high blood pressure

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how easy it is to gain a few pounds – or how difficult it can be to lose it! Five pounds might seem like little more than a nuisance, but a recent study indicates that packing on just a few pounds can increase your chances of developing heart failure. [1]
A little weight gain can lead to a lot of health problems because packing on pounds can alter the structure of the heart and its ability to pump blood.

In a new analysis of studies involving more than 406,000 patients, researchers found that people who substitute artificial sweeteners for sugar – even the natural kinds – actually gained weight, instead of losing it. [1]
Published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the study looked at the long-term effects of artificial sweeteners on heart health, weight, stroke incidence, and blood pressure levels.
The researchers wrote:

Did you know that in past studies, avocado-eaters have been shown to be healthier than non-eaters? Chowing down on the fruit (yes, avocados are technically berries!) is associated with a lower body weight, a lower body mass index (BMI), a lower intake of added sugars, higher nutrient levels, and a better-quality diet overall. It makes perfect sense, then, that a new review of medical literature shows that eating avocados may help you avoid metabolic syndrome.

Stroke is the 3rd leading cause of death, and the leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States. Approximately 795,000 people in the U.S. suffer a stroke each year, and about 140,000 strokes are fatal. [1]
Source: UF Health Shands Comprehensive Stroke Center

Does magnesium lower blood pressure, or should you not worry about it? Here is what the research says about magnesium and blood pressure.

Although it may sound like a bad infomercial, a study financed by the National Institutes of Health has shown that cutting added sugar in children’s diets can improve their overall health incredibly quickly.

The take-away from eating takeout with less sodium should be a no-brainer, but many people are unaware that one serving of General Tsao’s chicken can contain up to 2,325 mg of sodium – 25 mg more than the amount FDA recommends eating in an entire day. Perhaps this is why the city of Philadelphia decided to work with its Chinese food restaurants to reduce that amount by 10-15%.

It’s no mystery that packaged and prepared foods in our grocery stores are full of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). Though while more food makers are omitting this ingredient due to health dangers (and consumer demand), some companies are still including this health-damaging ingredient. Now, new troubling scientific studies reveal how high fructose corn syrup-containing foods are causing yet another unwanted side effect – heart failure.

Obesity has long been linked to stress. Specific types of stress can contribute to the body’s response of gaining weight as a defense mechanism. In a recent study, researchers have found that sounds of traffic could cause stress to spike to the point where the body starts ‘laying down more fat’ because it thinks it is in a crisis where food may be scarce.

There is an epidemic of Metabolic syndrome sweeping across America. This may not mean much to the average person who doesn’t know exactly what Metabolic syndrome is, but it’s a big deal. 

“Metabolic syndrome is a “perfect storm” of conditions that include high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, increased levels of blood sugar, and a wider waist circumference .” [1]