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Diet and Blood Pressure
Do you eat protein with every meal? Well if you're concerned about elevated blood pressure, you should take a look at a new study that shows a relationship between them. Researchers took adults with higher than normal blood pressure and had them substitute some of their calories with either protein of carbohydrates.
They were given either three 20 gram protein shakes or 20 gram carbohydrate drinks every day for four weeks. Those who were in the protein group had significantly lower blood pressure than the carbohydrate group at the end of the study.
We here at Sundrops have always stressed the importance of protein at every meal for a variety of health reasons and this study just goes to show how vital it is to our health. Great sources of protein are lean red meats, chicken, fish and eggs. You could also try a high quality whey protein powder to make shakes like the ones in the study as well.
Order this product at SundropsSports.com Whey Protein.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.
Overweight Teens: Eat More Slowly and Lose weight
When obese teenagers were retrained to eat at a slower pace more similar to their thinner counterparts, they actually normalized their own hunger hormones! These hunger hormones, such as ghrelin, regulate how satiated we feel when we eat. Overweight young people might be able feel fuller and reduce their weight by making a simple choice to reduce eating speed.
Find more information from Sundrops.com on weight loss for people of all ages here.
Also, hear about a great diet talked about on the Dr. Oz show here.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.
The Amazing Ashwaganda
Ashwaganda is part of a group of plants called the adaptogens. Just as the name sounds, an adaptogen helps you adapt to stress.
Increased Well-Being
One trial found that Ashwaganda increased energy, reduced fatigue, improved sleep, and promoted a greater sense of well-being. Cortisol levels dropped 26%. Cortisol is an important and potentially destructive stress hormone that is responsible for many of the harmful effects of stress. Along with substantially lower cortisol, the people in the trial experienced lower fasting blood sugar and improved blood lipids, both good things.
Anxiety and Depression
In another study, Ashwaganda was found to be as effective as the drug Tofranil for depression, and as effective as the anti-anxiety medication Ativan for anxiety, after only 5 days.
Phytomed 2000. Unpublished Study NutrGenesis, LLC. 2005.
Atrial Fibrillation Risk
People whose blood level of omega-3 was in the top 25% were 30% less likely to develop atrial fibrillation.
Lipoic Acid and Diabetic Nerves
Researchers have conducted a number of studies on the effect of lipoic acid on diabetic neuropathy. In diabetes, high blood sugar can damage nerves, most often in the hands and feet. People with this nerve damage, called neuropathy, can experience pain and numbness in those areas.
Lipoic acid offers two kinds of support for diabetes. It is a powerful antioxidant and it also activates a switch in the body that causes blood sugar to be used more normally. A 2011 study assessed these past studies and concluded that 600mg lipoic acid per day for as little as 5 weeks significantly improved neuropathy symptoms.
Mitochondria Protect Your Brain
Mitochondria are in every cell in your body. Their job is to make energy, and together they make the energy for your entire body. When cells run out of energy, they work poorly, and eventually may die. It’s one thing to be losing relatively unimportant cells in your body, it’s quite another thing to be losing brain cells. Researchers link dying brain cells to illnesses like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. New research suggests that you may be able to protect your brain mitochondria with your lifestyle, your diet, and certain supplements.
Eat Less Carbs
Reduce carbohydrates to diminish metabolic stress on brain mitochondria. Excess carboydrates damage mitochondria with too much oxidative stress and inflammation. Currently, scientists hope to develop treatments for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases by way of improving the metabolic problems that damage brain cells.
Move More
Exercise. Interval training in particular has been shown to actually increase the formation of new mitochondria. In this kind of exercise, you exercise very intensely for 30 seconds and then rest for 90 seconds. Repeat for six to eight cycles.
It certainly more beneficial to start an exercise program well before you might develop a brain illness, but researchers continue to study the positive impact of physical activity even in those who have already been diagnosed.
Switch On Your Antioxidant Defenses
New research pinpoints the NRF-2 gene pathway as central to the protection of mitochondria in the brain. The NRF-2 gene is the “on switch” for your brain’s own antioxidant system. It is vital and it is powerful. Substances that activate this pathway include broccoli sprouts and curcumin.
Free Rad Bio Med 2008 Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol 2011. Ann NY Acad Sci 2011. Z Gerontol Geriatric 2012. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 2007.
Macular Degeneration Support
People at high risk for macular degeneration with the highest intakes of zinc and omega-3 fats from fish oil slashed their risk of developing the condition. Macular degeneration is the leading cause of blindness in people over age 60.
Arch Opthalmol 2011
Supplements to consider:
Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega Source Naturals Opti-Zinc
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Research and nutritional information included is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any disease and should not be used for medical diagnosis or treatment. Consult your physician before initiating any new dietary or supplement program. References available by request.
Lipoic Acid and Blood Sugar
Lipoic acid is a great antioxidant, but it also gives a boost to the way your body uses blood sugar. In diabetic patients given alpha lipoic acid, researchers found a significant drop in fasting blood sugar as well as post-meal glucose levels. In diabetics, these tests are high and reflect difficulty removing sugar from the blood and using it as energy.
Saudi Med J 2011
Homocysteine Is A Danger
Your body makes a toxic compound called homocysteine from the harmless amino acid methionine. With the right B vitamins, your body will recycle it back into methionine. If you run short on these B vitamins, you may end up with high homocysteine.
Harm To Your Body
Homocysteine is thought to damage arteries, leading to blood clots as well as to atherosclerosis, the hardening of arteries. There is also evidence tying homocysteine to nerve and brain toxicity.
Elevated homocysteine has been linked to significantly increased risk of stroke as well as to Alzheimer’s disease. Alarmingly, those with the highest levels of homocysteine had nearly double the risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
In type II diabetes, higher homocysteine significantly increases the risk for neuropathy, a dangerous nerve condition frequently affecting the extremities of diabetics.
Homocysteine can impact young people, too. In teenagers, scientists linked elevated homocysteine to worse performance in school. Higher folate, a B vitamin that helps recycle homocysteine, was linked to better school performance.
Recycling Homocysteine
Three vitamins are essential for recycling homocysteine back to methionine: B6, B12, and folic acid. Several studies have linked taking these supplements to a lower risk of stroke, confirming the connection between homocysteine and stroke events.
B Vitamins and Bad Genes
A substantial number of people with elevated homocysteine have a defect in one of the enzymes that takes the B vitamins from supplements or food and turns them into the active form your body actually uses. You won’t know if you have a defect without genetic testing. If a regular old blood test at the doctor shows high homocysteine, it is smart to assume you may have a genetic issue. You can choose to take B vitamins in their active forms, also called the co-enzyme forms, and bypass any defective genes you may have. Our preferred formula is Xymogen’s Methyl Protect. It provides all the factors shown to reduce homocysteine in their active co-enzyme forms.
Diabetes Care 2010. Stroke 2009. New Eng J Med 2002. Pediatrics 2011.
