I have made posts about the danger of smoking on the cardiovascular system. Basically, smoking introduces free radicals into the bloodstream. These charged molecules can oxidize cholesterol and make it easier for cholesterol to penetrate artery cell walls and accumulate there giving rise to plaque. This encourages hardening of the arteries or atherosclerosis and may [...]
I have written about nuts and their good effects on the heart. Lately there have been a few articles on pistachios and its positive effects on reducing total cholesterol and LDL or bad cholesterol levels.
According to the American Heart Association, replacing saturated and trans fats with healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats is a major [...]
You may have heard about probiotics and the benefits of live cultures of bacteria. A probiotic is an organism which contributes to the health and balance of the intestinal tract. It is also referred to as a “beneficial”, or “good” bacteria which when ingested acts to maintain a healthy intestinal tract and help fight illness [...]
We hear the (health) words omega-3 and omega-6 a lot. But what are they? They are important to promoting heart health as well as many other health related problems.
Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are essential which means we can’t make them in our bodies. We have to get them from our diets. Both are polyunsaturated [...]
Talk about snacks! When you have those hunger pangs between meals – do yourself a heart favor and blend a smoothie. These are my favorite snacks. Making them is up to your imagination. Whatever fruits you like and low-fat milk, or I use soy milk, can make a delicious heart-healthy almost sinful drink (it can be [...]
To present a current, accurate view on the articles I publish, I try to find as many scientific studies as I can. Some vitamins and nutrients have very little published on them. And sometimes I wonder if the reports I find are used to discourage any positive reporting on a vitamin or nutrient.
For example – vitamin C is [...]
I have read that liquid vitamins are easier for the body to handle in that they are ingested more quickly than the tablet form. I’m going to research this further, and I will write on it in the near future. It would seem logical. Some writers say that a lot of the tablet-type vitamins go right through [...]
Sometimes when I’m eating a meal I think before I place a bite of food in my mouth ‘Did early man eat this?’ I think this is an important thought because in those early days our physiologies were being developed off of the foods that were available. And the foods were natural ones. Mostly easily available [...]
Hot off the presses: A study conducted in collaboration with researchers from the University of Illinois and Mars, Incorporated found that, as part of a balanced, low-fat diet, the daily consumption of CocoaVia® dark chocolate bars with added plant sterols (natural plant extracts) significantly lowered total cholesterol by 2 percent and LDL cholesterol (or “bad” [...]
A heart-friendly diet consists of eating fresh vegetables along with small cuts of meat or fish. Vegetables are thought to be loaded with vitamins and nutrients. Or is this true?
Vitamin manufacturers present a very good argument that goes like the following. Farmers, or today agribusinesses, cultivate large acreages of land to one crop. This can occur year after year. [...]