According to a new study, vegetable consumption may be linked to lower blood pressure due to the presence of a specific amino acid.
The compound in question is glutamic acid, and according to the work conducted at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, boosting its intake may contribute to better health of the circulatory system.
The researchers analyzed data from the International Study on Macro/Micronutrients and Blood Pressure which involved 4,680 people aged between 40-59 in rural and urban populations in China, Japan, the UK and the U.S. Read the rest of this entry »
High protein diets have been popular off and on since the 1960s, and are once again grabbing the attention of millions of people desperate to lose weight. But before you jump on the bandwagon, there are some things you might want to consider. High protein diets can produce a rapid initial weight loss, but most of this loss can be water rather than fat.
Additionally, many high protein diets are high in saturated fat and low in fiber, a combination that can increase cholesterol levels and raise the risk of heart disease and stroke. Read the rest of this entry »
A new study published in the journal BMC Medicine has linked prolonged stress with stroke.
Researchers in Sweden surveyed 600 recent stroke victims on their perceptions of their stress levels prior to being admitted to the hospital. The patients were asked to choose between six different alternatives to indicate how stressed they had felt before their stroke, from “never been stressed” to “constantly stressed over the past five years”. Their responses were compared with a healthy control group who were asked the same question. Read the rest of this entry »
New research suggests flaxseed may help improve cholesterol.
A study appearing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds people who took one tablespoon of whole flaxseed everyday were able to reduce both their total cholesterol and their LDL, or bad, cholesterol levels. Flaxseed oil, in comparison, did not produce the same results.
Women, particularly post-menopausal women, had the greatest reduction in their cholesterol, compared to men and other people who previously had higher cholesterol levels, according to Reuters. Read the rest of this entry »
Stroke could be affecting Americans earlier in life than ever before, a new study suggests.
“Stroke is no longer an affliction of old age,” said lead researcher Timothy J. Wolf, an instructor of occupational therapy and neurology and investigator for the Cognitive Rehabilitation Research Group at Washington University School of Medicine, in St. Louis. “People in the working ages of life are having strokes with greater regularity than ever before.”
Reporting in the September/October issue of the American Journal of Occupational Therapy, the team also found that while more people under the age of 65 are suffering strokes, rehabilitation is often not offered to younger people with mild stroke. Read the rest of this entry »
High blood pressure is one of several ‘risk factors’ that can increase your chance of developing heart disease, a stroke, and other serious conditions. As a rule, the higher the blood pressure, the greater the risk. Treatment includes a change in lifestyle risk factors where these can be improved – losing weight if you are overweight, regular physical activity, a healthy diet, cutting back if you drink a lot of alcohol, stopping smoking, and a low salt and caffeine intake. If needed, medication can lower blood pressure. Read the rest of this entry »
