Hypertension (high blood pressure) is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Having hypertension can increase your risk for a heart attack and for stroke. Be aware of risk factors that lead to hypertension so that you can talk to...
Cardiovascular disease is an umbrella term the medical community uses to describe a multitude of heart diseases, including coronary artery disease. It describes conditions leading to chest pain, heart attacks and stroke, all of which share the...
To monitor cardiovascular fitness, different measurements can be taken and used to assess your progress in improving heart and blood vessel health. There are many benefits to regular exercise, including reduction of your cardiovascular risk factors.
The Nordic Track ski machine allows exercisers to mimic the motions of a cross-country skier to improve cardiovascular fitness while remaining indoors. The machine uses sliding wood slats and arm cords attached to a central pulley to simulate a...
Cross country skiing is a challenging winter sport that utilizes both the lower and upper body musculature to propel the skier. In the 1980s, Nordic Track replicated these movements with the development of a ski machine that would allow the...
Having high blood cholesterol in addition to respiratory, metabolic and cardiovascular problems places you are at a very high risk of experiencing a heart attack or sudden death during exercise. While exercise helps reduce your bad cholesterol and...
Besides being a good source of potassium, manganese and copper, walnuts contain the omega-3 fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA, which is responsible for several health effects, including reducing the risk of blood clotting and lowering...
Ketogenic diets have become extremely popular over the last few years. The principle behind them is quite simple. They are loosely defined as high fat, adequate protein, low carbohydrate diets, but primarily focus on restricting carbohydrates....
Recent claims suggest flaxseed oil has many health benefits, helping to fight high flashes and cholesterol reduction and playing a role in cancer prevention. People have also used flaxseed oil to treat osteoarthritis, anxiety, vaginal infections,...
Salba, Salvia hispanica, is a flowering plant in the mint family indigenous to central and southern Mexico. The seeds of the plant produce an oily extract used as a traditional ethnic remedy for several disease and conditions. Extracts of the...
Honey and cinnamon are two types of foods with medicinal properties that may lower your risk of diabetes and diabetic complications. Diabetes is a chronic disease characterized by high blood sugar and multiple complications that involve high blood...
High blood pressure, or hypertension, represents an elevation of the force required to send blood through artery walls. This in turns increases the risk for kidney failure, stroke and heart disease. High blood pressure usually has no symptoms....
Salba, a brand name for a particular variety of chia (Salvia hispanica L) seeds, is a newly popularized "superfood" that was used by the ancient Aztecs for both food and medicinal purposes and is currently receiving press for its high fiber, fatty...
There are five heart rate zones used by cyclists and other athletes to measure training intensity. The zones increase in intensity and relate to various energy systems used by the body during exercise. Zone 1 is low intensity, where oxygen and fat...
L-arginine is an amino acid found in foods, such as almonds, soybeans and spinach, and is available in supplement form. It plays a role in numerous functions in your body, including immune function, wound healing and removal of toxic ammonia from...
Pycnogenol, also known as pine bark extract, has been used traditionally as a healing agent. Most of its benefits are due to its potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Research indicates that Pycnogenol can provide numerous health...
Almonds, like other nuts, are high in unsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids, both of which have known health benefits. Almonds are also high in cholesterol-lowering fiber and heart-friendly vitamin E, and could help prevent diabetes, according...
The Atkins diet can allow you to drop body fat but you must severely restrict your carbohydrate intake. Like all other diets, the Atkins diet functions through caloric restriction but functions as effectively as a low-fat diet, according to a 2006...
Most people believe that LDL is the bad cholesterol and HDL is the good cholesterol. In actuality, all LDL are not created equal, and there are a few different versions of it. LDL-A is a larger, frothy molecule that floats atop the rest of the...
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States among men and women, with women accounting for nearly half of all deaths by the disease. Women are more likely to delay seeking medical treatment because their warning signs can...
Cholesterol plays an essential role in overall health, since it's required for proper cell membrane function and hormone production. However, excess low density lipoprotein, or LDL cholesterol, can increase the risk for cardiovascular disease....
Walnuts are a rich source of nutrients, including vitamin E, manganese, calcium and dietary fiber. In addition, they contain alpha-linolenic acid, an essential omega-3 fatty acid that cannot be manufactured by the body. Research indicates that...
Arginine has gained much attention for its use as a dietary supplement to prevent cardiovascular disease. Part of the reasoning lies in its chemical relationship with nitric oxide. This chemical has several beneficial functions in the body that...
L-arginine has gained much attention for its purported cardiovascular health benefits. Some evidence supports its use for patients with cardiovascular risk factors. A 2010 study by Tel Aviv University in Israel found that supplementing with...
Garlic is an edible bulb plant species from the same family as onions and chives. For thousands of years, garlic has been used for both cooking and healing purposes. Today, research shows that garlic consumption may promote health and reduce the...
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin critical for calcium balance, immunity and insulin secretion. It's also involved in blood pressure regulation. If you have a vitamin D deficiency, you are more likely to have a higher output of renin, an enzyme...
Coenzyme Q10, or CoQ10, a molecule that participates in cellular energy production, also serves as an antioxidant to prevent damage caused by free radicals. CoQ10 is not an essential nutrient, but because CoQ10 is depleted by statin drugs,...
Wine has been a part of human culinary tradition dating back as far as 6000 B.C., according to the website Tasting-Wine.com. Throughout history, wine has played an important role in daily, ceremonial and religious events in many cultures....
You need sodium for absorption of food nutrients, and to maintain the balance of fluid and minerals. Too much sodium, though, can be unhealthy. A high sodium intake has been linked to increased blood pressure and risk of heart disease and stroke....
