Yes, I know, a trip to the supermarket is almost as costly as visiting your local jewelry store. Or, as a friend of mine says, if fresh fruit were diamonds, they would cost less!
But if you, like me, would rather pony up your hard earned dollars to the local grocer than the local pharmaceutical company then pay attention: There is important new healthy food news you'll be happy to hear.
Eat Grapes - Lower Cholesterol & Blood Pressure
In a new study just published in the journal Nutrition, a group of Spanish researchers found that the fiber in red grapes might help reduce the risk factors for heart disease more than any other type of fibrous grain.
In one sixteen week study of 34 folks who received a daily supplement of red grape fiber, doctors noted cholesterol levels were cut by 9 percent, with a similar drop in LDL – the “ bad” cholesterol. Moreover, blood pressure came down by 5 percent.
Results were even more profound in the 13 participants who went into the study with high cholesterol. Results show they experienced a 14 percent reduction in total cholesterol levels and a nearly 12% reduction in “bad” LDL cholesterol.
This same subgroup also saw a whopping 18.6 reduction in total triglycerides – the blood fats which some say are an even more accurate predictor of heart disease.
Across the board researchers say results with grape fiber were higher than what has been previously noted in studies on other types of fiber, including oats or psyllium.
The reason for the grape fiber success? Experts theorize it was the combination of the fiber and grapes high antioxidant content that came together to offer a one-two punch against blood fats and blood pressure.
Not only are these nutrient levels higher in grapes, they are also capable of reaching the colon, where they provide additional antioxidant protection. To learn more about this study, click here.
Green Tea, Snoring & Sleep Apnea
If you're lying awake nights because your bed partner snores like an elephant that ate too many peanuts, try slipping them a "mickey" of green tea before bedtime.
According to animal studies just published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care, green tea and it’s extracts may prove to be a suitable intervention for sleep – related breathing disorders, some of which result in snoring.
Indeed, obstructive sleep disorders, which cause people to momentarily stop breathing hundreds of times each night (of which snoring can be a symptom) also increase the risk of oxidative stress. This is a process many believe is the underlying cause of some neuro-degenerative problems, including memory loss and learning difficulties. Green tea, with its high antioxidant properties may have the ability to counter some of that oxidative stress, and either halt or reduce the damage occurring while we sleep.
In the study, researchers deprived 106 male rats of oxygen similar to what happens during sleep-related breathing disorders in 12-hour segments for a period of 14 days. Half the rats received drinking water laced with green tea, the other half, plain water.
The end result: The rats who drank the green tea showed a 40 percent reduction in blood markers of oxidative stress – and they performed consistently better on tasks involving memory and concentration.
Reseachers credit the success to the high antioxidant content of green tea, which, they point out is 4 times greater than that found in black tea.
While the study has yet to be duplicated in humans taking a cup of green tea after dinner may make a difference in how rested you feel after a night’s sleep. Click here to read the study!
Fish Oil, Colon Cancer & Hyperactivity in Kids!
Want to slash your risk of colon cancer by up to 40 percent? Eat more fish- and increase your overall intake of omega 3 fatty acids, one of the “good fats’ found in not only fish, but foods such as walnuts, flax seed, eggs and fortified soy products.
According to research just published in the journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, an impressive 22 year study of some 21,000 men found those who had the highest intake of fish meals per week had up to a 40 percent reduction in colon and rectal cancer. Looking specifically at intake of foods containing omega 3 fatty acids, researchers found a 26 percent reduction in colon and rectal cancer.
This is particularly important news for women, who are among a growing group affected by colon rectal cancer. To learn more, click, here .
In a second study just published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition a group of French researchers found that increasing levels of omega 3 fatty acids in children helped increase attention spans and decreased levels of hyperactivity.
To learn more about the exact dosages used in this study – as well as more details on the other studies mentioned today , visit www.RedDressDiary.com
"In a second study just published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition a group of French researchers found that increasing levels of omega 3 fatty acids in children helped increase attention spans and decreased levels of hyperactivity."
ReplyDeleteI appreciate you posting this fact. My wife and I have a one year old son, Brady. We give him an essential fatty acids supplement. It helps with his brain development, as well as other cellular health, and more.
We take an EFA capsule and pop a hole in it, then squirt it in his mouth. He then drinks his watered down juice to help down it.