881 results found for: Heart

Warning: Gut Bacteria Can Cause Dangerous Heart Disease

For a long time, it was believed that too-high cholesterol was the cause of dangerous, artery-narrowing plaques.  So, giving cholesterol-lowering statin-drugs were thought key in reducing these plaques. It was soon realized that people with low cholesterol levels were also having heart attacks.  Clearly, something else was contributing to heart disease besides cholesterol. That’s when we learned that inflammation played a big role in why plaques develop as well. In the last year, cardiac researchers have pinned down another key piece of the heart disease puzzle. You’ll want to know more about it and how you can reduce your risk of heart […]

Natural Relief from Heartburn!

If you have ever wondered why you see so many TV commercials for heartburn medications such as Prilosec®, Tagamet®, and Tums®, it is because a startling 40% of the adult population suffers from a condition known medically as gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). For some people, heartburn causes minor discomfort after eating, while others experience pain so intense that they rush to an emergency room fearing a heart attack. A common misconception is that heartburn is caused only by excess stomach acid that regurgitates back up into the esophagus. What few doctors realize is that when the sphincter muscle at the […]

Bison: The Best Red Meat For Your Heart

Well, here we are at the start of a new year.  Many of you have made New Year resolutions to lose weight and just become healthier in general, and I commend you.  So, to help you move in that healthy direction, I’d like to tell you about an amazingly healthy food I think you should try this new year.  No matter what your age, it can help you achieve both weight loss and better general health. Bison: The Other, Healthier Red Meat For centuries, the Native Americans treasured the American bison and gave it a place of great honor in […]

Drinking Beetroot Juice Before Exercise Can Boost Heart

A new study has recently revealed that beetroot juice before exercise can boost heart function in COPD patients. A Wake Forest University study to investigate the effects of acute beetroot juice ingestion on the exercise capacity of COPD patients showed some promise, but a larger clinical trial would be needed to verify results. COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, makes it difficult for patients to breathe and worsens over time. Patients often complain of shortness of breath with exertion, so tasks like climbing steps can leave them gasping for air. In turn, they tend to limit their activities, become more sedentary, and […]

This Mediterranean Food Boosts Heart Health

If you’re over 50, you likely grew up eating beef, a staple of most American diets for the last 50 plus years. I know I did.  Steaks on a summer grill and beef hamburgers are as much American tradition as apple pie.  It’s the reason we have so many (beef) burger businesses across the United States. But there’s another red meat out there that you probably pass right by at your grocer’s.  It not only tastes great but, in many ways, is nutritionally superior to beef.  Let me tell you more about this special red meat and why, now that […]

This Spice Blend Can Help Your Heart Health

More than just flavor enhancers, many common spices do a lot more for your health than you probably think . In fact, a recent study showed a specific spice blend actually lowered triglycerides — a risk factor for heart disease. The results were published in the journal Nutrition Today. Below, we’ll explore the study and its potential implications. Spice Blend Lowers Triglyceride Levels by 31% Researchers from Penn State wanted to investigate the role of spices on heart health. They also reviewed previous studies showing the cardiac benefits of garlic and cinnamon. For the study, they recruited six overweight men between the ages of 30 to […]

February Heart Health Tip: Don’t Overload This Mineral

February is officially Heart Health Month marked by one of my favorite days, which just passed, Valentine’s Day.  Even better, the Valentine’s chocolate we all have been consuming and love so much is actually good for our heart.  Well, not all the sugar and fat, but its cocoa content.  Cocoa is full of nutrients that protect both your heart, and your brain.  But, if you also like to eat red meat frequently, you may be getting too much of a certain mineral that can undermine your heart health.  Let me tell you why you should limit this mineral… Love Your […]

Peanuts Reduce Risk of Death From Heart Disease

A new study has revealed that nuts and peanuts help in reducing risk of death, especially from heart disease. While research has previously linked nut consumption with lower mortality, those studies focused mainly on higher-income, white populations. This study by Vanderbilt University and the Shanghai Cancer Institute was the first to discover that all races; blacks, whites, and Asians alike, could potentially increase heart health by eating nuts and peanuts. This study was based on three large on-going cohort studies. Participants included over 70,000 Americans of African and European descent from the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS), who were mostly low-income, and over 130,000 […]

Vitamin C Turns Stem Cells Into Heart Cells

The role of vitamin C in the body may be even greater than previously believed. New research has found that vitamin C helps convert mouse embryonic stem cells growing in the laboratory into heart muscle cells. Embryonic stem cells are unspecialized cells that are derived from the very early stages of fetal development. These cells can convert into any type of cell in the body through a process termed differentiation. Researchers hope that the ability to transform these cells into viable heart cells in the laboratory can lead to effective treatments for heart failure—the inability of the heart to pump […]

Pro-Veggie Diets Prevent Heart Attacks

There’s an endless debate about eating meat, especially when it relates to the risk of heart disease. Some people advocate a meat-based diet, while others avoid it at all costs. The truth may lie somewhere in the middle. A pro-veggie diet, in which plants make up 70% or more of the meals, may be the answer. A recent study showed that it dramatically reduced the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Pro-Veggie Diet Reduces Heart Attack and Stroke Risk by 20% In the study, researchers from the American Heart Association analyzed the diet of 451,256 Europeans. They also collected information on height, […]