Posted by Healthy Choice Naturals on Thu, Aug 06, 2009
According to 2 new studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association following the heart-healthy advice about eating the right foods, exercising and losing weight does pay off with a substantially reduced risk of heart problems.
The reports, both originating at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, focused on different aspects of cardiovascular risk in two large groups: 83,882 women in the Nurses' Health Study, and the 20,900 men in the Physicians' Health Study. Both arrived at the same conclusion: Do the right things and you get measurable benefits.
Weight #1 Factor in Both Studies
The women's study looked at the association between high blood pressure and six lifestyle factors: obesity, exercise, alcohol intake, use of non-narcotic painkillers, adherence to a diet designed to prevent high blood pressure and intake of supplemental folic acid. All six were found to be associated with the risk of developing high blood pressure in the 14-year study, and the association was cumulative.
Women who followed advice on all six factors had an 80 percent lower incidence of high blood pressure than those who followed none of the rules. The incidence was 72 percent lower for the women who followed five lifestyle rules, 58 percent lower for the women following four rules and 53 percent lower for the women who followed three rules. Obesity was the most important risk factor.
The study in men looked at the relationship between the lifetime risk of heart failure and six lifestyle factors: obesity, exercise, smoking, alcohol intake, consumption of breakfast cereals, and consumption of fruits and vegetables.
The 22 year study reaffirmed the direct relationship between following healthy lifestyle habits and the risk of heart failure. The risk of heart failure was about one in five in men who ignored the advice about all beneficial lifestyle factors and one in 10 for those who following at least four or more of healthy lifestyle factors.
The highest contributing factor in the men’s study was also weight. The risk of heart failure was 17 percent in men who were overweight or obese, and about 11 percent in those of normal weight.
Healthy Choice Naturals
Posted by Healthy Choice Naturals on Fri, Nov 21, 2008
A recent study has discovered that exercise is as effective at combating depression as anti-depressant tablets.
The study, conducted by the American Medical Institute, tested 100 subjects, all of whom were clinically diagnosed as having ’severe depressive illness’. 25 of them were given a course of anti-depressant tablets, 25 were given an exercise routine to do in a group environment three times a week, 25 were given an exercise routine to do three times a week on their own at home, and a control group of 25 were given neither anti-depressant tablets, nor an exercise schedule.
After 16 weeks of testing, results found that the ‘tablets’ group and the two exercise groups were all improved to such a degree that they were all no longer classed as being clinically depressed; the only significant statistical difference came between the two exercise groups - it was found that the group who exercised in a group setting were slightly more improved than those who exercised on their own.
The evidence of this study strongly suggests that exercise is as effective in combating depression as anti-depressant tablets.
You certainly don’t have to be clinically depressed to experience the psychological benefits of regular exercise. In another study which tested the psychological effects of exercise on a group of women who were ‘not depressed,’ the women who managed to stick to the prescribed exercise regime of 3 sessions a week, reported feeling ‘happier’ than they had been when they were not exercising. They commented specifically on things like having more energy, more confidence, a more positive body-image, and all reported that they felt less inclined to resort to ‘comfort-eating’ triggered by feelings of unhappiness.
Having a regular exercise routine is not only a great way to improve your mood; it provides various other beneficial effects to your health like safeguarding you against heart disease, reducing blood pressure and enhancing your self confidence.
Posted by Healthy Choice Naturals on Mon, Nov 10, 2008
Fish oil supplements may work slightly better than a
popular cholesterol reducing drug in helping patients with chronic
heart failure.
This was according to a recent study published in the medical journal, The Lancet, in Munich Germany.
“With few effective options for heart failure
patients, the findings could give patients a potential new treatment
and could change the dietary recommendations for them, said Dr. Jose
Gonzalez Juanatey, spokesman for the European Society of Cardiology,
who was not connected to the research. “This reinforces the idea that
treating heart patients with heart failure takes more than just
drugs,” Juanatey said.
Chronic Heart failure occurs when the heart becomes enlarged and cannot pump efficiently around the body.
In the study, 3,500 patients were given a daily omega
3 pill. Roughly the same numbers of patients were given placebo
pills. Patients were then followed for an average of 4 years.
In the group of patients taking the fish oil pills,
1,981 died of heart failure or were admitted to the hospital with the
problem. In the patients taking placebo pills, 2,053 died or were
admitted to the hospital for heart failure.
In a parallel study, Italian doctors gave 2,285
patients the drug rosuvastatin, also known as Crestor, and also gave
roughly the same number of patient’s placebo pills. These patients
were also followed for about 4 years.
Comparing the results from the 2 groups, doctors found little difference in the heart failure rates between the 2 groups; however
the fish oil pill was slightly more effective than the drug because the
oil performed better against the placebo than did Crestor.
Dr. Richard Bonow, chief cardiology at Northwestern
University Hospital in Chicago said, “It’s a small benefit, but we
should always be emphasizing to patients what they can do in terms of
diet that might help.”
You can get these benefits from eating oily fish
Doctors said you can get the same benefits from
taking fish oil supplements or eating oily fish, such as salmon or
tuna.
Both options contain the Omega 3 fatty acids which have long
been proven to offer health benefits of protecting the heart and brain.
This study supports the reason we’ve been urging you to add omega 3 fats to your diet.