Heart Health

Benefits of Astaxanthin: The Carotenoid With Powerful Protective Properties

Aging affects all of us eventually, both inside and out. Our skin begins to sag and fine lines appear; our arteries and joints degenerate in ways that affect mobility and disease risk. Eyesight begins to decline along with memory and cognitive function. What if there were a natural way to help protect against some of these deleterious effects of time? According to new research, the colorful carotenoid astaxanthin may be the key.

How Do We Age?

Scientific studies have indicated that damage from free radicals are responsible for many of the changes that we associate with aging. Oxygen is necessary for us to live, but it also can have a negative effect on cells. Oxygen is inhaled as a bonded molecule made of two oxygen atoms, which is why it is referred to as O2. However, it is split into two oxygen atoms as part of cell metabolism. This process creates oxygen radicals, which are destructive to many components of our cells, especially DNA.

Our bodies make an enzyme called superoxide dismutase that removes oxygen free radicals, binding them to other molecules so they cannot cause damage. As we age, our bodies do not create this important enzyme as effectively. The result is that our cells suffer small amounts of damage that lead to the physical symptoms and increased health risks associated with growing old. For centuries, ancient explorers searched fruitlessly for the “Fountain of Youth,” but we are still left with no real way to slow down aging, let alone prevent or reverse it.

What Is Astaxanthin?

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid, aka substances that typically have a red-orange tint. It is found in a variety of plant and animal foods, including select plants and algae, as well as certain marine fish such as salmon. It is present in high amounts in krill oil as well. While this compound is plentiful throughout nature, most people who live in the United States and Western Europe need to take a supplement to get the health benefits of astaxanthin. Our diets simply do not contain many foods that are rich in this super-vitamin.

Astaxanthin was recently discovered to have powerful antioxidant properties, potentially protecting against some of the external and internal changes associated with aging. Not only may it protect against the visible symptoms of aging, such as fine lines and wrinkles, but other benefits of astaxanthin include helping to maintain healthy vision, cardiovascular health and a variety of other positive effects. Astaxanthin appears to work by influencing the amount of free radicals in our cells, in effect helping to protect against some of the damage associated with aging.

The Health Benefits of Astaxanthin

Several studies have found positive effects from taking astaxanthin as a daily supplement. Astaxanthin helps protect against the oxidation of fatty acids, which may benefit cardiovascular health and help maintain good health in other parts of your body. Astaxanthin has also been found to support brain health, helping to maintain healthy cognition and brain function by helping to protect against oxidative damage to the delicate tissues of the brain. It can also help maintain healthy vision, which is not surprising considering it is very similar on a molecular level to the sight-protecting nutrient beta carotene. Some other benefits of astaxanthin include supporting healthy fertility and decreasing recovery time after strenuous exercise.

Astaxanthin helps protect against a diverse range of health concerns and helps promote healthy aging by protecting against the root cause: free radicals. While it has not been studied long enough to know if it has long-term benefits or side effects, astaxanthin is likely a safe way to support healthy aging. While it is important to speak with your physician before beginning any new supplement, the health benefits of astaxanthin may make it the top healthy aging supplement of our time.

Are Prenatal Vitamins a Pregnancy Necessity?

Jul 22 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

It’s a long-held belief that all expecting mothers should take a prenatal vitamin formula to reduce the risk of birth defects, nutrient deficiencies and other health problems. However, there are always skeptics who chime in as to why supplementing with extra nutrients may not actually be necessary while pregnant. If you’re on the fence, here is some of the latest information supporting the importance of supplementing with a prenatal vitamin while pregnant.

Folic Acid Is Crucial

Folic acid is also known as folate or vitamin B9. This vitamin is needed for the synthesis and creation of DNA, the production of red blood cells, the metabolism of amino acids, and for the growth of the placenta and fetus. A woman’s need for folic acid increases during pregnancy. Although the United States started fortifying grain products with vitamin B9 in 1998, most women still don’t get enough of it.

Taking folic acid is essential for reducing the risk of neural tube defects. This type of birth defect can be very severe,and some of these defects have a very low survival rate and life expectancy. One well-known neural tube defect is spina bifida, which occurs when the membranes around the spinal cord do not close completely. Spina bifida usually requires after-birth surgery and periodic medical attention throughout life. Another example of a neural tube defect is anencephaly, in which the baby is born lacking a cerebrum, which is the largest part of the brain.

Although neural tube defects are a terrible thing for a mother to experience, it’s also easy to greatly reduce your unborn child’s risk. In countries where flour is fortified with folic acid, there is a 46 percent lower rate of neural tube defects. You can bring the number down even further by simply taking a prenatal supplement with folic acid every day.

Folic acid may also help prevent other birth defects including heart defects and cleft palate, though more research is needed to confirm this. Additionally, because neural tube defects take place before most women even know they are pregnant, it’s important to start taking a prenatal vitamin formula with folic acid as soon as you start trying to conceive.

Other Benefits of Prenatal Supplements

Folic acid is arguably the most important prenatal vitamin that you should take. However, there are a few other nutrients with pregnancy benefits that you should learn about.

It is prudent for expecting mothers to take a supplement with vitamin D. Although vitamin D is obtained through sunlight, fortified dairy, fatty fish and egg yolk, most Americans still don’t get enough of it. Being deficient in vitamin D may increase your risk of preeclampsia, intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, low birth weight, preterm birth, gestational diabetes and the need for caesarean delivery.

Calcium is one of few nutrients that your body takes from its own stores in order to help your baby grow. This means that if you aren’t getting enough calcium in your diet, your body will take it from your bones and teeth. You can reduce your risk of lifelong bone density problems by taking a prenatal vitamin formula containing calcium.

Some of the other most important nutrients to look for in a prenatal supplement include iron, iodine, choline and omega-3 fatty acids.

So, Do I Need a Prenatal Vitamin?

There remain some people who argue against the benefits of taking a prenatal vitamin formula. Skeptics raise some good points, such as the fact that you don’t necessarily need to supplement every single vitamin and mineral. However, the reality is that most Americans fall short when it comes to many key nutrients and that your need for certain vitamins like vitamin D and folic acid do rise during pregnancy. What’s more, nutrient deficiencies in the mother have more severe effects in babies. Ultimately, research supports incorporating a comprehensive prenatal vitamin formulation into your prenatal care program during pregnancy and beyond, while breastfeeding.

One study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility called the “Longitudinal Investigation of Fertility and the Environment Study” found that women who take a prenatal multivitamin daily during pregnancy have a 55 percent lower risk of losing their baby. Other studies have found consistent reductions in the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth and preterm birth.

Some people are more likely to highly benefit from taking a prenatal multivitamin formula than others. Supplementation during pregnancy is even more crucial for teenage mothers, women who smoke or have a history of using other substances, women who have suffered from eating disorders, women who take certain medications, vegetarians and vegans and women who are carrying twins, triplets, or beyond. However, taking a high-quality prenatal vitamin formula is a necessity for all women who are expecting or trying to conceive. This is confirmed by several health authorities: the Endocrine Society, the American Thyroid Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics all recommend multivitamins during pregnancy. Despite what the skeptics say, most OBGYNs and family doctors also recommend supplementing with a prenatal vitamin formula.

Melatonin and Blood Pressure: New Research Suggests a Sleep Supplement May Promote Heart Health

Jul 13 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Most of us know someone, be it a friend, grandfather, parent, or another family member, who takes medication for hypertension, or high blood pressure. Not only is high blood pressure common in the Western world, but our risk of developing it increases as we age. At the same time, many people find that they also have trouble sleeping as they age, a concern often caused by the age-related slowing of melatonin production. Could the two be related? New research suggests there might be a link between melatonin and blood pressure.

Cardiovascular Health And Aging

It is no surprise that our bodies change as we get older, with the changes being more pronounced inside our bodies than on the outside. Our blood vessels become less pliant, paving the way for hypertension and a variety of cardiovascular diseases. Changes to the body’s circadian rhythm also contribute to poor health. For instance, our blood pressure normally follows a predictable rhythm. As we age, blood pressure becomes more variable and unpredictable. Rather than rising and falling in a predictable way, it tends to become more reactive and follow external cues rather than an internal clock. With all of this in mind, could there be a link between circadian rhythm, melatonin, and blood pressure?

Melatonin and Blood Pressure

In a recent study, elderly people living in a community for older adults were followed for a week, with attention given to their normal lifestyle and any medications taken. The individuals in the study all suffered from hypertension of varying degrees and had an average age of 80. Participants were then instructed to add a melatonin supplement to their daily regime. After just two weeks the results were surprising. After adding a melatonin supplement, blood pressure decreased on average by approximately eight points, which is significant. In addition, those who took melatonin had less variability in blood pressure and a more predictable blood pressure rhythm, suggesting that melatonin may be helpful in protecting against some of the negative effects of aging on our blood vessels. This breaking research into the link between melatonin and blood pressure suggests that a daily melatonin supplement may go a long way toward keeping blood vessels healthy.

Because blood pressure is a major risk factor for a variety of serious, life-threatening health problems, these findings could have potential immense effects on overall health. Lower blood pressure is desirable in almost all cases and can reduce the risk of serious complications like heart attacks. In addition, high blood pressure variability is an important indicator of future disease risk. People who have high variability are at risk for a variety of diseases such as chronic kidney disease.

The Magic of Melatonin

Released by the pineal gland in response to cues from the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus, melatonin had been a major focus of research for years due to its essential role in maintaining the circadian rhythm and a regular sleep-wake cycle. Melatonin levels typically decrease with age, causing disrupted or insufficient sleep in many older adults. The age-related reduction of melatonin may be partially responsible for some of the effects that we associate with aging. For instance, some of the memory loss that we associate with aging may be actually due to a lack of adequate sleep, as sleep is the time during which we consolidate memories. Because sleep is also when our cells rejuvenate and heal from the damage of the day, some of the accumulated damage we associate with aging may be partially due to age-related loss of melatonin.

People jokingly say that sleep is the best medicine. However, research indicates that this is actually not a laughing matter. Maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm, including the addition of a melatonin supplement if needed, may be one important part of preventative medicine. Cultivating a healthy sleep-wake cycle is important because we do not sleep only to dream, but also to complete essential cell repair processes that keep us healthy and happy.

It’s important to discuss any supplements or new over the counter medications with your physician. However, evidence is increasingly indicating that melatonin may be one of the most potent natural healthy-aging supplements available. From your blood vessels to your short term memory, the healing and rejuvenating effects of melatonin support good health from the inside out. Adding this simple and safe supplement may make all the difference in your lifelong well-being.

Keeping a Consistent Bedtime Reduces Risk of Heart Disease

Jul 07 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Do you go to bed at the same time every night? If you are like most people in the industrialized world, the answer to this question is likely “no.” Electrical lights and smart devices give us the means to stay awake well past dark and plenty of ways to entertain ourselves while doing so. The result is that most adults and even many children lack a consistent bedtime, which is a dilemma that a recent study suggests may have a negative effect on cardiovascular health. Could going to sleep at the same time each night—a habit common in our ancestors who lived by the light of the sun—be a crucial factor in preventing heart disease?

The Benefits of Keeping a Consistent Bedtime

Most children have a set bedtime, but as adults, we generally give up this habit. We go to bed when we feel ready for sleep, which varies from night to night. A new study published in the journal Hypertension suggests that bedtime may be more important than we could have ever predicted. In the study, healthy volunteers underwent a series of blood tests, then were given a new sleep regimen with a constantly changing bedtime. After just eight days of a forced change in bedtime, these people had increased norepinephrine, a catecholamine which increases heart rate and has been found to contribute to heart disease in a variety of ways. These people also showed decreased vagal activity, which is significant because the vagus nerve is an important cardiovascular depressant.

Vagal activity is particularly important because this type of nervous activity generally occurs during deep sleep. The results of this study suggest that people who change their bedtime on a regular basis do not get as much deep sleep, which is when the heart regenerates itself after a long day. During deep sleep, vagal activity slows heart rate and blood pressure, reducing demands on myocardial muscle. This gives our heart muscle a chance to clean out metabolites and other biochemicals that accumulate throughout the day as well as providing a needed rest to muscles that maintain our lives 24 hours a day.

Sleeping the Stress Away… Or Not

This study adds to a growing body of evidence that a lack of regular sleep is bad for the heart and blood vessels. The heart is primarily governed by the two branches of the autonomic nervous system. The parasympathetic branch of this system releases hormones that encourage rest and regeneration, as well as digestion of food and other important activities. On the other hand, the sympathetic nervous system revolves around fight or flight. The hormones released by this system generally function as stress hormones. While stress hormones are important in escaping a real physical threat such as a threatening mastodon, they are often maladaptive in the modern world.

When we do not get enough sleep, the sympathetic nervous system dominates our autonomic system. The result is that we have increased levels of stress hormones, which create long-term damage to our cardiovascular systems. Getting a good night’s sleep—including going to bed at a regular time—may be one of the best things we can do to maintain a healthy heart.

The Magic of Sleep

Sleep is a time for mental regeneration, but it appears to be just as important for physical regeneration. Our cardiovascular system is not the only organ system that needs some time at night to regenerate cells and clean out toxic metabolites from the activity of the day. Neural cells also appear to repair damage and replace worn-out cells while we sleep. Even hepatocytes, the cells of the liver, rely on sleep cues from master clocks in the human brain to determine when to rebuild and undergo repair processes. Our bodies must maintain a healthy circadian rhythm in order to undergo crucial processes that keep our cells healthy amidst the challenges of modern life.

Sleep disorders do not just make us more fatigued the next morning, but can potentially affect almost every cell in our body. Setting a regular bedtime may be a healthy lifestyle change that is as important as eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise.

Proven: Shift Work is Detrimental to Your Health

Jun 29 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

Modern society has become almost “timeless” due to electric lighting and other technology. We can buy groceries at midnight, get medical care at any hour, and access 24/7 customer service for any problems that arise during the day or night. There are definite benefits to this constant access. However, there may be serious health consequences for the people who keep our world running around the clock.

Shift Work and the Circadian Rhythm

The main problem with shift work is that the timing of sleep matters. Our bodies are made to run by internal clocks that are set by light levels. When our retinas sense light, they pass signals to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) to shut down the production of melatonin and other biochemicals associated with sleep. Our circadian rhythm is also affected by factors such as temperature and the timing of meals.

How does shift work affect the circadian rhythm? People who work odd hours often must function at times when their bodies are telling them to settle into bed so key restorative processes can occur. They must try to sleep at times when cortisol and other hormones that encourage wakefulness are high. People who engage in shift work suffer from a long-term form of jet lag, in which their internal clocks are not aligned with their lifestyle.

The Out-of-Sync Brain

What happens to the human body when shift work forces the circadian rhythm out of sync with the environment? Researchers have discovered a variety of effects. Anyone who has lost a night of sleep knows the short-term effects. People feel more fatigued and suffer from “fuzzy” thinking, but the effects on cognition do not stop there. Chronobiology research has found that people who engage in shift work perform lower on cognitive tests, with the effects lasting up to five years after they resume a typical day schedule. Medical staff who work nights are more likely to miss critical issues and often struggle to stay awake, much less to perform to a high standard of care. However, the effects of shift work extend beyond mood and mental function. There appear to be long-term effects on disease risk and lifespan as well.

Can Shift Work Affect Your Long-Term Health?

New research suggests that cardiovascular health is one of the areas most effected by shift work. Deep sleep allows our hearts to rest and to perform cell repair as well as other restorative processes. Without adequate sleep, people have higher blood levels of stress hormones and increased heart rates. The result is an increased risk of cardiovascular disease that can ultimately be life-threatening.

In addition, people who work odd shifts have a higher risk of stroke and experience more devastating strokes when they do occur. Lab rats who have a disrupted circadian rhythm are more likely to have lasting brain damage and loss of limb function after a stroke.

Disproportionately Severe Effects on Women

Shift work increases risk factors for chronic disease across the board, but the exact effects appear to depend a great deal on biological sex. While men are at higher risk of permanent disability from a stroke, women get the short end of the stick overall. A study of nurses found that women who work night shifts see more negative effects on their heart health than males, even when adjusted for lifestyle and risk factors. They have a higher incidence of coronary artery disease, heart attack and death from heart problems. This increase in risk is significant, at about 15 to 18 percent higher.

Why do men and women suffer different health consequences from shift work? It appears that male and female bodies react different to disruptions in the circadian rhythm. A study of sleep-deprived volunteers of both sexes found that women have more changes in mood and cognitive performance than men when subjected to a disrupted internal clock. This may pose a challenge to the public health as many jobs involving shift work, such as nursing and waitressing, are traditionally female professions.

Our society requires 24-hour staffing in many fields to accommodate modern lifestyles. However, this does not come without consequences for the workers involved. While we will always need medical and law enforcement staff around the clock, it may be better for public health to allow workers in less time-sensitive industries to go home in the evening and get the good night of sleep that they need for optimal health.

Grape Polyphenols Proven to Help Neutralize Effects of a High-Fat Diet

May 18 by Ewcopywriting Leave a Comment

When it comes right down to it, the typical Western diet is not a healthy one. Americans and a growing number of Europeans eat high levels of fat, including saturated fats that are known to be a health hazard. In fact, modern medical research blames much of the prevalence of high cholesterol, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease on our diet. While the Western diet may be the cause of many of our societal health woes, there may be simple and healthy ways to mitigate the damage.

Grape Polyphenols and Your Health

Grape polyphenols are organic molecules that occur naturally in grapes and other fruits. They are present throughout the fruit, but especially high in the skins of the fruit and its leaves. These compounds are rumored to have a variety of positive health effects, from improving cardiovascular risk factors to acting as cancer-protective antioxidants. Researchers decided to look at whether these grape compounds really can improve our health and if so, how they accomplish this.

In the first major study of grape polyphenols, researchers tested the effects of supplementing with grape polyphenols on people who eat a diet that is 33 percent fat, which is similar to the diet currently eaten in the United States. The subjects’ diets were also comprised of three percent grapes, which means they were getting lots of grape polyphenols. After 11 weeks, participants saw a reduction in body fat as well as a variety of positive health benefits. Their metabolic profile was better. Their intestinal microbes were more balanced and contained more health-friendly strains. Gut function was also improved.

A second study looked at the effects of grape polyphenols on an even more unhealthy diet, with 44 percent of calories coming from fat. This diet included a wide range of saturated fat to mimic the more extremely unhealthy diets that have been associated with increased disease risk. When people eating this diet also took in five percent grapes, they did not see any metabolic improvement, but their overall health still improved. Subcutaneous fat deposits were reduced, liver health improved and microbial balance in the intestines was better.

The Power of Grapes

Grapes have always been a healthy snack, but this research suggests that they offer more health benefits than the average fruit. There have been many studies linking grape polyphenols to better health, more balanced gut flora and more. In fact, this tiny plant compound is believed to be the reason French people eat a high-fat diet yet enjoy better health than Americans: They drink a great deal of red wine, which contains grape polyphenols.

The effects of polyphenols in humans are not surprising considering their role in plants. Grapes are rich in this compound because it protects them from the sun, prevents bacterial infection, and repels animal predators. In addition, grape polyphenols give red and black grapes their distinctive pigments. Polyphenols appear to play a similarly positive role in the human body.

Adding More Polyphenols to Your Diet

While grape polyphenols are most studied type, they are not the only polyphenols. People who wish to get more of this disease-preventing nutrient in their diet can eat them in a variety of foods including green tea, cloves and chocolate. While grape polyphenols appear to be especially good for health; the other sources of polyphenols have all been found to fight disease and help support a healthy lifestyle. In addition, people can also take a supplement that contains grape polyphenols to get the health benefits without having to eat the fruit.

New information is constantly coming out about the effects of our diet on our health. Grapes appear to be an especially positive choice, with plenty of polyphenols, resveratrol, and other disease-fighting compounds. These little fruits may not just taste great, but protect us from disease as well.