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New US Diet Guidelines: What Not to Eat
Instead of just giving Americans a list of healthy food choices, the federal government takes a stab at showing us what not to eat. Get the facts here.
Click link for the whole scoop -
HaylenView Thread
COVENTRY, ENGLAND, UK — Scientists from the University of Warwick have discovered why a newly found form of cholesterol seems to be 'ultra-bad', leading to increased risk of heart disease. The discovery could lead to new treatments to prevent heart disease particularly in people with type 2 diabetes and the elderly.
The research, funded by the British Heart Foundation , found that 'ultrabad' cholesterol, called MGmin-low-density lipoprotein, which is more common in people with type 2 diabetes and the elderly, appears to be 'stickier' than normal low-density lipoprotein. This makes it more likely to attach to the walls of arteries. When low-density lipoprotein attaches to artery walls it helps form the dangerous 'fatty' plaques' that cause coronary heart disease.
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The researchers made the discovery by creating human MGmin-low-density lipoprotein in the laboratory, then studying its characteristics and interactions with other important molecules in the body.
They found that MGmin-low-density lipoprotein is created by the addition of sugar groups to 'normal' low-density lipoprotein — a process called glycation — making low-density lipoprotein smaller and denser. By changing its shape, the sugar groups expose new regions on the surface of the low-density lipoprotein. These exposed regions are more likely to stick to artery walls, helping to build fatty plaques. As fatty plaques grow they narrow arteries — reducing blood flow — and they can eventually rupture, triggering a blood clot that causes a heart attack or stroke.
The discovery might also explain why metformin, a widely prescribed type 2 diabetes drug, seems to lead to reduced heart disease risk. Metformin is known to lower blood sugar levels, and this new research shows it may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by blocking the transformation of normal low-density lipoprotein to the more 'sticky' MGmin-low-density lipoprotein.
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We've known for a long time that people with diabetes are at greater risk of heart attack and stroke. There is still more work to be done to untangle why this is the case, but this study is an important step in the right direction.
"This study shows how the make-up and the shape of a type of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol found in diabetics could make it more harmful than other types of low-density lipoprotein. The findings provide one possible explanation for the increased risk of coronary heart disease in people with diabetes.
"Understanding exactly how 'ultrabad' low-density lipoprotein damages arteries is crucial, as this knowledge could help develop new anti-cholesterol treatments for patients.""View Thread
HaylenView Thread
HaylenView Thread
HaylenView Thread
HaylenView Thread
This is the best thing that I have seen that ties all of those together along with trans-fats and other things.View Thread
1. Sure gel apple or grapefruit pectin (jam & jelly stiffener). Take one heaping teaspoon in a cup of hot water nightly before bed. Two acids in the Sure gel help dissolve cholesterol deposits in the blood vessels. In about a month or less, the bad cholesterol should be much lower, and as a side affect, any heavy metals (generally, industrial toxins) should be flushed from your system. Sure gel Grapefruit pectin is 100 times stronger, but tastes awful and oxidizes and interferes with many medicationView Thread
So if you listen to your brother-in-law, he'll tell you what a terrible, awful, painful test it was, and how he was brave, valiant, and just about the most courageous guy who ever had it. So now he's got you quaking in your boots. Or at least worrying.
Relax. It's not that big a deal. Have you been to a dentist? Probably not as bad. Have you ever given blood? Probably not as bad. Have you ever had a baby? Definitely, nowhere near as bad! (I'm a male, but my wife assures me on this one.)
So when your doctor refers you for electromyography, don't listen to your brother-in-law. What does he know anyway? (Wait a minute, I'm somebody's brother-in-law, too! But you get the idea.) As an adventure, EMG is less than it's cracked up to be. As a diagnostic test, it can be very useful.View Thread
Alcohol contain elevated amount of calories and has a special potent effect on triglycerides. Even a little amounts of alcohol can elevate triglyceride levels.
Set a target of at least 30 minutes of moderate to intensive physical activity on four to six days each week. Regular exercise can enhance your cholesterol to a healthy level.View Thread
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Midori Natsume, Ph.D., and colleagues note that studies have shown that cocoa, the main ingredient in chocolate, appears to reduce the risk of heart disease by boosting levels of HDL, or "good" cholesterol, and decreasing levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad" cholesterol. Credit for those heart-healthy effects goes to a cadre of antioxidant compounds in cocoa called polyphenols, which are particularly abundant in dark chocolate. Until now, however, nobody knew exactly how the polyphenols in cocoa orchestrated those beneficial effects.
The scientists analyzed the effects of cocoa polyphenols on cholesterol using cultures of human liver and intestinal cells. They focused on the production of apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1), a protein that is the major component of "good" cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B (ApoB), the main component of "bad" cholesterol. It turns out that cocoa polyphenols increased ApoA1 levels and decreased ApoB levels in both the liver and intestine. Further, the scientists discovered that the polyphenols seem to work by enhancing the activity of so-called sterol regulatory element binding proteins (SREBPs). SREBPs attach to the genetic material DNA and activate genes that boost ApoA1 levels, increasing "good" cholesterol. The scientists also found that polyphenols appear to increase the activity of LDL receptors, proteins that help lower "bad" cholesterol levels."
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Here is a Valentine's Day sampler of other recent research on the health benefits chocolate published in ACS journals:
- New evidence that dark chocolate helps ease emotional stress
- Study finds that people are programmed to love chocolate
- Natural ACE inhibitors in chocolate, wine and tea may help lower blood pressureView Thread
There are two basic kinds of cholesterol in blood: LDL, which promotes heart disease, and HDL, which helps remove cholesterol from the system. But matters are more complicated. LDL cholesterol particles range from very small, densely concentrated particles to large "fluffy" ones. Studies have linked smaller, dense LDL cholesterol particles to a higher risk of heart disease compared to larger particles.
Find out why small LDL are dangerous and what to do to improve them.
RELATED ARTICLES FROM BERKELEY WELLNESS:
- Take Our Cholesterol Quiz
- Two Plant Compounds That Lower Cholesterol
- What to Do About High Triglycerides
This is one of reasons why some people with "good" number have heart problems and other with "bad" numbers don't.
Now this is probably not all of the reasons. But it helps fill in some of the banks.View Thread
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