Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Written by Nicole Crane BS, NTP In the United States alone, 72 million adults (nearly one third of all people over the tender age of 20) have high blood pressure, according to the National Heart and Lung Association. Worldwide, the number of people expected to …
By Nicole Crane, BS, NTP So many people, 72 million Americans, struggle to have normal blood pressure. High blood pressure is clinically known as hypertension, and it is a major conspirator in cardiac dysfunction. Normal blood pressure is 120/80 ng/dl, and many clinicians consider 115/75 …
By Nicole Crane, BS, NTP
In the United States alone, 72 million adults, nearly one third of all people over the tender age of 20, 
have high blood pressure, according to the National Heart and Lung Association. Worldwide, the number of people expected to have elevated blood pressure has been estimated to climb to 1.56 billion by 2025. When blood pressure remains uncontrolled, it can have serious consequences like damage to the heart, arteries and other organs. This can increase the risk of a heart attack, stroke, or other heart diseases like congestive heart failure, atherosclerosis (fatty buildup in arteries causing hardening of the arteries) peripheral artery disease and other heart and vascular problems.
Over time, high blood pressure can also do damage to the kidneys, allow for fluid to accumulate in the lungs and affect the healthy flow of blood to the brain and around the body. i Having normal, healthy blood pressure is an important aspect of overall wellness.
Healthy blood pressure is considered normal when it is 120/80 ml/mg. The top number is a systolic reading and measures the pressure as the heart pumps blood around the body. The bottom number, the diastolic reading, measures pressure as the heart relaxes and refills with blood. Once those readings reach over 140/90, it is considered to be high blood pressure, also known as hypertension. There are many factors that get the blame when someone had high blood pressure, like inactivity, being overweight, excess sodium intake, a diet high in processed and fatty foods, and alcohol and tobacco use. Stress, age, ethnicity and metabolic problems like diabetes can also affect blood pressure.
After water, green tea, along with its white and black variants, all from the Camellia sinesis shrub,is the most consumed beverage in the world. There may be no beverage more salubrious. The tea plant is rich in valuable antioxidants known as polyphenols. The polyphenols in …
For years, heath experts have been touting the benefits of fats from fish, and rightfully so. Fish and other seafood are considered the best source of fats from the Omega-3 family, which includes the fatty acids EPA and DHA. Most people do not get nearly …
Peel back the layers of skin and muscle and imagine your bones. You are likely thinking of something very rigid and static that does not change once you reach adulthood. Despite being a hard substance, our bones are very much alive, growing and changing throughout our lives. This means that if we nourish our bones correctly, we can keep them healthy for our entire lifetime. There is a lot more to bone health than just getting enough calcium. In fact, taking calcium alone may even be problematic, as calcium needs several nutrients to direct it to the bones. Without these nutrients, calcium may get laid down in our arteries, kidneys and other organs and can eventually cause damage. In 2011, the per capita consumption of milk alone was 174.1 pounds (or 2,785 ounces) and 603 pounds of all dairy productsi , yet there are still millions of people who have low bone density. The National Osteoporosis Foundation reported in 2014 that 10.2 million Americans have osteoporosis (brittle bone disease) and another 43.4 million Americans have osteopenia (low bone density, a precursor to osteoporosis)ii. Two million bone breaks and fractures are also attributed to osteoporosis, yet more often than not, osteoporosis is never tested for or even considered.iii Clearly, there are other factors involved besides getting enough calcium. In fact, there are nearly 25 nutrients that make up our bones and are needed for proper mineralization of our bones.
Our bones are made of a protein-mineral matrix. We essentially have two types of bones – 75% makes up the hard exterior and protects bone from trauma and 25% of softer tissue on the inside of bone, which includes bone marrow and allows bones to withstand pressure without breaking. The minerals make our bones hard and strong. Our bones contain calcium, potassium, manganese, magnesium, silica, iron, zinc, selenium, boron, phosphorus, sulfur, chromium, and many more. The proteins include collagen and osteocalcin, which gives our bones flexibility and allows them to bend without breaking. It is collagen which allows us to twist our bodies and sustain falls without experiencing a bone fracture. This softer tissue is more metabolically active and has a higher turnover rate. There are a few factors that affect the health of our inner bones, like low estrogen levels in both women and men, steroid use and immobilization. Similarly, a very sedentary lifestyle can lead to loss of this type of bone.