Lowering blood cholesterol decreases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Good eating habit is an important part of a healthy lifestyle that can prevent heart disease and reverse atherosclerosis.

1. More plant foods

A diet of fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, plus some fish and poultry can significantly lower the risk of a heart attack compared to a diet rich in sweets, fried foods, refined grains and red processed meats.

Plant foods are often high in fiber and plant sterols that lower cholesterol. They are also rich in antioxidants, which prevent LDL from oxidizing.

2. The good fats

Saturated fat, dietary cholesterol and trans fats raise blood cholesterol. The first two come from animal products. Trans fats are processed vegetable oil and found in margarine, crackers and processed snacks.

Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats are good fats and help lower LDL. They can are in canola oil, olive oil, peanut oil, safflower, sesame and sunflower seeds, soybeans, nuts, etc.

3. Oats, beans and amaranth.

They all lower cholesterol. Oats also lower blood pressure.

4. Purple grapes and berries.

Blue, purple and red berries and grapes contain bioflavonoids, which are strong antioxidants that repair damages on artery linings.

Enjoy red wine too, which also contains this antioxidant. However, while moderate drinking has a protective effect, heavy drinking increases heart attack risk.

To read the original article, click here.  Also see Control Your Cholesterol (1) — Basics, (3) — Other Lifestyle Changes, (4) — Other measures.

Scientists at UMass Lowell have discovered a new contrivance by which a key protein linked to Alzheimer’s disease can spread within the human brain. According to the researchers, the finding gives new hope that the disease may someday be cured. Read more »

Besides lifestyle change, nasal flushing and immunotherapy, there are some natural plants or plant extracts that work well to treat or prevent allergy symptoms.

Quercetin

Quercetin is a natural compound derived from plant. It is a natural antioxidant that can be found in citrus fruits, onions, apples, parsley, tea, tomatoes, broccoli, lettuce and wine.

Quercetin supplements can prevent allergy attacks. It is best to start using it six weeks before allergy season.

Allergy Fighting Foods

Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids help alleviate allergy symptoms. Omega-3s can be found in cold-water fish, walnuts, flaxseed oil, grass-fed meat and eggs.

Also, add spices such as horseradish, chili peppers or hot mustard to your food. They act as natural decongestants.

Stinging Nettle

Stinging nettle (see image) acts like many of the drugs sold to treat allergies. But it has the advantage of not causing the side effects like dry mouth and drowsiness.

You can make your own tinctures or teas with stinging nettle. Or you can use stinging nettle extract capsules.

Butterbur

Butterbur is another plant used to treat allergies. It is as effective as the drug cetirizine,  the active ingredient in Zyrtec. However, butterbur doesn’t cause drowsiness.

Also see Natural Remedies for Allergy (1). Read more, go here.

You can find a good dose of healthy omega-3 fatty acids in nuts (almonds, pecan, walnuts, etc) and fish (salmon, etc).

Omega-3 fatty acids can prevent heart disease in healthy people. It also reduces the risk of having an heart attack in people already having heart diseases.

A recent study reviewed the findings of studies done in the past 30 years that involved more than 40,000 people on the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids.

It showed that omega-3 fatty acids has the strongest protective effect in patients who have existing heart diseases or already had heart attacks before. In these people, if they take a daily dose of omega-3 fatty acids, their risk of heart-related death is reduced by 30%.

People without heart conditions can also benefit from taking omega-3 fatty acids. It reduces the risk of developing atherosclerosis, arrhythmia, heart attack, heart failure and sudden cardiac death.

Before taking any omega-3 supplements, talk to your doctor about proper dosage and potential interactions with your current medications.

Source: webmd.com

A recent study examined the effects of foot-wear choices early in life on foot pain. It seems that the kind of shoes one wears most of the time has a significant effect on how much foot pain will develop later in life.

The study classified shoes into three groups: Good (athletic or casual sneakers), average (hard- or rubber-soled shoes, work boots), and poor (high heels, sandals, slippers).

The results showed that about 30% of women in the study had generalized foot pain on most days. However, women who wore good shoes were 67% less likely to develop foot pain than those who wore average shoes.

Men are not as susceptible to foot pain as women due to obvious reason: Only 2% of them wore poor shoes.

So next time you are temped to try on a pair of high heels, knowing that pretty shoes may cost you more than you have realized.

Source: webmd.com

The vaccine used for hundreds of thousands of children was recalled, because after undergoing some tests it is proven that those vaccine are not strong enough or as the government put it ‘has lost some of its strength’. Unfortunately the vaccine which was made by Sanofi Pasteur was already being distributed across the country last month and most have already been used, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The 800,000 pre-filled syringes that were recalled are for young children, ages 6 months to nearly 3 years.

Read more »

If you have no time to exercise, this excuse will not really work anymore because the researchers have initiate that short-term high-intensity interval training is a time proficient way of exercising. Read more »

Carrots

Carrots are full of disease-fighting nutrients. They are rich in beta-carotene, an antioxidant that protects cells from toxin damage and may slow the growth of cancer cells

Carrots protect against cancers of the mouth, esophagus and stomach, as well as cervical cancer.

To get the most out of carrots, cook before eating.

Spinach

Spinach is rich in carotenoids (also antioxidants). They protect cells from being damaged by free radicals.

Spinach and other dark green leafy vegetables protect you from cancers of the mouth, esophagus and stomach. They may also reduce the risk of ovarian, endometrial, lung and colorectal cancer.

You’ll get the most benefit from raw or lightly cooked spinach.

Whole Grains

Whole grains have plenty of fiber and other substances that battle cancer. It decreases the risk of colon cancer.

When shopping for whole grain products, make sure they are labeled “100% whole wheat”.

Also read Cancer-fighting Foods (1) — Overview and (2) — Superstars

Source: webmd.com

Roundup is an herbicide that has been widely used in the U.S. since the 1970s. Its use has skyrocketed recently due to the farming of genetically modified crops.

Recent studies show that, even at a low level that is legal on our food, Roundup can cause DNA damage, hormone disruption and cell death.

Exposure to Roundup can cause infertility. It can also affect sexual differentiation in fetus if the mother is exposed during pregnancy.

The “active” ingredient in Roundup, glyphosate, is not as toxic by itself as when it is mixed with other “inert” ingredients, such as solvants and surfactants.

These “inert” chemicals help glyphosate penetrate into a plant as well as into the skin. Surfactant and glyphosate enhance each other’s effect.

Although the EPA is launching new tests on some hormone disruptors, the current EPA requirements to test inert ingredients only cover a very small range of health problems, which do not include birth defects, cancer and genetic damage.

Source: www.MotherEarthNews.com

Once you’ve developed atherosclerosis, some conditions can make it worse.

1. Diabetes

Atherosclerosis often develops earlier and more extensively in patients with diabetes. These patients tend to have atherosclerosis not only in big arteries, but small blood vessels as well.

2. High blood pressure

High blood pressure increases damage to the lining of arteries and is associated with inflammation reaction.

3. Obesity

Abdominal obesity raises the risk of developing high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, which can cause damage to the arteries. Obesity itself also increases the risk of having atherosclerosis in the arteries supplying blood to the heart.

4. Smoking

Smoking injures the inner lining of the arteries, raises LDL (bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL (good cholesterol). It has been linked to the progression of atherosclerosis.

To prevent or slow down the development of atherosclerosis, keep blood pressure, cholesterol, weight and diabetes under good control.

Source: webmd.com

Also see: Atherosclerosis (1) — How does it develop?