How High Carbohydrate Foods Can Raise Risk For Heart Problems

An unhealthy lifestyle, including excess caloric intake, lack of exercise, smoking, and excessive alcohol consumption, increases one’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

New research¹ shows exactly how post-prandial hyperglycemia (an exaggerated rise in blood sugar following a meal) increases the risk for heart problems in overweight and obese nondiabetic volunteers.

The researchers found that foods with a high glycaemic index rapidly increase blood sugar and cause a sudden distension in the endothelial* walls of the brachial arteries (the major blood vessel of the upper arm) which can last for several hours.

Elasticity of arteries anywhere in the body can be a measure of heart health. But when aggravated over time, a sudden expansion of the artery wall can cause a number of negative health effects, including reduced elasticity, which can cause heart disease or sudden death.

Foods like cornflakes, white bread, french fries, and sweetened soda all put undue stress on our arteries.

Those who binge on high glycaemic foods have a greater chance of sudden death from heart attack says Dr. Michael Shechter.

The take-away message?

Dr. Shechter says to stick to foods like oatmeal, fruits and vegetables, legumes and nuts, which have a low glycaemic index. Exercising every day for at least 30 minutes, he adds, is an extra heart-smart action to take.

*All roads lead to the endothelium

Endothelial health can be traced back to almost every disorder and disease in the body. It is "the riskiest of the risk factors"¹.

The endothelium is the thin layer of cells that line the interior surface of blood vessels forming an interface between circulating blood in the lumen and the rest of the vessel wall. Endothelial cells line the entire circulatory system, from the heart to the smallest capillary. These cells reduce turbulence of the flow of blood allowing the fluid to be pumped farther.

Endothelial dysfunction, or the loss of proper endothelial function, often leads to atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a disease in which plaque builds up on the insides of your arteries. Plaque is made up of fat, cholesterol, calcium, and other substances found in the blood. Over time, plaque hardens and narrows your arteries. The flow of oxygen-rich blood to your organs and other parts of your body is reduced.

Endothelial dysfunction is associated with most forms of cardiovascular disease, such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, chronic heart failure, peripheral artery disease, diabetes, and chronic renal failure.

Talya Lavi, Avraham Karasik, Nira Koren-Morag, Hannah Kanety, Micha S. Feinberg, and Michael Shechter. The Acute Effect of Various Glycemic Index Dietary Carbohydrates on Endothelial Function in Nondiabetic Overweight and Obese Subjects. J Am Coll Cardiol, 2009; 53:2283-2287

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Zestz : Celebrating the PRESENT

未来失于沉浸过去

To regret the past is to forfeit the future

Chinese Proverb

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Zestz for LAUGHS?

The nose becomes congested when the tissues lining the nose become swollen due to inflamed blood vessels.

There are two main causes for nasal congestion.

When you have a cold, flu, or other infection, your body uses it as a mechanism to help fight against viral or bacterial infections.

When you have an allergy to food, chemicals, or other substances like pollen or dust, your body is producing too much histamine. This substance causes your nose to run and your eyes to water.

It's not the most pleasant feeling to be congested. Nasal congestion can interfere with the ears, hearing, and voice. Significant congestion may interfere with sleep, cause snoring, and can be associated with sleep apnoea.

The vasodilatory effects of PDE5 inhibitors (sildenafil/Viagra, vardenafil/Levitra and tadalafil/Cialis) sometimes cause the capillary smooth muscle of the tissues lining the nose to swell causing congestion. This effect is dose related, the higher the dose you take, the more prominent will be the congestion. The consequential nasal voice is an embarrassing giveaway.

CLICK HERE for Zestz Moisturising Gel, to help you reduce your need for a PDE5 inhibitor.

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Magnesium Supplement Helps Boost Brainpower

Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and keeps bones strong. Magnesium also helps regulate blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure, and is known to be involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis

Magnesium might even help enhance learning and memory and prevent their decline with age and disease.

Having established that magnesium promoted synaptic plasticity in cultured brain cells, a team of researcher at Tsinghua University in Beijing led by Professor Guosong Liu, took a step further and investigate whether an increase in brain magnesium levels enhanced cognitive function in animals.

Their study found that increased brain magnesium enhanced many different forms of learning and memory in both young and aged rats and supports speculation that inadequate levels of magnesium impair cognitive function, leading to faster deterioration of memory in aging humans.

To understand the molecular mechanisms underlying this magnesium-induced memory enhancement, the

researchers studied the changes induced in functional and structural properties of synapses. They found that in young and aged rats, Magnesium increased plasticity among synapses, the connections among neurons, and boosted the density of synapses in the hippocampus, a critical brain region for learning and memory.

The authors admitted that levels of magnesium higher than provided by a normal diet were used in the study. However, with low intake of magnesium world wide contributing to age-dependent memory decline, increasing magnesium intake might prevent or reduce such decline.

Eating a wide variety of legumes, nuts, whole grains, and dark leafy vegetables will help you meet your daily dietary need for magnesium.

Hippocampus the ridge in the floor of each lateral ventricle of the brain that has a central role in memory processes.

Synapse is the small junction across which a nerve impulse passes from one nerve cell to another nerve cell.

Synaptic plasticity is the ability of the connection, or synapse, between two neurons to change in strength.

Inna Slutsky, Nashat Abumaria, Long-Jun Wu, Chao Huang, Ling Zhang, Bo Li, Xiang Zhao, Arvind Govindarajan, Ming-Gao Zhao, Min Zhuo, Susumu Tonegawa and Guosong Liu. Enhancement of Learning and Memory by Elevating Brain Magnesium. Neuron, Volume 65, Issue 2, 165-177, 28 January 2010

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Magnesium Food Sources and Supplements

Salus Fruit Juice Calcium Magnesium Concentrate delivers 186mg of elemental Magnesium and 204iu of Vitamin D3 per 30ml serving in a base of aqueous extracts of African malva (hibiscus), Camomile flower, Fennel, Spinach, Fructose, Mango juice, Orange juice and Locust Seed flour.

The 500ml pack is available at RM138.60

Centrum Silver, especially formulated for Baby Boomers with 50mg of magnesium together with 19 other minerals and vitamins in an easy to swallow tablet.

It retails at RM59.80 for a two months’ supply.

Selected Food Sources of Magnesium

Click Here to view this table from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.

Zestz JAZZ

Rachel Guerzo
The “heir” of Malaysia's two most musical families

— the Solianos and Guerzos
has released her debut album 'Just Friends'

It is available for just RM35, delivered to your doorstep.

You can also catch the chanteuse

LIVE at DEWAN FILHARMONIK PETRONAS

Tuesday, 27 April 2010 at 9.00 p.m.

Click here to purchase your tickets, NOW!

The Dangers of Belly Fat

Everyone knows that overweight people have a higher risk of heart attacks, strokes and other problems that arise from clogged, hardened arteries.

And people who have their extra weight hanging over your pants or jiggling when they walk -- have the highest risk of all.

A team of University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center scientists reports direct evidence of a link between inflammation around the cells of visceral fat deposits, and the artery-hardening process of atherosclerosis (1)

Visceral fat or belly fat is particularly dangerous because it produces inflammatory molecules that enter the bloodstream and increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Obese people have higher levels of circulating inflammatory markers, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), which are produced and secreted by fat tissue. This inflammation then triggers the systemic diseases linked with metabolic syndrome, such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease (2).

Other Negative Effects Of Belly Fat

Liver Cancer Recurrence

Dr. H. Yoshida of the University of Tokyo and colleagues (3) found that the amount of fat accumulated around internal abdominal organs appears to affect the likelihood of a recurrence of liver cancer following treatment

Dementia

People with larger stomachs in their 40s are more likely to have dementia when they reach their 70s (4).

Migraine

Overweight people who are between the ages of 20 and 55 may have a higher risk of experiencing migraine headaches (5).

Work on losing your belly fat, and your other excess body weight, today!

Start by taking small steps in the right direction - a regular, daily exercise routine and healthier, less-fattening eating habits and soon you will be melting away your ugly belly fat!

Aim for a healthy weight – assess your risk here.

1 M. K. Ohman, Y. Shen, C. I. Obimba, A. P. Wright, M. Warnock, D. A. Lawrence, and D. T. Eitzman. Visceral Adipose Tissue Inflammation Accelerates Atherosclerosis in Apolipoprotein E-Deficient Mice. Circulation, February 12, 2008; 117(6): 798 - 805.

2 Vieira VJ, Valentine RJ, Wilund KR, Antao N, Baynard T, Woods JA. Effects of exercise and low-fat diet on adipose tissue inflammation and metabolic complications in obese mice. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2009 May;296(5)

3 T Ohki, R Tateishi, S Shiina, E Goto, T Sato, H Nakagawa, R Masuzaki, T Goto, K Hamamura, F Kanai, H Yoshida, T Kawabe, and M Omata. Visceral fat accumulation is an independent risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence after curative treatment in patients with suspected NASH. Gut 2009; 58: 839-844.

4 Whitmer RA, Gustafson DR, Barrett-Connor E, Haan MN, Gunderson EP, Yaffe K. Central obesity and increased risk of dementia more than three decades later. Neurology. 2008 Sep 30;71(14):1057-64.

5 Peterlin BL, and Rosso AL, reported in an abstract to be presented at the American Academy of Neurology meeting in April 2009

6 Photo from http://nikadon.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/abdominal-fat-can-damage-health.jpg

Eat less, exercise more….and eat at the right time of day (we will talk bout this in another posting).

There is a prescription medicine called orlistat which belongs to a group of medicines called lipase inhibitors. It works by preventing the absorption of dietary fat in your body rather than by suppressing your appetite. Orlistat is used to assist with losing weight, maintaining a certain weight and preventing weight regain. Orlistat may be used to complement a low-fat, well-balanced, calorie-controlled diet and exercise.

Omega-3 in dietary fish oil has been shown to promote size reduction of visceral fat cells. Omega 3 fatty acids are also reported to have anti-inflammatory and anti-thrombogenic and anti-arrhythmic effects.

Talk to your pharmacist or doctor.