Reservatrol and Heart Health

Bonnie K. Nicholson asked:


The French people and their nutritional choices pose an important question. They live long lives and have a low incidence of heart related problems. How is it they can have a diet rich in saturated fat and still maintain cardiovascular health? The key is in the red wine they consume throughout their lives everyday with meals. Reservatrol and other antioxidants such as flavonoids, researchers believe, can have promising benefits for the heart.

Studies show that not only is the antioxidant factor important in red wine but the actual alcohol has health benefits as well. It can thin the blood and result in better circulation through arteries. Improved circulation guards against stroke and heart disease. However, doctors are hesitant to recommend that anyone should begin any treatment by drinking alcohol. Small amounts of alcohol are fine; but, alcohol in excess can have disastrous effects on the liver.

Antioxidants in red wine consist of two types, the first of which is flavonoids. Flavonoids are found in many food sources such as cocoa, tea, apples, onions and oranges. At this time, the highest levels of antioxidants have been found in red wine. Nonflavonoids are also found in red wine and seem to prevent arteries from becoming clogged with fat blockages. Resveratrol falls under this category and is of particular interest to researchers.

Resveratrol is thought to be the nonflavonoid responsible in studies for reducing the build up of bad cholesterol, preventing blood clots, and preventing damage to blood vessels. This antioxidant also helps to prevent obesity and diabetes, and gives heart healthy benefits such as a reduced risk of blood clotting and risk of inflammation. Symptoms such as blood clotting can lead to heart disease and stroke.

Resveratrol supplements taken daily can lead to heart health and a decreased instance of other diseases associated with obesity.



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How Much Curcumin Should You Use For Heart Health?

Valerie Rosenbaum asked:


The question of how much curcumin should you use for heart health, may be a little difficult to answer. The reason is this. The compound, which is the active substance in turmeric, has low bioavailability.

As it passes through the stomach it is degraded and changed, becoming inactive. Studies have shown that a person would need to consume 10,000mg of turmeric in order to increase blood serum levels of curcumin. In other words, it is a highly unstable substance, greatly affected by stomach acid and other digestive acids that cause it to link to other substances. The linkage prevents it from passing through the intestinal walls and entering the bloodstream.

Numerous studies have shown that there are many health benefits associated with curcumin, but it must be bio-available, in order to provide those benefits. When it comes to human hearts, the benefits are reducing the risk of clots, preventing heart failure and repairing damage that has already occurred. So, supplementation is worthwhile, if we can determine the right dosage. Here are a few questions that should help us do that.

How much curcumin should you use for heart health if you are eating the herb or curry sauce? There are no studies to support that this might be effective. There is some anecdotal evidence that eating curry twice a year or more improves cognitive function in the elderly. Getting 10,000 mgs a day would be difficult, if not impossible. The typical curry recipe calls for a half teaspoon of turmeric. One would need two teaspoons to come close to 10,000mg.

How much curcumin should you use for heart health if you are taking a single ingredient supplement? Single ingredient supplements of this nature are not beneficial. The high doses that would be required cause indigestion and increase the risk of gallbladder disease or worsen the symptoms, if it is already present. In animals, high doses have been shown to negatively affect the liver. It is safe, in reasonable amounts, but as with most plant compounds, it is possible to go overboard.

How much curcumin should you use for heart health, if you are taking a well-designed supplement? Enteric coatings protect turmeric from digestive acids. Studies have shown that piperine, an extract from black pepper, increases the bioavailability of curcumin by 2000%. In other words, 50mg combined with piperine and an enteric coating would increase blood serum levels by as much as 10,000mg of straight turmeric.

There is no risk of liver or gallbladder damage and no risk of indigestion with a 50mg supplement. The most advanced supplements include a variety of different plant extracts, all designed to work together efficiently to protect the cells of the body from the effects of time.

There are specialty supplements designed for those people that are over the age of 40. These supplements can provide a “spring cleaning”, so to speak, for the circulatory system. So, now we know how much curcumin should you use for heart health. If properly designed, 50mg per day is effective.



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5 Food Fats to Know for Heart Health

Karen Marschel, RD, LD, CDE asked:


 

1.     Omega 6 Fats: This type of fat is found in corn oil and soybean oil and the amount we use has increased over the years because we eat more processed foods. Go check a few boxed foods in your kitchen cupboard and you will likely find soybean oil in the ingredient list. Too much omega-6 fat can increase inflammation.

2.      Omega 3 Fats: There are 3 omega-3 fats – DHA, EPA and ALA.  The first two are found in fatty fish such as tuna, salmon, trout, mackerel, and herring. ALA is the plant source of omega-3 and is found in flax seed and walnuts.  Omega-3 fats help reduce inflammation.  If you can eat fish high in omega 3 twice a week you can get a good base amount for heart health. If you don’t like fish then you can take fish oil capsules. Remember to read the dosage directions on your supplement bottle. If your doctor recommends 1000mg or 1gram fish oil daily, that actually means 1000mg EPA/DHA. What you need to do is add the EPA and DHA amounts. Most bottles have about 300mg of these once you add them together so that means you need 3-4 pills to get 1000mg of omega-3. You also want to buy a brand you feel has good quality. Since supplements are not regulated you have no guarantee what is actually in the bottle. Flax seed is a grain and can be purchased as seed or milled. You need to eat the ground form to get the health benefits because the body can not break down the seed form. Once it is ground be sure to keep it refrigerated. Add 1-2 tablespoons to cereal, yogurt, or any dish you are having. You will get the benefit of the omega-3 and the fiber! 

3.     Monounsaturated fats are also anti-inflammatory and good for our heart and cholesterol. The Mediterranean Diet is high in monounsaturated fats and includes regular intake of foods like olive oil, canola oil, avocados and nuts. Eating these good fats can lower blood pressure, cholesterol and reduce risk for diabetes.

4.     Trans fats are not good for our health. Some trans fats are naturally found in animal foods but most of our excess trans fats are from processed fat in packaged foods. Stick margarine is the classic example of trans fats. When stick margarine is made, oil is processed to become solid. This process is called hydrogenation and you will often see the words “partially hydrogenated” on ingredient labels. The chemical process of making oil turn solid creates trans fats which have been found to raise artery clogging cholesterol (LDL) and lower artery cleaning cholesterol (HDL).  Trans fat amounts are required to be on labels by FDA and you want to try to keep your intake as close to zero as possible. The simplest way to keep trans fat intake low is to eat less processed food.

5.     Saturated fats can also raise cholesterol.  Just think of saturated fat as solid fat like lard or butter.  Whole and 2% milk, cheese and fatty meats are also high in saturated fat. Some snack foods and bakery products are high in saturated fats as well. Check the labels and try to keep saturated fat less than 20 grams daily.  You do not need to quit eating cheese and eggs. My recommendation is to choose small portions of less processed cheese. I personally don’t like fat-free cheese for the taste or texture. Eggs have a little saturated fat but are also a very good protein source. They have gotten a bad reputation over the years due to their higher cholesterol content. Reducing processed foods will do much more for your health than cutting out the eggs.



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Fish Oil for Heart Health: Does it Work?

Michael Holman asked:


If you are like me, you have probably already heard people recommending fish oil for heart health. There are a lot of other health benefits also attributed to it. Is it really true? Or is it all just hype? Let’s find out.

Here’s the good news. Research has shown that it is in fact, good to take fish oil for heart health. Provided you take the right oil containing the right ingredients. But more on that later. First let’s see what this oil can do for our heart.

Omega 3 oil has been found to prevent Thrombosis. It does so by preventing the blood platelets from sticking together. When these platelets begin to clot, they block the arteries and restrict the flow of blood. This ultimately leads to heart attacks. Omega 3 also regulates the electrical system of our heart and helps in preventing any heart rhythm abnormalities.

Another way the oil helps the heart is by reducing the Triglycerides present in the blood. Triglycerides are fats closely related to cholesterol. They are also responsible for blocking arteries and causing heart attacks.

As a validation of fish oil heart benefits, even the American Heart Association recommends taking it for the heart.

So the next question is what kind of oil to take?

Most of the benefits of the oil can be attributed to the DHA Omega 3 fats present in it. So you need to look for an oil rich in DHA, along with EPA added in for good measure. Together, these two essential fats account for most of the health benefits of Omega 3 oils.

The Hoki fish found in New Zealand is one of the best sources of DHA and EPA. It is found in abundance near the southern coast of New Zealand, which is a pristine area free from industrial pollution. This means the Hoki found there doesn’t contain any contaminants in it.

There can still be some natural pollutants present in the fish too. So if you take fish oil for heart, you need to make sure it has been properly refined to remove all natural and industrial pollutants. Molecular Distillation is the process that can do this effectively. Check if your oil has undergone this refining process.

One more thing to note is, the DHA content in the oil should be more than the EPA content. The reason for this is, latest research has shown that DHA is much more beneficial to our health than EPA. Also, our body can easily convert DHA into EPA by a simple process, if needed. But the reverse process is not possible. So we have to get all our DHA from an external source like fish oil only.

In conclusion, taking fish oil for heart is one of the best ways to keep our heart fit and free from diseases. So go now and find out a good oil to keep your heart running in prime condition!



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New Heart Health Findings–red Wine for God’s People

Jason Witt asked:


When you receive the Seal God will take away from you the tendency to drink unworthily of Jesus Christ. So you will be able to enjoy drinking red wine in moderate amounts for the health benefits like heart health shown in a new study.

In November 2007 the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a new study showing that after a month of drinking two glasses of wine each day, women had less inflammatory substances in their blood.

The researches looked at how wine may affect inflammation. Inflammation happens when the body responds to injury. Two major health risks–obesity and smoking–are two stressful things that cause inflammation in the body.

Although they do not cause as much inflammation as an injury, they cause enough constant low-level inflammation to build up plaque in the artery walls, according to the theories of researchers.

And it is believed that inflammation makes arteries more susceptible to rupture leading to blood clots which could cause heart attacks. Plaque and heart attacks are definitely two things you want to avoid.

These studies show how wine, and red wine in particular, may help heart health in a new way not known before now. Many studies have shown that wine drinkers tend to have lower incidences of heart disease than those who do not ever drink.

And research has shown that wine drinking raises good HDL cholesterol, which is one explanation for the lower rates of heart disease among wine drinkers. but is not the whole picture.

Researchers in this new study say they want to figure out just exactly how wine protects the heart. That way they can prove that there is a direct link between wine and heart health.

Studies have shown wine drinkers have better heart health, but wine may not be the reason. Wine drinkers may have a better diet or get more exercise or something else known to be a direct link to heart health.

In this study, 35 healthy women were taken, who were regular moderate wine drinkers. Each woman spent a month eating a heart-healthy diet without any wine at all.

Then followed a month of drinking a glass of red wine with 2 meals. Then a month of white wine followed the red wine. After the month of red wine their good cholesterol raised and inflammatory substances lowered.

Of course red wine had more of this good effect on the women than white wine. Red wine has more polyphenols which are the antioxidants famed to be found in it, and these may be what is reducing inflammation.

When you receive the Seal God will give you the ability to drink moderately–to truly drink to your health. More women die of heart disease each year than men, so anything to help heart health is needed.

If you have had trouble with drinking excessively and binge-drinking you may not feel you are able to drink red wine in moderate amounts. Of course you do not have to drink red wine for your health.

You could always drink green tea and get similar antioxidants. That will help your health too. But God wants you to break free of your addictions where you drank in an unworthy manner, and He will give you complete freedom from them when you receive the Seal.



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