Tag Archives: coronary

The anti-ageing super-smoothie

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Scientists have identified a cocktail of “anti-ageing fruits” for the ultimate in healthy smoothies.

The scientists in France created a recipe of seven health-boosting fruit juices which together cut the risk of heart disease,stroke and increase lifespan.

 

Fotolia_25314964_XS.jpgThe super smoothie contains grapejuice, blueberries, strawberries, apple, lingonberry, acerola and aronia. The ones which contain the highest amounts of superfoods are the cowberry (aka lingonberry) – a tart, red fruit related to the cranberry – and acerola, a red cherry-like fruit that has 30 times more vitamin C than orange juice.
The final ingredient of the smoothie is aronia, or chokeberry, an American blackberry once described as the ‘healthiest berry in the world’.

Nutrionists already know that fruits contain compounds known as polyphenols which protect the heart and help prevent clogged arteries.

In animal tests, pig heart artery walls relaxed when they were exposed to the fruit juice cocktail. The researchers, from the University of Strasbourg, say that in a human, this would boost the flow of blood to the heart and ensure it got a healthy balance of nutrients and oxygen.

The team – who report their findings in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Food and Function – also measured the antioxidant ability of different recipes to neutralise harmful molecules in the body that can damage DNA and cells.
The study found that some polyphenols were more potent than others – and that their ability to mop up harmful ‘free radicals’ that can damage DNA and cells was more important than the amount of polyphenols in each fruit.

 

 

 

To make the super smoothie you will need the following:

126ml grape juice (30 grapes)

20ml blueberry puree (15 blueberries)

20ml apple (half an apple)

10ml lingonberry juice (8 ligonberries)

8ml acerola juice (5 acerola berries)

8ml aronia juice (5 chokeberries)

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Seaweed gel helps ailing hearts

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Tel Aviv: Iraeli scientists have made a gel from brown seaweed that can help heart attack sufferers survive.

The liquid gel is injected onto the area damaged by an attack. Then it solidifies, allowing a thick laywer of scar tissue to grow.This helps the heart to continue working normally.

Usually the repair scar tissue is too thin and can lead to more attacks and heart failure.

So far tests have only validated the gel on animals. In trials, 90 per cent of animals injected with the gel survived a heart attack compared to just 40 per cent who received no treatment at all.

Human trials have started in Germany, Belgium and Israel. Experts hope the substance could become available by 2011.

The gel, which is made from ordinary brown seaweed, is injected into the heart using a catheter fed through a vein in the groin.

Nearly 50% of adults don’t know their fats

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London: Nearly half the population (45%) do not realise that too much saturated fat (SAFA) is bad for their health.

This latest research from independent UK body, The Fat Panel, also reveals that whilst one in seven fail to link coronary heart disease with excessive SAFA intake, nearly one in four believe that reining in saturated fat consumption will improve their love lives.

These findings re-enforce the panel’s claims that Brits do not understand fats – unaware of which are good and which are bad for their health. As a result, on average the UK eats 17% too much saturated fat; raising the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. In view of this, the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) has commissioned a consultation on how to reduce the nation’s intake of saturated fat and energy.

“Most of us should be worrying less about the amount of fat we are consuming, and more about what types of fat we’re including in our diets. The research is worrying, as it shows that many of us are still unaware of the risks of eating too much saturated fat, despite health professionals and academics long-term concerns backed by a wealth of clinical evidence,” said Dr Sarah Berry of The Fat Panel.

“It’s good to see the Government shining a spotlight on this harmful fat. If it hopes to see a reduction in the amount of saturated fat that people are eating, we need to help people to understand SAFA and why it’s so bad for your health”.

There is a lot of public confusion over which foods are high in saturated fat, making it difficult for the public to know which fats and foods they should avoid or cut down on. More than one third of those questioned (35%) believes that sunflower oil is high in saturated fat (it contains just 12%), whilst more than one quarter think that rapeseed oil is high in this bad fat (it contains just 8% saturated fat).

Nearly one in 10 of those questioned do not realise that butter is high in saturated fat. A further one in eight does not think cakes and biscuits have a high SAFA content. In addition, one in 10 are unaware of meat products, such as meat pies and sausages, containing high levels.

Sian Porter of The Fat Panel says “By understanding that saturated fat is bad for the body, the next step is for people to recognise which foods contain these. Snacks such as cakes, biscuits and pastries contain high levels – but this can easily be rectified by simply swapping these for healthier options like fruit or even toast with spread – which on average contains 25% less saturated fat. It’s all about education, and having the knowledge to make informed – and as a result – healthier choices”.

Recent moves on food labelling should help people make these choices; however just half of us even look at the on-pack information when buying butter or spreads for instance, and only one in six look at how much saturated fat is in the pack. When thinking about saturated fat content, all spreads are at least 25% lower in saturated fat than butter and some contain much less with certain spreads offering up to 83% less saturated fat. More and more people are opting for low-fat products, whether on health or diet grounds, but it seems like few consider what type of fat a product contains.

The Fat Panel
Dr Sarah Berry BSc Msc PhD RNutr
Dr Berry is a registered nutritionist, working at kings College, and her specialist area of knowledge and research is lipid metabolism and coronary heart disease risk.

Sian Porter MScBsc(HONS) RD
Sian is a state registered dietician and holds an MSc in Health Economics.

Dr Paul Stillman MB ChB DRCOG PGCHE
Dr Stillman is in general practice in Crawley, Sussex and is a general practice trainer with the British Postgraduate Medical Federation.

Dr Pamela Mason, PhD, MSc, MRPharmS
Dr Mason is a nutritionist and pharmacist.

Dr Chris Steele MB, ChB
Dr Steele is a general practitioner and is the regular ‘doc’ on ITV’s ‘This Morning’ show. He is Health Journalist of the Year.

Dr Amanda Kirby MBBS MRCGP MFFP
Dr Kirby is a GP in Cardiff, with specific experience in community paediatrics.

Research was undertaken by Kember Associates with adults across the UK.

www.TheFatPanel.org.uk

Walnuts preserve arterial health

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Barcelona: Walnuts are rich in a nutrient that protects the health of arteries, scientists have discovered.

It is the damage caused by fatty foods which causes hardening of the arteries, the main cause of heart attacks and stroke.

In a study at Spain’s Hospital Clinico new research published in the Journal of the American Cardiology reveals that just of an ounce of walnuts a day (28g) – seven or eight nuts – is enough for optimal health.

The research is the latest to reveal the health benefits of eating seeds and nuts such as almonds, pumpkin and sunflower which contain vital protective oils and other nutrients.

In the study, Dr Emilio Ros, an expert in heart health, examined how walnuts countered the effects of eating fatty foods in a group of healthy adults. The results showed that even amongst those who ate fatty foods such as cheese and salami, the walnuts helped preserved elasticity and flexibility.

It’s never to late to start exercise

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Heidelberg: People who first start exercising late in life still cut the risk of heart disease, according to new research from the German University of Heidelberg.

Beginning exercise in the 40s results in a 55 per cent less likelihood of being diagnosed with heart disease. But people who have been active all their lives are the least likely to suffer problems at around 60 per cent.

The research team looked at 312 adults aged between 40 and 68 with heart disease and compared them with 479 healthy people. Those with heart disease were also far more likely to smoke, have diabetes and high blood pressure.

One in ten with heart disease said they took no exercise compared to one in teenty who did not. The results of the research are published in the medical journal Heart.

Lead researcher Dr Dietrich Rothenbacher said the results also suggested that changing from a sedentary to a more active lifestyle also strongly decreased the risk of coronary heart disease.