Category Archives: Supplements

5 Heart Health Facts Your Cardiologist Won’t Tell You

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Dr. Stephen Sinatra

Over the years, I’ve found that while there are some great cardiologists who are on the cutting-edge of the latest research, there are far more cardiologists who are practicing old medicine, quite literally. Part of the problem is that medical schools spend far more time teaching about pharmaceutical drugs than they do nutritional supplements. Plus, they never even get to new cutting-edge research that doesn’t involve a scalpel or prescription pad. Here are the five biggest heart facts that unfortunately many cardiologists don’t know about, yet.

Here Are The 5 Heart-Health Facts You Should Know

1. Your Heart Can Regenerate Itself: In eye-opening research, Swedish cellular biologists found that cardiomyocytes (heart muscle cells) actually renew themselves. In fact, over a lifetime you will have turned over a full 40 percent of your cardiomyocytes. You can help that heart renewal process by taking targeted nutraceuticals that help stimulate healthy enzymatic and bioenergetic reactions in cells. The nutrients you want to take are ones I’ve dubbed the “Awesome Foursome,” which includes carnitine, magnesium, D-ribose, and CoQ10. These nutrients literally work in the “engine room” of each cell, increasing ATP (adenosine triphosphate) throughout your body and revitalizing the heart.

2. Cholesterol is Not the Villain: While cholesterol is at the scene of the crime when it comes to heart disease, it’s not the real perpetrator. The real “bad guy” is inflammation. Studies show that having elevated C-reactive protein (CRP), which is a measure of inflammation, puts you at twice the risk of dying from cardiovascular-related problems as those with high cholesterol. You generally want a CRP reading below one.

3. Driving Your LDL Cholesterol Too Low Can Be Harmful: Many people, including cardiologists, still believe that the lower your LDL cholesterol is the better. This is one of the reasons that cholesterol lowering statin drugs are prescribed in record numbers. But the truth is, your body needs LDL cholesterol and if you drive that number too low (meaning below 60) it can affect your memory and immune system.

4. Statin Drugs Really Work by Thinning the Blood: Many people think that the healing power of statin drugs is that they lower your cholesterol. But the real reason these drugs can be helpful for some people is that they thin the blood and improve inflammation—which as I mentioned earlier is the real culprit in heart disease. That’s why with men who have a history of a heart attack, a bypass or stent, an angioplasty, or low HDL cholesterol, a statin can be lifesaving. But for many others, the harmful statin side effects far outweigh the benefits.

5. Saturated Fats Are Heart-Healthy: For years, cardiologists told people to avoid fats and especially “artery clogging” saturated fats. But the fact is saturated fats are not just safe, they can actually improve your heart health. That’s because they help to raise “good” HDL cholesterol and help to improve your HDL-triglyceride ratio. Plus, saturated fats actually help to improve your LDL cholesterol pattern, changing them from small artery clogging dense particles into larger “fluffy” and less invasive LDL particles. In fact, a Harvard University study found that a higher intake of saturated fats is associated with less progression of atherosclerosis—hardening of the arteries.

Be Informed. And Stay Healthy.

3 Simple Tips to Burn Fat

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1. Eat Fat  to Lose fat

Healthy fats, that is. Good fats contain essential omega-3 fatty acids which boost brain function, strengthens the immune system, improves mood and aids in helping you slim down.

So which fats are “good” fats? Fats from fish and nuts as well as those from avocados, peanut butter, olive oil, egg yolks, and fish oil.


2.  High Intensity Interval Training

Whether you walk, run, bike or swim, the International Journal of Obesity revealed that women who, for 20 minutes alternated cycling as fast as possible for eight seconds with 12-second rest periods dropped 9.5 percent of their belly fat, while those who cycled steadily for 40 minutes gained.

So walk at a nice easy pace, then burst into as fast as pace as you can for 8 seconds, then relax into a nice easy pace, and then burst again. Pushing your body to the max with rest periods turns on your thin genes and does a world of difference for burning fat.

3. Drink Green Tea

According to a study from American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, drinking green tea has fat-fighting effects. Green tea’s high content of caffeine and catechins, stop the body from absorbing carbohydrates and helps burn more fat.

Stay Healthy!

Garlic is Great

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Garlic is an ‘effective and safe approach’ for BP management, says meta-analysis

 Stephen DANIELLS

‘Great economical and clinical benefit’: Garlic is an ‘effective and safe approach’ for BP management, says meta-analysis
 

Dietary supplements with garlic (Allium sativum) may beneficially affect blood pressure for hypertensives, says a meta-analysis of 7 randomized controlled trials.

Data published in Phytomedicine indicated that garlic supplements could reduce systolic and diastolic blood pressure by an average of 6.71 mmHg and 4.79 mmHg, respectively.

“The present meta-analysis suggests that garlic is an effective and safe approach for the management of hypertension, which may be an alternative therapy in patients with a history of AEs related to antihypertensive drugs,” wrote the authors.

Allicin

Consumer awareness of the health benefits of garlic, mostly in terms of cardiovascular and immune system health, has benefited the supplements industry, particularly since consumers seek the benefits of garlic without the odors that accompany the fresh bulb.

The benefits have been linked to the compound allicin, which is not found in fresh garlic; It is only formed when garlic is crushed, which breaks down a compound called diallyl sulphide.

Study details

Led by scientists from the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, the authors searched PubMed, the Cochrane Library and EMBASE for appropriate articles and found seven randomized, placebo-controlled trials comparing garlic vs. a placebo in hypertensives.

Pooling the data indicated that, compared with placebo, garlic was associated with significant lowering of both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Probiotics

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The word “probiotic” is a compound of two Greek words: “pro,” to signify promotion of and “biotic,” which means life. Their very definition is something that affirms life and health. The World Health Organization defines a probiotic as any living microorganism that has a health benefit when ingested.  These encourage growth of good bacteria in the gut.

As opposed to ‘Anti-Biotics’, which are, by definiton, Anti-Life. They kill the infection-causing bacteria, but also the good bacteria in our gut. Which is why we are given vitamins whenever we take antibiotics, to protect the good bacteria.

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Plain home made yogurt (not store bought), kimchi, kefir, tempeh, miso, sauerkraut, carrot drink kanji, wheat drink Rejuvelac – these are some of the foods rich in probiotics. They are all incredibly simple to make, taste good and are health promoting.

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So what can probiotics help with?

  • Boost the immune system by enhancing the production of antibodies.
  • Produce substances that prevent infection.
  • Prevent harmful bacteria from attaching to the gut lining and growing there.
  • Inhibit or destroy toxins released by certain “bad” bacteria.
  • Produce B vitamins necessary for metabolizing the food we eat, warding off anemia caused by deficiencies in B6 and B12, and maintaining healthy skin and a healthy nervous system.
  • Allergies
  • Obesity – In 2006, Stanford University researchers found that obese people had different gut bacteria than normal-weighted people. Research shows that probiotics can help obese people who have received weight loss surgery to maintain weight loss. And in a study of post-partum women who were trying to lose abdominal fat, the addition of lactobacillus and bifidobacterium capsules helped reduce waist circumference.

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80 percent of our immune system is located in our digestive system, making a healthy gut essential if we want to maintain optimal health.

Furthermore, the gut is quite literally our second brain, as it originates from the same type of tissue as your brain! During fetal development, one part turns into the central nervous system, while the other develops into the enteric nervous system. These two systems are connected via the vagus nerve, the tenth cranial nerve that runs from the brain stem down to your abdomen. Hence the gut and the brain work in tandem, each influencing the other. And this is why our intestinal health can have such a profound influence on our mental health, and vice versa.

This also helps explain the link between neurological disorders (including ADHD and autism) and gastrointestinal dysfunction. For example, gluten intolerance is frequently a feature of autism, and many autistic children will improve when following a strict gluten-free diet.

However, even more importantly, establishing normal gut flora within the first 20 days or so of life plays a crucial role in appropriate maturation of your baby’s immune system. This happens during a vaginal delivery. Babies born by Cesarian section are unable to derive this massive benefit. That is why we must be very selective when resorting to Cesarian deliveries.

Who should take probiotics?

Everyone.

Especially those who have Digestive, Auti-Immune, Mental Health issues, Repeated Infections or after Illness or Surgery.

In the form of foods listed above, or Supplements.

Prebiotics are non-digestible fiber compounds that pass undigested through the gut and stimulate the growth of good bacteria that colonize the large bowel by acting as food for them. So including these in our diet is also beneficial.

Prebiotics are found in insoluble fiber such as inulin and resistant starch in cooked and cooled potatoes.

Simple ways to Stay Healthy!

 

 

 

 

Why Eat Protein

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Does it really matter, if we eat protein, how much and what kind of protein we consume?

Consider this:

Proteins have many different functions, for example:

  • Part of your DNA – your genetic inheritance!
  • Enzymes  are proteins which make everything happen, e.g. to break down food for absorption; to regulate the entry of nutrients through cell walls, and the removal of waste-products; to grow, develop, move, reproduce.
  • Hemoglobin is a protein which, with iron, carries oxygen around the body
  • Myoglobin and elastin – These are the two main proteins in muscle fibers
  • Bones are mainly proteins, with calcium, magnesium and phosphate;
  • Hormones which regulate metabolism
  • Antibodies which circulate in blood to protect against infections and
  • Keratin which forms hair and nails.

A popular belief among a section of Indians is that protein is required mainly by men,  but as we  can see above, women also have DNA and Hemoglobin and hormones. Duh!

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Protein and Chronic Diseases

There’s growing evidence that high-protein food choices can lower the risk of several diseases and premature death.

Cardiovascular disease

Research conducted at Harvard School of Public Health has found that a high-protein diet may be beneficial for the heart.

A randomized trial known as the Optimal Macronutrient Intake Trial for Heart Health (OmniHeart) showed that a healthy diet that replaced some carbohydrate with healthy protein (or healthy fat) did a better job of lowering blood pressure and harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol than a similarly healthy, higher carbohydrate diet.

Diabetes

Studies showed that substituting one serving of low-fat dairy products or whole grains for a serving of red meat each day lowered the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by an estimated 16 to 35 percent.

Cancer

Optimum levels of Protein contribute to Optimum Immunity, which can help protect against Cancer.

Osteoporosis

High-protein diets have been linked with increased bone-mineral density, and thus stronger bones.

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Protein and Weight Control

The same high-protein foods that are good choices for disease prevention may also help with weight control.

1. Dietary protein reduces hunger. Protein is the most satisfying of all the macronutrients. High protein meals suppress appetite by creating a feeling of fullness. This reduces calorie consumption thereby promoting weight loss.

2. Protein digestion and metabolism burns more calories. Both dietary carbohydrate and protein provide the same amount of available energy, 4 kilocalories per gram, but it takes about 25% more of that energy to process protein. This means more calories are burned in digesting the same weight of protein, compared to carbohydrates.

3. Protein increases lean body mass or muscle. Muscle burns calories. When people shed weight, muscle mass is usually lost. But studies show that overweight dieters are more likely to lose fat instead of muscle by following a higher protein, lower calorie diet. The muscle-building effect of a higher protein diet is further boosted with resistance exercise.

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How Much Protein

Experts advise consuming between 1 and 2 grams of protein per kg of  body weight.  Skew on the higher end for those who are very active,  if you’re trying to lose weight, growing children, pregnant women, or the elderly, as they tend to lose muscle mass. Choose the low end for healthy adults.

Even more important: Aim to get at least 30 of those grams at breakfast, says Donald Layman, Ph.D. (That’s roughly the amount you’ll get from two eggs and a cup of cottage cheese.) After fasting all night, the body is running on empty and may start drawing on muscle tissue for fuel if you don’t replenish its protein stores first thing in the morning. Plus, studies have found that protein-rich breakfasts can help regulate appetite all day.

Every meal we eat, every snack we consume, must contain protein to keep blood sugar levels in balance and maintain energy.

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You may be Low on Protein if

You Crave Sweets
One of the first signs you’re low on protein: You start craving sweets and feel like you’re never quite full. One of protein’s most critical functions is keeping your blood sugar steady—which means if you’re lacking, your glucose levels will be all over the place, encouraging you to reach for a quick fix like candy.

 

Your Brain Feels Foggy
Balanced blood sugar is essential for staying focused. So when you’re protein-deprived and your glucose levels are fluctuating constantly, you may feel a little foggy, because you don’t have a steady stream of carbs to fuel your brain. Protein at meals helps time-release the carbs for steady energy rather than up and down spikes. If you’re relying only on “fleeting foods,” such as crackers or bread, you’ll only experience short bursts of mental energy, followed by the fog.

Your Hair is Falling Out
Protein is the building block of all of your cells—your hair follicles included. “If your hair follicles are strong, they keep your hair on your head, despite the tugging we do all day and the wind going through your hair. But if you’re chronically skimping on the scalp-stabilizing nutrient, you may notice that your strands start thinning (although, keep in mind, this can also be a sign of other conditions, like thyroid trouble).

You Feel Weak.
We all know that protein is essential for building muscle. And if you don’t get enough of it, your muscles may start to shrink over time. As a result, you may feel weak and unable to do the exercises you once excelled at.

You Get Sick Constantly

Protein is needed to build all the compounds in our immune systems. So if you seem to catch colds or infections more often than everyone else—and you’re otherwise in good health—a protein deficiency may be to blame.

Keep up the Protein Intake. And Stay Healthy!