Category Archives: Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Disease

Pomegranate, Good for Whatever Ails You

Pomegranate, Good for Whatever Ails You

The scientific name of pomegranate, Punica granatum, is derived from the name Pomum (apple) and Granatus (grainy), or seeded apple. It is believed that the origin of the pomegranate is from Central Asia. Historically, this fruit is reported to be domesticated and planned between 4000 and 3000BC and among one of the oldest known edibleContinue Reading

Some Not So Sweet News About Sugar

Some Not So Sweet News About Sugar

Added sugar has infiltrated the food industry because of its ability to mask other, less desirable flavors. The average American consumes about 130 lbs. of sugar a year (1). When we compare how much we were eating back in 1822 to how much we eat now, we find that on average we eat 725 gramsContinue Reading

A Mediterranean Cruise is Good for the Heart

A Mediterranean Cruise is Good for the Heart

In our society, we are surrounded by fad diets that claim to do this or that for our health. Some of these diets have been shown to have no beneficial effects while others are being backed up by science to have positive effects on health. More studies are showing an advantage in following a MediterraneanContinue Reading

Are Multivitamins Really Worth the Money?

Are Multivitamins Really Worth the Money?

The paper titled Multivitamins in the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Men, does not support the use of multivitamins’ in the prevention of cardiovascular disease for men. Compared with the placebo, there were no significant differences in the risk of cardiovascular events. The events include Myocardial Infarction (MI), stroke, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. TheContinue Reading

Lowering Blood Pressure through the Mediterranean Diet

Lowering Blood Pressure through the Mediterranean Diet

High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a major contributor to the risk for multiple cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and overall heart health.  “In 2003, the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure estimated that hypertension affects approximately 1 billion people worldwide” (1).  Treatments used for lowering blood pressureContinue Reading

Coffee Antioxidants may Improve Function of Blood Vessels

Coffee Antioxidants may Improve Function of Blood Vessels

Vascular lining (endothelial cells) is responsible for healthy blood flow to and from the heart and to every cell in the body. Healthy endothelial cells help prevent clotting of the veins and therefore Heart Attack and Ischemia. So, how is coffee related to prevention of heart attack, you probably wonder by now?Continue Reading

Saturated Fat May Be Safe for the Heart and Arteries

Saturated Fat May Be Safe for the Heart and Arteries

You probably have heard about the new popular diet, “Paleo diet”, revered by fans of crossfit and heavy weight lifting. In short, this diet is trying to simulate a cave man diet. Those people eliminate sugars and grains and substitute it with the more meat, eggs and fat in their meals. They also probably toldContinue Reading

Sleep Deprivation May Cause Your Afternoon Food Cravings, Leading to Obesity

Sleep Deprivation May Cause Your Afternoon Food Cravings, Leading to Obesity

Short sleep duration, less than 7 hours per night, increases the risk of being obese compared to those who sleep 7-8 hours per night. Previous studies showed this association several times, yet could not show a cause-effect relation due to some strong limitations of those studies. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published the latestContinue Reading

Memory Problems? Another Reason to Decrease Salt Consumption.

Memory Problems? Another Reason to Decrease Salt Consumption.

Have you ever wondered why aging is associated with high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, memory difficulties (sometimes even with Alzheimer’s disease) and Anxiety? Could it be related to the nutritional influences?Continue Reading

Do You Eat an Avocado with Your Hamburger?

Do You Eat an Avocado with Your Hamburger?

If you answer “No, I already have plenty of fat in my burger from meat; but I do add avocado to my salad” – then you are not alone in this point of view. Many of us have heard about fats causing atherosclerosis, fats also cause oxidative damage. So, when we eat our burger, weContinue Reading