saturated fat is good for heart health?

what do you think? anyone willing to consider that everything they’ve ever heard on this topic is wrong?
nope, i mean good quality saturated fat. Your body needs it for functioning and it is very good for you – it is not the reason the arteries get clogged. Ever heard how the Eskimos eat blubber? Before they were introduced to modern day diets they had almost no heart disease. or diabetes for that matter… that’s just one of many examples.

Ummm – how about NO. Saturated fat is the one way to guarantee that plaque will build up on your artery walls. That would explain why Mediterraneans (who eat lots of omega 3 fats – the unsaturated ones) live long, and cardiovascularly healthy lives and Americans, who eat TONS of saturated fats are dropping like flies of heart disease at very young ages. Can you convince me otherwise? I think not. It’s called the scientific method and it’s a pretty effective way to "prove" a theory.

Plant Sterols – the Secret for the Heart Health Benefits of the Acai Berries

The acai berries contain a chemical class known as plant sterols in abundance. Plant sterols, or phytosterols, have long been known to improve the cardiac health in humans apart from several other benefits. People who subsist on a diet of plant foods that are rich in sterols are known to have a better heart longevity than other people and they are also better protected from other cardiovascular problems such as atherosclerosis, hypertension, coronary heart disease and the risk of seizures. In fact, the benefits of plant sterols are so prominently accepted in today’s health-conscious world that manufacturers of several food products are actually going ahead and fortifying their foods with both natural and synthetic plant sterols. However, the benefits that these products contain are always of a very dubious nature.

This is where acai berries score greatly. These berries are renowned for several health benefits, but one of the most important benefits that they carry is the presence of a high concentration of plant sterols. There are various sterol compounds presently, but it is most important to speak about beta-sitosterol, which occupies up to 70 to 90% of the total sterol content in the acai berries. Beta-sitosterol is a compound that is chemically quite similar to cholesterol (which is also a sterol, by the way), but it has a very peculiar action on cholesterol. It can act with the cholesterol that is present in the blood and reduce its density. Thus, beta-sitosterol works in the metabolism of cholesterol in the body so that it does not tend to accumulate.

Cholesterol is the main culprit behind most of the heart diseases prevalent in the human race. It can accumulate in the lumens (bores) of the arteries and thus reduce the flow of blood in them. If the cholesterol accumulates in the coronary artery (the artery leading to the heart), it can reduce the blood flow to the heart, which will result in impaired heart function. In time, the excess pressure on the heart can give rise to diseases and even risks of heart seizure. If the accumulation is built into any other artery of the body, then it can give rise to high blood pressure, which again is a very dangerous condition. With the help of the plant sterols present in it, acai berries ensure that a person having their diet can lead a healthier life with benefits to cardiac health.

Acai berries have been hailed for several benefits in recent times, but the most important benefit seems to be their effectiveness in reducing harmful cholesterol from the body. This is in light of the fact that the greatest share in world mortality today is of heart-related problems. It is conjectured that if all people of the world were to go on an acai berry diet, then the human mortality would drastically come down. Also, the fact that the acai berries can act at reversing some of the aging symptoms and make the person ‘feel’ younger and not just ‘look’ younger, these berries are being looked upon a potential source for a healthy heart and a prolonged life.

Steve Gerencser
http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/plant-sterols-the-secret-for-the-heart-health-benefits-of-the-acai-berries-698248.html

Laughing at Really Funny Jokes Keeps Heart Attack Away

The adage, “laughter is the best medicine”, proves to be true when it comes to keeping heart attacks at bay. Recent studies conducted at a university in Baltimore show that people who always have a good laugh are less likely to have heart diseases. Further, people with heart diseases are found 40% less probable to laugh and become humorous compared to people to those without heart problems. If this is true, the very elixir that could solve a serious medical condition pertaining to the heart is found the very primordial act of laughing at really funny jokes.

A good belly laugh considered to be a form of exercise. It can serve as an “internal exercise because it provides a good cardiac stimulation and conditioning. This is especially important to those who don’t have the time to exercise or do physical activities. Laughing also prevents hypertension because it lessens the likeliness of stress. It relaxes muscles and lessens the supply of dopamine in he blood, a hormone known to induce the fight or flight response.

Knowing all these, how can you practice the habit of laughing to keep heart attack away? Here are some ways.

1. Think of happy thoughts.

Keeping a light-hearted disposition is crucial in preventing heart attacks. Try to recall the things that you find funny. This may include a hilarious scene on TV, news or an event. Whenever stress starts keeping in, think about these situations can lower your stress and anxiety levels.

2. Engage in a healthy and entertaining conversation with close friends.

Doing this does not only produce some natural laughter, but also helps maintain good mental health. It gives a light feeling and relieves tension.

3. Watch funny movies and TV shows.

This is probably one of the easiest things to do to laugh. Immersing in the hilarity of others’ propensity for funny antics is the ultimate way to turn off sadness and stress. The heart benefits a lot from the laughter you give out.

4. Read some really funny jokes.

Fortunately, there are lots of good sites on the internet that feature jokes and pranks that people can laugh at. When the feeling of heaviness of heart creeps in, don’t wallow in misery. Taking care of the heart through laughing is very important.

5. Relax!

Don’t pretend to have fun, but let laughter come naturally. It is also not advisable to be so serious about life. If there’s a big hindrance on the road, don’t lash out and go berserk. Relax and respond humorously to everyday life’s situation. Think of positive things that could still induce some laughter amidst a stressful incident. Remember that most of the time, stress is only in the mind.

Nursing loneliness and anguish is the fastest way to a nasty and life-threatening heart attack. Don’t treat your heart like you have another one in the bank in case what you have fails to beat. Nurture a happy disposition, laugh at really funny jokes, and smile to ensure a healthy heart.

Joel Owens
http://www.articlesbase.com/humor-articles/laughing-at-really-funny-jokes-keeps-heart-attack-away-683526.html

The Great American Heart Hoax: Economic and Political Implications

Cardiovascular care in America is spiraling out of control.  We are now spending more than one hundred billion dollars a year for treatment and management of cardiovascular catastrophes (heart attack, stroke and diseases of the vascular system). This extraordinary amount of money is spent on victims of a disease that is largely preventable.

In The Great American Heart Hoax I have outlined the problems of cardiovascular care in America that is draining our healthcare dollars and contributing to our financial collapse.  In addition, I point out key areas of wasteful spending on expensive and risky diagnostic studies as well as procedures that are of no benefit to the millions of Americans who fall prey to the cardiovascular intervention industry.  What may surprise you is what you believed to be the ultimate of cardiac care in this country is often unnecessary and dangerous.

Examples of inappropriate cardiovascular care are summarized below:

1. Coronary angioplasty and stent insertion: While coronary angioplasty (the opening up of a blocked artery with a catheter device) and stent placement can be indicated and potentially lifesaving in acute coronary syndromes such as heart attacks, utilizing this technology in stable patients who have coronary blockages is inappropriate and has never been shown to reduce the risk of future heart attack or prolong life as compared to more conservative therapy (lifestyle changes and medications as indicated).  Indeed balloon angioplasty and stent placement can often lead to an increase in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality compared to an intensive prevention approach.  Despite this well-researched fact the cardiovascular intervention industry continues like a freight-train out of control.  This year over one million stents will be inserted in patients across America and many of these procedures are clearly not indicated.
2. Heart bypass surgery (also called coronary artery bypass graft surgery): like catheter-based intervention, heart bypass surgery is clearly indicated in select unstable patients, however bypass surgery is over-utilized in the majority of patients with obstructive coronary artery disease.  Major clinical trials have failed to show a benefit in clinical outcome in the vast majority of stable patients treated with bypass surgery.
3. CT-Scans: While CT scans are often necessary in unstable patients in the emergency room as a diagnostic modality, the proliferation of this technology to screen Americans for coronary artery disease is inappropriate and leads to a depletion of our valuable health care dollars.    There is no evidence that subjecting yourself to a CT scan will lower your risk of having a heart attack or prolong your life.  Most disturbing is the fact that these procedures subject unsuspecting men and women to excessive radiation exposure which stays with them for a lifetime and increases their risk of cancer.  At the end of the day ask yourself the following question: do I need to pay a large sum of money and be bombarded with a significant dose of radiation just to be told to do what I should be doing anyway?   Follow a healthy-lifestyle with optimal nutrition, regular exercise, stress management and smoking cessation.
4. Stress-nuclear studies: As with CT scans, stress nuclear studies are expensive and lead to significant amounts of radiation exposure via intravenous radioisotopes.  These tests should be avoided in the stable population.  If a stress test is recommended with imaging why not choose a stress-echo study which is less expensive than a stress-nuclear study and utilizes harmless sound waves to provide similar information?
5. Cardiac catheterization: Another expensive diagnostic tool that carries a multitude of significant risks.  These risks are justified in unstable patients however this procedure should not be performed indiscriminately on stable individuals.

The Solution

There is a better road we can walk down that will provide us with a lifetime of heart health.   This road is called progress road and it costs a fraction of the journey down the dead-end road, with excessive interventions and diagnostic studies that don’t improve clinical outcome.  Progress road is truly the biggest bang for the buck! 

Progress road utilizes clinically proven prevention rather than needless intervention to keep us healthy and lowers our health care costs that cripple the financial health of America thereby impeding our ability to compete in a global economy. 

It consists of:

1. A heart- healthy Mediterranean-style diet.
2. Regular exercise:  30 minutes of walking should be considered a daily routine.
3. Stress management:  Simple techniques such as yoga, breathing exercise or relaxation response training can serve to lower our blood pressure and pulse and protect us from vascular insults such as heart attacks and strokes.
4. Control cholesterol:  Following a Mediterranean-style diet will significantly lower cholesterol levels in the majority of Americans.  Judicious use of medications such as generic statins could also be utilized if required.
5. Blood pressure control:  Blood pressure can be managed with lifestyle changes (Mediterranean diet, exercise, smoking cessation and stress management).  Blood pressure medication should be used in select patients if lifestyle changes do not achieve goal.
6. Avoid metabolic syndrome and diabetes:  again diet and exercise are key to prevent or reverse these conditions.
7. Achieve ideal body weight.
8. Lower inflammation and oxidative stress: a Mediterranean diet, regular exercise, weight control, avoiding pollution and pesticides, good oral hygiene (daily flossing) all serve to lower inflammation and free radical induced oxidative stress that leads to cardiovascular disease.
9. Have a routine physical exam with comprehensive blood work: an ongoing relationship with your personal treating physician to discuss prevention strategies is key. Get the proper screening blood studies to uncover hidden risk of cardiovascular disease.
10. Avoid unnecessary procedures that increase the cost of medical care and do not lead to improved clinical outcomes.

At this critical juncture, we have to decide what is best for the health and wealth of the citizens of this country.  Will it be business as usual with indiscriminate utilization of diagnostic and interventional procedures that cost billions and don’t improve the overall health of Americans or do we want a health care system that is affordable and delivers preventive care that gives us the biggest bang for our buck?  I think the answer is clear.  The Great American Heart Hoax chronicles all that is wrong with our current health care system for cardiovascular treatment and it also delivers a concise, practical and clinically proven 10- step approach that can lead us to the promise land of affordable health care, fewer heart attacks and strokes and freedom from a misguided cardiovascular intervention industry that is sabotaging our financial and medical well-being.

Copyright © 2009 Michael Ozner, M.D., author of The Great American Heart Hoax: Lifesaving Advice Your Doctor Should Tell You About Heart Disease Prevention (But Probably Never Will)

Author Bio
Michael Ozner, MD, FACC, FAHA, author of The Great American Heart Hoax: Lifesaving Advice Your Doctor Should Tell You About Heart Disease Prevention (But Probably Never Will), is one of America’s leading advocates for heart disease prevention. Dr. Ozner is a board-certified cardiologist, a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and of the American Heart Association, medical director of Wellness & Prevention at Baptist Health South Florida and a well-known regional and national speaker in the field of preventive cardiology. He is the medical director of the Cardiovascular Prevention Institute of South Florida and symposium director for “Cardiovascular Disease Prevention,” an annual international meeting highlighting advances in preventive cardiology. He was the recipient of the 2008 American Heart Association Humanitarian Award. Dr. Ozner is also the author of the BenBella Books title The Miami Mediterranean Diet.

Michael Ozner, Md, Facc, Faha
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/the-great-american-heart-hoax-economic-and-political-implications-738679.html