A diet enriched with antioxidant nutrients can help to improve insulin resistance in adults with metabolic syndrome.  Individuals with metabolic syndrome exhibit increased some or all of the following: waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting glucose and triglycerides, and a reduction in high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.  They have a reduced ability to utilize insulin, and are at an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Subjects participating in the study were all placed on 1,500 calorie per diets for 3 months, but only a subgroup were provided with fruits and vegetables high in antioxidants.  All lost weight, but only those who received the antioxidant-enriched diet had significant reductions in insulin resistance.  The antioxidants were thought to have helped reduce oxidative stress, which may help protect against a number of conditions, including metabolic syndrome.

Source: http://www.lef.org/newsletter/2010/0629_High-Antioxidant-Diet-Improves-Insulin-Sensitivity-in-Obese-Men-Women.htm

Antioxidants play a vital role in the reduction of eye disease too.  Learn more about them at our website: http://www.naturaleyecare.com/prev-anti.asp

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An article published in the June, 2010 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition describes a clinical trial involving older men and women which found reductions in markers of oxidative stress and inflammation among those who supplemented with zinc.

Oxidative stress and chronic inflammation are risk factors for atherosclerosis, and zinc deficiency has been observed in a number of other diseases associated with these conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and cancers.

Editor’s note: There are a range of essential nutrients that reduce oxidative stress in the body and can help reduce inflammation including glutathione, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and alpha lipoic acid for example. Green leafy vegetables contain a great range of antioxidants that have excellent anti-inflammatory properties. as well.

When supplementing with zinc, copper should also be taken. The proper ratio of zinc:copper is 15:1.

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Researchers have discovered that epicatechin, a compound in dark chocolate, may protect your brain after a stroke by increasing cellular signals that shield nerve cells from damage.

Reference: Journal of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism May 5, 2010

Editor’s Note: Antioxidants are essential for maintaining healthy vision and overall health. For more tips, go to www.naturaleyecare.com

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Findings reported in article published online on May 6, 2010 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (see link below) suggest that vinpocetine, a derivative of vincamine (from the periwinkle plant), could be useful for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases such as atherosclerosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), arthritis, infectious diseases and cancer.

Based on and other relate studies, vinpocetine may be helpful as well for eye inflammatory problems such as macular edema and diabetic retinopathy. For more related information, go to www.naturaleyecare.com

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Resveratrol may help impede cancer. Dr. Bryan C. Donohue of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Shadyside Hospital, says early-stage clinical trials now under way are examining resveratrol’s effectiveness among patients with heart disease, cancer, dementia and a host of other modern illnesses.

In the meanwhile, some people simply looking for greater energy, enhanced clarity of thought and advanced overall well being are already benefiting from resveratrol supplementation,

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People who are usually happy, enthusiastic and content are less likely to develop heart disease than those who tend not to be happy, according to a major new study published (Thursday 18 February) (see also European Society of Cardiology).

The authors believe that the study, published in the Europe’s leading cardiology journal, the European Heart Journal, is the first to show such an independent relationship between positive emotions and coronary heart disease.

Editor’s Note: Having a positive attitude helps boost us maintain a healthy immune system. Cardiovascular disease can be a major contributor to eye disease such as macular degeneration and glaucoma. For more related information, go to www.naturaleyecare.com

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Taking popular cholesterol-lowering statin drugs does not lower the risk of pneumonia, according to a study published the British Medical Journal.

There was some hope that statins could help prevent certain infections. But the study, which involved 65- to 94-year-olds with intact immune systems, found that pneumonia risk was, if anything, slightly higher in people using a statin than in those not using any.

Researchers emphasized that statins work well for what they were designed to do, such as lower cholesterol and the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Published 16 June 2009, doi:10.1136/bmj.b2137
Cite this as: BMJ 2009;338:b2137

Editor’s Note: New research continues to show that other factors are greater indicators of heart disease and stroke such as C-reactive protein levels and homocysteine levels.

For more information on nutrition and cholesterol, Click Here

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In an article appearing in the December 1, 2009 issue of Circulation: Journal of
the American Heart Association, Ulrich Laufs, MD of Saarland University in Homburg,
Germany and his colleagues report an association between long-term intense exercise
and a reduction in the shortening of telomeres that occurs with aging. Telomeres
are protective segments of DNA at the ends of chromosomes that shorten with cell
division. Shorter telomeres limit the number of cell divisions, and have been
linked with conditions associated with aging of the whole human organism, such
as high blood pressure and dementia.

Ref: http://circ.ahajournals.org

Editor’s Note: A recent study published February 10, 2009 in Health & Medicine showed that vigorous exercise may help prevent vision loss. For more related information, go to www.naturaleyecare.com

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Men who consistently failed to express their resentment over conflicts with a fellow worker or supervisor were more than twice as likely to have a heart attack or die of heart disease as those who vented their anger, claims a report in the Nov. 24 online edition of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Most complementary care modalities have long recognized the strong correlation of “excessive” chronic emotions and disease. In Chinese medicine, emotions play a strong role in disease and determining treatment strategies, including repressed anger impairing the Liver (meridian) which can result in a wide range of illnesses (such as heart disease and migraines) and eye diseases (including glaucoma, dry eyes and eye inflammatory conditions), grief affecting the Kidneys (meridians) and sadness affecting the Stomach/Spleen (meridians) for example.

For more information on lifestyle, diet and vision, go to www.naturaleyecare.com

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A new study by researchers at the University of Colorado Denver and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) shows vitamin D plays a vital role in reducing the risk of death associated with older age. The research, just published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, evaluated the association between vitamin D levels in the blood and the death rates of those 65 and older. The study found that older adults with insufficient levels of vitamin D die from heart disease at greater rates that those with adequate levels of the vitamin, with approximately 1/3 of seniors considered to be deficient in vitamin D.

Editor’s note: Vitamin D3 is the form best absorbed in a supplement. See more information on nutrients and health conditions.

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