simple but different. Then, move on to some K-rich greens recipes that will have you feeling like a world traveller. Using them in soups, salads, or in any vegetable dishes is a great way to get your fill of the Krich greens.

Written by James · Filed Under Heart 

Soybean can prevent Heart Disease

December 11, 2007

The claim: Soy prevents heart disease

What you need to know : According to a recent study from Johns Hopkins University, soy appears to play a role in lowering cholesterol in postmenopausal women. By mimicking the hormone estrogen, isoflavones (plant compounds in soy that act like weak forms of the hormone) may prevent cholesterol levels from rising in postmenopausal women. But young women produce estrogen on their own, so additional benefits from soy would likely be minimal.

The explanation: “Estrogen keeps cholesterol levels steady; cholesterol tends to increase after women enter menopause and no longer make this hormone,” says study author Jerilyn K. Allen, Sc.D., an associate dean for research at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing.

The bottom line: Just because your cholesterol levels won’t plummet from eating soy doesn’t mean it won’t help your heart. Soy is a good alternative to meat because it’s lower in cholesterolraising saturated fat. Use soy-based meat substitutes in lasagna or tofu in stir-fries occasionally, and try tofu as a replacement for cheese (also high in saturated fat).

Written by James · Filed Under Heart 

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