Soda Clogs Arteries Even in Skinny Women

Sugary drinks create heart risks for women even if they are normal weight. This is the finding of a study presented at the American Heart Association meetings in Florida by Dr. Christina Shay.In this study, 4000 women from 45-84 years of age were followed for 5 years. Women who drank two or more sugar-sweetened beverages…

Fructose-sweetened Foods May Lead to Obesity

Researchers found that normal weight women who consumed fructose-sweetened beverages lowered their 24-hour insulin and leptin levels as well as increased the post-meal triglyceride levels as compared to glucose-sweetened beverages. The hormones insulin and leptin help control satiety levels, and the authors suggested that high fructose intakes might lead to obesity.PositiveTip: Most soft drinks and many…

Walnuts Reduce Cholesterol, Salmon Raises It

Eating one and a half ounces of walnuts a day for a week lowered both total and LDL cholesterol by 5.4% and 9.3%, respectively. For every 1% drop in LDL cholesterol there is a 2% drop in coronary heart disease risk, so this translates to an 18.6% reduced risk of heart disease. In contrast, two 4-ounce servings…

Abdominal Obesity Predicts Chronic Diseases and Mortality

Swiss researchers found that abdominal obesity (AO) is highly prevalent in coronary artery disease patients and among those who have significantly higher rates of diabetes, hypertension, lower HDL-cholesterol levels and higher triglyceride levels than non-abdominal obese patients. AO patients also have higher resting heart rates, which is a strong predictor of mortality.PositiveTip: A calorie-restricted vegetarian diet and exercise…

Effects of Soy milk as a Dietary Complement

Rats fed a soy milk supplemented diet showed decreased total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and an increase in HDL cholesterol. Soy milk decreased fat peroxidation in brain, liver and kidney tissue. Animals with soy milk in their diet lost fewer brain neurons and survived significantly longer than those on a standard diet.PositiveTip: Soy milk can be…

Triglycerides Respond Well to Diet and Exercise

The American Heart Association has released an expert report recommending diet and physical activity rather than drugs to lower blood levels of triglycerides. Based on an analysis of 500 studies from the past 30 years, this report recommends that anyone with a triglyceride level above 150 mg/dL should boost their physical activity to at least…

The Triglyceride/Waist Tool

Two simple measurements have been found accurately predict the development of coronary heart disease. One is measuring the distance around the waist at the level of the belly button and the second is measuring blood triglyceride levels.This research was just published based on a study of 25,668 men and women in Norfolk, United Kingdom.

Forgiveness as an Indicator of Health: Part 5

This blog is one of a series on forgiveness and its' health benefits. This report is about forgiveness and patients with heart disease.

The Sour Side of Sugars

A substantial portion of Americans' calorie intake comes from added sugars. A recent study found that adults consume nearly one-sixth (15.8%) of their daily calories from sugar added to food. This is up from only 10.6% in 1977-78!