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Grapes may help lower blood pressure

 

The findings, published in the Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences, may help people with high blood pressure, they said.

"These findings support our theory that something within the grapes themselves has a direct impact on cardiovascular risk, beyond the simple blood pressure-lowering impact that we already know can come from a diet rich in fruits and vegetables," Mitchell Seymour of the Cardioprotection Research Laboratory at the University of Michigan said in a statement.

In a study sponsored in part by California grape producers, Seymour and colleagues examined the effects of ordinary grapes on rats that develop high blood pressure when fed a salty diet.

Some of the rats ate a diet containing a powder from red, green and purple table grapes and a high-salt diet. Others were fed the grape powder and a low-salt diet. The powder, which contained the same nutrients in fresh grapes, allowed the scientists to measure the rats’ intake carefully.

After 18 weeks, the rats that ate the grape-enriched diet had lower blood pressure, better heart function, reduced inflammation throughout their bodies, and fewer signs of heart muscle damage than rats that ate a salty diet but no grapes.

"The inevitable downhill sequence to hypertension and heart failure was changed by the addition of grape powder to a high-salt diet," Dr. Steven Bolling of the University of Michigan, who heads up the lab, said in a statement.

Bolling said he thinks flavonoids, beneficial chemicals found in grapes, green tea, cocoa and tomatoes, could be having an effect on blood pressure. Flavonoids have been shown in other studies to have heart-health benefits.

Food producers are keen to show the health benefits of their products. Studies sponsored by chocolate makers, almond and walnut producers have shown various heart benefits, including reducing inflammation in blood vessels and lowering the risk of heart attacks and stroke.

Grape powder comprised about three percent of the rats’ diet. For humans, that would be about nine servings of grapes a day. One serving is about 15 grapes.

The California Table Grape Commission provided financial support for the study and supplied the grape powder. Other sponsors included the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health.

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, can lead to heart attack, heart failure, stroke and kidney failure.

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Lack of exercise, sleep affects health

Forty-two percent of the 15,000 Americans questioned in the poll also said the economy is having a negative impact on their healthy choices.

"One piece of the survey we thought was interesting was people have access to a lot of information, and they know what the right things are to do, but they’re struggling with taking that into action," said Beth Dornan, director of marketing services for Amway Global which commissioned the poll.

"The mind is willing, but the struggle is how to put those thoughts into action," she added in an interview.

People who took part in the poll were questioned about stress, nutrition, exercise, weight, community and family wellness.

While 38 percent of the respondents said getting enough exercise is the most challenging part of living a healthy life, only 24 percent believe regular exercise at least three days per week is the most critical aspect of maintaining health.

The poll showed that more than one in five people are not exercising for at least 30 minutes or more at a time on a regular basis, which is recommended by U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

One reason Americans may not be exercising as often, or for as long as recommended, is that many may not be realistic about their need to lose weight.

While the CDC said in its 2003-2004 report that an estimated 66 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese, just 45 percent of those surveyed thought they needed to shed excess weight.

Only four percent of the people questioned perceived themselves as obese, although the CDC put the figure at more than 33 percent of Americans.

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Lack of exercise, sleep affects health

Americans face major obstacles to living a healthier lifestyle including lack of exercise and sleep and denial about being overweight, according to a new survey.

Forty-two percent of the 15,000 Americans questioned in the poll also said the economy is having a negative impact on their healthy choices.

"One piece of the survey we thought was interesting was people have access to a lot of information, and they know what the right things are to do, but they’re struggling with taking that into action," said Beth Dornan, director of marketing services for Amway Global which commissioned the poll.

"The mind is willing, but the struggle is how to put those thoughts into action," she added in an interview.

People who took part in the poll were questioned about stress, nutrition, exercise, weight, community and family wellness.

While 38 percent of the respondents said getting enough exercise is the most challenging part of living a healthy life, only 24 percent believe regular exercise at least three days per week is the most critical aspect of maintaining health.

The poll showed that more than one in five people are not exercising for at least 30 minutes or more at a time on a regular basis, which is recommended by U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

One reason Americans may not be exercising as often, or for as long as recommended, is that many may not be realistic about their need to lose weight.

While the CDC said in its 2003-2004 report that an estimated 66 percent of U.S. adults are either overweight or obese, just 45 percent of those surveyed thought they needed to shed excess weight.

Only four percent of the people questioned perceived themselves as obese, although the CDC put the figure at more than 33 percent of Americans.

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Coffee Beans May Be Newest Stress-Buster

Just sniffing that first hot cup of coffee in the morning may help ease some stresses you might be feeling, a South Korean trial indicates.

When rats inhaled the aroma of roasted coffee beans, a number of genes were activated, including some that produce proteins with healthful antioxidant activity, the researchers reported.

“The meaning of it is not totally clear yet,” said Dr. Peter R. Martin, director of the Institute of Coffee Studies at Vanderbilt University. “What it does show is that coffee smells do change the brain to some degree, and it behooves us to understand why that is happening.”

The findings, from a team led by Han-Seok Seo at Seoul National University in South Korea, were expected to be published in the June 25 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

The experiment was done with laboratory rats, some of whom were stressed by being deprived of sleep. The researchers did detailed genetic studies that showed the activity of 11 genes was increased and the activity of two genes was decreased in the rats that smelled the coffee, compared to those who did not. In effect, the aroma of the coffee beans helped ease the stress of the sleep-deprived rodents.

The experiment provides “for the first time, clues to the potential antioxidant or stress-relaxation activities of the coffee bean aroma,” the researchers wrote.

And they added, “These results indirectly explain why so many people use coffee for staying up all night, although the volatile compounds of coffee beans are not fully consistent with those of the coffee extracts. In other words, the stress caused by sleep loss via caffeine may be alleviated through smelling the coffee aroma.”

“They used the latest in technology to see how brain expression of RNA changed,” Martin said. RNA is the molecule that carries out the instructions encoded in genes. “This is just the beginning of a very interesting line of investigation,” he added.

The aromatic compounds responsible for coffee’s odor may be antioxidants, “but they are not the same as the major antioxidants that are in the drink,” said Joe A. Vinson, a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania.

Chemically, the antioxidants in liquid coffee are polyphenols, Vinson said. Those in the aroma are heterocycle compounds containing sulfur or nitrogen atoms.

“There are two ways to get things into your system, and the quickest way is to smell them,” Vinson said. “Caffeine gets into the brain via the blood stream. Here, aromatic molecules get into the brain through the olfactory system. The levels in the air are parts per million, so obviously these are minor components in the air. But they are doing something.”

Previous studies have shown that coffee consumption can reduce depression and suicide risk, as well as relieve stress, effects generally attributed to the caffeine in coffee, the researchers noted. But while some 900 compounds that float away from the bean have been identified, this is the first study to assay their possible effects, they added.

It’s too early to recommend that people feeling stress sniff coffee to ease their way, Martin said. But, he added, “people who don’t even drink coffee are fascinated by the odor of it. Ever since my little boy was two years old, he has loved the odor of coffee. I have always thought that coffee has some mystic quality, and there is some deep historical basis for it.”

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Health Tip: Poison Ivy Rash

Poison ivy is a plant that can cause a red, itchy rash on the skin.

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers these tips to treat the rash. It also identifies signs that you may need a doctor’s attention:

• Try over-the-counter medications to control itching, such as an antihistamine (like Benadryl), calamine lotion and hydrocortisone creams.
• Take oatmeal baths to soothe the skin.
• Fevers of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit require a doctor’s attention.
• Rashes that cover the eyes, mouth, genitals or a large area across the body should be treated by a doctor.
• If pus is oozing from the rash, see your doctor.
• See your doctor if the rash does not improve.

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What food labels really mean

Low fat, low calories, organic. Packaged foods marketing has gone above and beyond pretty pictures and attention grabbing colors on packaging. Food companies are trying to secure your buy with their clever wording promising a healthier product.

Despite being checked by either the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or the U.S. Department of Agriculture, some slippery wordage still flies through to the shelves. These products are made using methods thought to be earth friendly. However, to be labeled organic, products only need to contain 95 percent organic ingredients.

Organic foods can cost you up to 50 percent more than nonorganic products. While there is no research organic foods are better than others, it does save you from potentially consuming chemicals.

100% Natural:
These products are free of artificial colors, flavors, preservatives and synthetic ingredients. They still, however, can contain any amount of sugars, fats and calories.

Fat free:
Contains less than 0.5 grams of fat per serving. Manufacturers sometimes add extras (sugar or starch) for flavor. Fat free foods are often less filling, leading to over eating. Skip fat free and buy low fat for more flavor.

Low fat:
Contains three or less grams of fat per serving.

Light:
Contains half the fat of the full-fat options. Best bet for calorie watching and dieting. Can contain higher sugar levels.

0g Trans Fat:
Contains less than 0.5 gram of trans fat per serving. Trans fats raise bad (LDL) cholesterol and lower the good (HDL) kind. Sometimes replaced with unhealthy saturated fats (pal and coconut oil), avoid “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” on packages.

Heart healthy:
Low in saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium and contain no trans fats. Also contain three grams of fat or less per serving and have at least 0.6 gram of soluble fiber. Despite the label, these foods won’t necessarily lower your risks for heart disease. Don’t disregard the heart healthy foods in the fresh produce section.

Low calorie:
Contain 40 calories or less per serving.

Low sodium:
Contains 140 milligrams of sodium or less per serving.

Low carb:
There is currently no standard definition for this term. There is also no evidence that low-carb diets are more effective long term than other diets. Manufacturers often replace carbs with high-fat ingredients like nuts, sugar alcohols, or artificial sweeteners.

No antibiotics:
On meat, poultry and milk, this term means that the animals used in creating this product were raised without being routinely fed antibiotics. “Organic” labels on meat are also antibiotic free.

No hormones:
This term means animals were raised hormone free. Hormones are used to up weight in animals or to increase more milk, and despite little long term research, hormone treated foods may increase the risk for cancer. Organic products are also hormone free.

Gluten free:
Gluten can cause intestine damage and can lead to digestive problems. “Wheat free” products are not necessarily gluten free.

Sugar free:
Contains less than 0.5 gram of sugar per serving. Sugar free doesn’t always mean low calories.

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Being breast-fed may lower breast cancer risk

           Adult women who were breast-fed as infants may have a lower risk of developing breast cancer than those who were not breast-fed, unless they were first-born, study findings suggest. "As a general group, women who reported they had been breast-fed in infancy had a 17 percent decrease in breast cancer risk," Hazel B. Nichols, who was involved in the study, told Reuters Health. "However, we did not observe this reduction when we looked specifically among first-born women," said Nichols, of the University of Wisconsin, in Madison. A woman’s age at childbirth helps predict the levels of environmental contaminants in her breast milk, and studies have suggested a possible link between increased breast cancer risk and the accumulation of these contaminants, Nichols and colleagues note in the medical journal Epidemiology. To analyze whether an adult woman’s birth order, mother’s age at the time of her birth, and whether or not she was breast-fed alters her risk for breast cancer, the investigators interviewed 2,016 women, aged 20 to 69 years, with breast cancer, and 1,960 women of similar age without breast cancer. As noted, women breast-fed during infancy generally had reduced breast cancer risk.

           However, in analyses restricted to breast-fed women, those with 3 or more older siblings had a lesser risk for breast cancer than first born women, the researchers found. But breast-fed women showed no altered breast cancer risk according to their mothers’ age at childbirth. Among women who were not breast-fed, reduced adult breast cancer risk was linked with their mothers’ older age at childbirth, but the investigators identified no association between breast cancer risk and birth order in this group.

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Tips for taming rising grocery prices

Gasoline isn’t the only necessity of life that has gotten painfully expensive. Prices are rising sharply on eggs, rice, poultry, milk and bread — all of the dietary staples.

Families with stagnant salaries who have been barely affording the rising cost of health care, driving and home heating and cooling now also have to figure out how to squeeze in eating.

And it could get worse before it gets better.

Some say prices of meat, pork and poultry have been held artificially low in recent years. The conversion of fields previously used for soy and feed grain into corn for ethanol will continue to have an impact. Corn, which finds its way into many food items — as corn syrup for one — has more than doubled in price the last two years.

But put that all in perspective: Food prices have actually been fairly stable for more than a decade. According to the latest Department of Agriculture figures (from 2006), American households spend less than 6 percent of their income on food — that’s less than in any other country.

Fortunately, there are almost as many ways to save on food as there are to eat. Frugal eating often dovetails with nutritious eating — the most expensive foods often are the least healthy. Here’s how to eat well and still have some money left for dessert.

Use the best advice from folks who have already done it. The blogosphere is full of frustrated home economics teachers who are more than happy to share their best frugal tips and recipes. A few places to start are:

http://www.bethriftylikeus.blogspot.com

http://www.frugalfamilykitchen.com

http://www.mommysavers.com and

http://www.cheapcooking.com.

– Coupon carefully. If you’re willing to put in the time and effort, you can buy a basket of groceries for pennies on the dollar. It involves using coupons, shopping sales, finding stores that double coupons and putting it all together carefully. One site to check for more information is http://www.hotcouponworld.com.

You can find coupons to match items on sale at your local grocer at http://www.thegrocerygame.com. Beware: Unless you’re using good coupons on products you would buy anyway, this can be a spending trap instead of a money-saving deal.

– Buy some good containers. Roughly 13 cents of every food dollar goes to packaging and advertising, and you’ll spend a lot more than that if you are always buying 100-calorie snack packs and tiny bags of chips to send to school with your kids. Buy some reusable containers, buy your favorite products in bulk and make your own individual packages.

– Use meat for flavor, not bulk. A mixture of meat and beans over pasta or rice will satisfy those who love the taste of meat and poultry, but cut costs significantly than eating large cuts of meat.

– Make your dollar buy more nutrition. Instead of buying sugar-coated cereals, white bread and chips, buy items like whole-grain bread and oatmeal. Instead of candy, buy fruit. Popcorn that you pop yourself has been heralded for generations for being cheap, fun, nutritious and tasty.

– Buy frozen fish. Almost all of the "fresh" fish you buy has been frozen and thawed. Fish from the freezer section has often been frozen on the boat, so it’s equally fresh — and cheaper.

– Do your own work, as a family. You’re spending more on labor than on food when you buy lots of presliced, prewashed, preseasoned foods. Yet all the experts seem to agree that family mealtime is an important ritual. Extend the ritual by getting the whole family in on the slicing, dicing, cutting and stirring that dinner requires, even if it’s just a once-a-week cooking session. You’ll save money and maybe bond a little.

– Eat out judiciously. Last year restaurant prices actually rose less than grocery prices, but it still costs a lot more to eat out than to cook at home. Americans typically spend about half of their food budget eating out, according to the Agriculture Department. Cut the cost without cutting the fun by mixing it up: Have appetizers and drinks at home before going to the restaurant, or have dessert at home. Or buy a precooked, carry-out chicken, but fix your own side salad.

– Stock up on sales. You know you’re always going to use pasta, lightbulbs and toothpaste, so buy a bunch on sale. Sure, this is inflation mentality, but double-digit price increases on food means we’re in an inflationary environment, food wise. Furthermore, if you already have easy, good food in the pantry, you won’t have to run out at the last minute and buy over-priced convenience items just to throw together dinner.

– Grow your own. Oh sure, anyone who’s gardened has thrown too much money at their tomato plants. But some crops are more worth growing than others. Basil and other herbs, hot peppers, eggplant and lettuce are some items that are very easy to grow and are never cheap at the grocer or farm stand, even when they are in season.

– Make it fun. Save with a goal in mind so it becomes a game and not just drudgery. Shave $10 a week off of your food bill (that’s less than 10 percent for the typical household), and you can all do something special, like go see a movie at the end of every month — Of course you’ll bring your own snacks. Credit to Ms. Linda Stern.

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Coping With Alzheimer’s - simple health tip

        It’s important for a person diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease to continue to perform the daily tasks of life — as best as the person can.

The Alzheimer’s Association offers these suggestions:

    * Save challenging tasks for the time of day that you feel most sharp. For example, if you tend to have more confusion and memory problems later in the day, try to get your activities done in the morning.
    * Allow plenty of time for each task, and don’t allow yourself to be frustrated or rushed by others.
    * If you begin to feel frustrated, take a break.
    * Don’t be afraid to ask others for help when you need it.

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