blood vessels – Lacto Bacto

Many of us drink a daily glass of orange juice thinking it is healthy for us and because it contains vitamin C. But is that true?

While some in the medical field view orange juice as basically orange-flavored sugar in a glass, others find orange juice to be a healthy beverage - one that is linked to a lower incidence of cardiovascular diseases.

A recent study found that there are numerous health benefits from drinking orange juice daily. Regular consumption can influence the activity of thousands of genes in our immune cells - genes that help control blood pressure, improve inflammation, metabolism, and blood sugar control. Studies have also found improvements in cholesterol and blood vessel health - thus influencing long-term heart health.

How much orange juice to drink for health benefits? One cup of pure pasteurized orange juice daily should be sufficient. Note that in the study, adults drank 500 ml (2 cups) of pure pasteurized orange juice for 2 months. After 60 days, many genes associated with inflammation and higher blood pressure became less active.

From Science Daily: Drinking orange juice every day may change thousands of genes

Most of us think of orange juice as a simple breakfast habit, something you pour without much thought. Yet scientists are discovering that this everyday drink may be doing far more in the body than quenching thirst. ...continue reading "Drinking Orange Juice Daily Has Health Benefits"

We all know sitting too much is not good for our health. But for many of us, it's our reality - sit all day at work, and then come home and relax by sitting all evening. But there is some good news. A recent study found that eating foods rich in flavanols, such as cocoa, may protect our blood vessels from the harms of too much sitting.

While the research occurred in young healthy men (with either high or low levels of fitness), all had detrimental effects in their vascular health (blood flow) after several hours of sitting. Drinking a flavanol rich cocoa drink at the beginning of a 2 hour sitting time prevented the decrease in blood flow ("sitting-induced vascular dysfunction") in both upper and lower limbs.

The researchers did point out though, that some exercise every hour, even 5 minutes of walking or climbing stairs, would have the same effect.

Flavanols are naturally occurring polyphenols found in various fruits (e.g., blueberries, apples, grapes), green and black tea, matcha, nuts, red wine, and cocoa beans. They have previously been linked to cardiovascular benefits, including support for the vascular system during psychological stress. Eating diverse flavanoid rich foods is best because there are so many types of flavanols.

From Science Daily: Cocoa and tea may protect your heart from the hidden damage of sitting

New findings from the University of Birmingham suggest that regularly eating foods rich in flavanols, including tea, berries, apples, and cocoa, may help protect men's blood vessels from the negative effects that occur during long periods of sitting. ...continue reading "Some Foods May Protect Us From the Harms of Too Much Sitting"