Lycopene Can Protect the Heart

Lycopene is a pigment found in fruits. Lycopene has the ability to lower the risk for cardiovascular disease. Lycopene prevents the hardening of the arteries. Lycopene also prevents the onset of strokes. Tomato has high concentration of lycopene. Lycopene is also found in guava, papaya and pink grapefruit. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant.

A New Target To Inhibit Plaque Formation

Iron is an essential mineral and its deficiency leads to anemia. There are reports that excess of iron is also bad. It seems that iron is capable of promoting the action of free radicals (reactive oxygen species). This produces additional inflammatory reactions and can promote plaque formation in the coronary arteries.
When macrophages are loaded with iron, they are incapable of removing cholesterol from the plaques. This release of iron from the macrophages is prevented by the hormone hepcidin which is produced and released from the liver. Researchers from the US have developed a drug which is capable of inhibiting hepcidin and this, indirectly helps to move the cholesterol out of the plaques.

Asthma Becomes Worse on Statin Use

Cholesterol is a waxy water insoluble substance which is produced by animals. Plants do not produce cholesterol. Cholesterol is synthesized mainly in the liver. Cholesterol, being insoluble, is transported in circulation in combination with lipoproteins. The major lipoproteins concerned with the transport of cholesterol in the circulation are LDL and HDL.

High levels of cholesterol in the circulation have been associated with increased risk for coronary heart disease. The cholesterol carried by LDL has been called bad cholesterol as this form of cholesterol leads to increased plaque formation in the coronary arteries.

Statins are drugs employed to reduce the cholesterol levels in the circulation. Statins are compounds which lower cholesterol by blocking the synthesis of cholesterol. The use of statins has been associated with several side effects. Recent evidence is adding one more side effect to the ever growing list. Statins have been shown to worsen the condition of asthma. Statistical evidence shows that asthmatics using statins have to use the inhalers more often than asthmatics who do not use statins.

A new drug to increase HDL levels

Cholesterol has been in the news for several decades and continues to be so. The very word cholesterol induces fear into everyone’s heart because of the widely held theory that this compound can promote coronary heart disease. Cholesterol is carried in the circulation by lipoproteins. The cholesterol carried by LDL is supposed to be bad while the cholesterol transported by HDL is believed to be good. Most of the drugs employed to reduce cholesterol, reduce only the LDL cholesterol and no drug is available which is capable of elevating the HDL cholesterol. Thus, any drug or, drugs capable of lowering LDL and elevating HDL would be highly useful to reduce cardiovascular disease risk.

Researchers in Canada have discovered a drug capable of elevating the HDL levels in the circulation. The target of this new drug is a molecule called microRNA-33 (miR-33). This RNA reduces the HDL levels and also increases the production of triglycerides. When this RNA is inhibited in animals, there is a 50% increase in the levels of HDL and triglyceride levels are lowered. Thus, a combination of this new drug and statins would go a long way in offering protection against coronary heart disease.

If You Sit, You May Get Cancer

Sedentary lifestyle is the latest craze among people. People don’t want to do anything. These people just prefer to sit and allow time to pass by. Sitting at the same place for a long duration increases the chances of becoming obese. This idleness also makes a person susceptible to the onset of coronary heart disease as it lowers the levels of lipase, the enzyme responsible for reducing the body fat levels. The risk for heart disease is independent of the risk for obesity.

Exercise reduces cancer risk

It has now been shown that simply sitting at the same place for hours can increase the risk for cancer. Already it has been shown that exercise reduces the risk for some forms of cancer. Prolonged sitting can increase inflammatory reactions in the body and this may promote cancer. Exercise stimulates the immune system and the active immune system may have something to do with this. The present advice given by doctors is to exercise and at the same time avoiding sitting for prolonged periods. This risk for cancer is also independent of the risk for obesity.

Sitting elevates cancer risk

Evidence has accumulated to show that at least three types of cancer can be prevented by being active and avoiding the sitting posture.
• Colon cancer
• Breast cancer
• Endometrial cancer
Evidence shows that exercise brings about a 30% reduction in risk for colon cancer, 25% reduction in the risk for breast cancer and a 30% decrease in the risk for endometrial cancer.

Nuts To Treat Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a complicated disorder and is associated with obesity, particularly central obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension and insulin resistance. It is rather difficult to treat because many complications are involved. If one can reduce obesity, part of the problem could be resolved.
Nuts elevate Serotonin
Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter. It has the ability to reduce the sensation of hunger and also has the ability to elevate the mood. Nuts are packed with several nutrients including vitamins and minerals. They also possess antioxidants and fiber both of which are useful for protecting against cardiovascular disease. Nuts also possess the important fatty acids belonging to the class of omega3-fatty acids. These fatty acids also have the ability to protect against several diseases. It has now been shown that nuts are capable of boosting the serotonin levels in the body. This can suppress the appetite and enables the weight to be kept under check.

Green Tea Preserves the Heart cells

Green tea offers several health benefits. These include better weight management as a result of prevention of obesity, prevention of diabetes and coronary heart disease and the delaying of the onset of several forms of cancer. New studies indicate that drinking green tea can benefit the heart in more than one way. The first obvious way is the ability of green tea to lower the blood cholesterol levels. This prevents cardiovascular disease.

One sure sign of ageing is the shortening of the telomere lengths. The telomeres act as chromosomal caps. One of the reasons for the shortening of the telomeres is the increased presence of free radicals in the body. Thus, green tea, through its antioxidant action, is able to restrict the accumulation of free radicals in the body. This helps to prevent the shortening of the telomere lengths and preserve the health of the heart cells.