Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Olive Oil -Not Just for Popeye

Olive Oil -Not Just for Popeye
 by: Dr. John Rumberger

Archeological records indicate that man has cultivated the olive tree for about 6,000 years; having been especially popular in the Isle of Crete (which as you recall, also appeared in the Seven Countries Study to be the site of the lowest incidence of heart disease). All oils that we use for eating and cooking contain "fat" and olive oil is no exception. However, it is mostly monounsaturated fat as opposed to saturated fat or hydrogenated fat. It can be used as a flavoring for cooking or in salad dressings or as a healthy substitute for butter or margarine. Several large population studies have confirmed that diets with higher amounts of fat of the monounsaturated type reduce total cholesterol and LDL ["bad"] cholesterol levels to the same degree as low fat, high-carbohydrate diets [such as the AHA Step I and II diets]. The additional benefit of olive oil is, as part of a Mediterranean type diet, is that it also has a favorable effect on lowering blood triglycerides [also a factor in heart disease] and maintaining HDL ["good" cholesterol].
In a published study, individuals were randomly assigned to one of three diets: a diet enriched with olive oil, an AHA Step II diet, or an average American control diet. The olive oil and Step II diets lowered total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol to the same degree. However, triglyceride levels fell 13% in patients on the olive oil diet and increased 11% in the Step II diet. HDL cholesterol levels were unchanged in the olive oil diet but decreased 4% in the Step II diet. Remember we want to keep the HDL up as high as possible to reduce heart disease.
Based upon the above information, the authors of the study estimated that the overall risk of cardiovascular disease was lowered by 25% by the olive oil diet and only 12% by the Step II diet. Please note that the cholesterol lowering "statin" type drugs lower risk for a heart attack by about 35%, which is not too much better than the "olive oil" diet alone. In subjects with elevated cholesterols who would benefit from use of statin type medications, additional cardiovascular benefit would then be found by also following a diet with olive oil as a substitute for salad dressing, as a substitute for butter or margarine, and for cooking.
Olive oil apparently has other beneficial effects such as lowering blood pressure, inhibiting the oxidation of LDL cholesterol [the last step before it gets put into your arteries], providing anti-inflammatory effects, and improving insulin sensitivity.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently given manufactures of olive oil and some olive oil-containing food the green light to carry a statement about their potential heart benefits. The claim indicates evidence suggesting that about 2 tablespoons of olive oil per day may reduce the risk of a heart attack. However, to achieve this result, the olive oil should replace a similar amount of saturated fat and should not increase the total daily calories.
The strong taste of extra-virgin olive oil is partly because of the presence of a large amount of "flavonoids", which account for its antioxidant properties that then reduce LDL oxidation. Other foods rich in flavonoids include berries, apples, onions, tea, and red wine (all of which have also been shown to be of benefit in reducing overall heart risk).
Disclaimer: If you are under 18, pregnant, nursing or have health problems, consult your physician before starting any weight loss plan. The information here is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Please consult your physician before beginning any course of treatment.
Dr. John Rumberger is the Author of The WAY Diet, The complete lifestyle plan to live longer, reduce stress, and lose weight the healthy way. To purchase The Way Diet simply go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?path=ASIN/0974993387&link_code=as2&camp=1789&tag=icobweb-20&creative=9325 or go to Empty Canoe Publishing http://www.emptycanoe.com and order your copy of The Way.

About The Author

Dr. John Rumberger

I have dedicated my life to studying the heart and the blood that pumps throughout the human body. I have spent much of the last thirty years doing research and spending valuable time with patients, trying to better understand the heart.

My experience in the field is extensive, and includes achieving my doctorate in 1976 (Bio-Engineering/ Fluid Dynamics/ Applied Mathematics) from The Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio, with a dissertation on, A Non-Linear Model of Coronary Artery Blood Flow.

I then continued my education into my true love, medicine, when in 1978 I became a M.D. graduating from the School of Medicine at the University of Miami, Florida.

I became an Internist and then a Cardiologist. Since then, I have pioneered how the medical field views the process of blood flow through the heart. From my appointment as professor at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, to Medical Director at the HealthWISE Wellness Diagnostic Center in Ohio I have treated patients with heart problems. Though each patient is unique, the heart in each of us works the same way.

sean@emptycanoe.com

This article was posted on August 12, 2005

Tiberius Erectus

Mysoline Mysoline
Our price: $0.54
Mysoline (Primidone) is used to treat a seizure disorder.

More info

Alcohol as a Key Ingredient to a Healthy Diet

Alcohol as a Key Ingredient to a Healthy Diet
 by: Dr. John Rumberger

Evidence suggesting that alcohol is "cardio-protective" first appeared in the literature about 30 years ago. The Framingham Heart Study [the longest running population study of heart disease which began in 1948] provided the first solid evidence of this association. The relationship has now been confirmed by dozens of large population ["epidemiological"] studies. However, physicians have been reluctant to recommend alcohol consumption to patients because of the well-known health consequences of excessive drinking [hypertension, liver disease, increased rates of cancer, violent or accidental death] and the horrors that are associated with "drinking and driving".
Moderation is the key. Many large studies have found that men and women who consume light to moderate amounts of alcohol per day live longer than those who abstain completely. The Physicians' Health Study involved long term follow-up of 89,300 men. The study found that men who drank five or six alcoholic drinks per week had a 20% lower risk of all-cause mortality than those who drank no alcohol. On the other hand, the same study showed that men who had more than two alcoholic drinks per day had a higher risk of death than nondrinkers. That means that, when drinking moderately, it appears to be quite beneficial; however, higher alcohol intake increases the risks of cancer and motor vehicle accidents so much as to overwhelm any cardiovascular benefits.
How does alcohol protect the heart? A large portion of the benefit may be attributable to increased levels of HDL ["good] cholesterol. Alcohol also has "antiplatelet" effects [making these natural blood elements less sticky and then less likely to clog arteries during plaque rupture] in much the same way as aspirin.
Moderate alcohol consumption may also help improve insulin resistance, which is just about one step below true diabetes and recognized as another independent predictor for cardiac risk. The Physicians' Health Study also showed that in subjects who consumed alcohol daily, the risk for heart disease was reduced by 60% in diabetic patients, compared to a 40% decrease in persons who did not have diabetes. Moderate alcohol intake also decreases blood values for CRP [C-reactive protein], a metabolic marker for inflammation (elevated when you are in an increased state of oxidative stress).
The jury is still out as to whether or not wine provides a better protective effect compared to other forms of alcohol. Red wine is rich in flavonoids, which slow down oxidation of LDL ["bad"] cholesterol [which is one of the last steps before it is deposited in your artery wall]. One recent study suggested that light drinkers who avoided wine reduce their risk of all-cause mortality by 10%, while light drinkers who preferred wine had more than a 30% decrease in this risk. However, other studies have found that all forms of alcohol [beer, whiskey, etc.] were equally protective.
It is important to emphasize that alcohol [of ANY kind!] should be limited to one drink daily for women and at most two drinks daily for men [this is based merely on general body size and nothing else]. One drink is defined as 1.5 oz of distilled spirits (such as whisky, gin, and vodka), 5 oz of wine, or 12 oz of beer. Patients who have liver disease, who have a personal or family history of alcohol abuse, or who cannot limit their intake in a responsible manner should NOT start! However, since "all things in moderation" is a good adage for much of life, others can enjoy a daily alcoholic drink as part of a generally healthy diet.
Disclaimer: If you are under 18, pregnant, nursing or have health problems, consult your physician before starting any weight loss plan. The information here is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Please consult your physician before beginning any course of treatment.
Dr. John Rumberger is the Author of The WAY Diet, The complete lifestyle plan to live longer, reduce stress, and lose weight the healthy way. To purchase The Way Diet simply go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?path=ASIN/0974993387&link_code=as2&camp=1789&tag=icobweb-20&creative=9325 or go to Empty Canoe Publishing http://www.emptycanoe.com and order your copy of The Way.

About The Author

Dr. John Rumberger

I have dedicated my life to studying the heart and the blood that pumps throughout the human body. I have spent much of the last thirty years doing research and spending valuable time with patients, trying to better understand the heart.

My experience in the field is extensive, and includes achieving my doctorate in 1976 (Bio-Engineering/ Fluid Dynamics/ Applied Mathematics) from The Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio, with a dissertation on, A Non-Linear Model of Coronary Artery Blood Flow.

I then continued my education into my true love, medicine, when in 1978 I became a M.D. graduating from the School of Medicine at the University of Miami, Florida.

I became an Internist and then a Cardiologist. Since then, I have pioneered how the medical field views the process of blood flow through the heart. From my appointment as professor at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, to Medical Director at the HealthWISE Wellness Diagnostic Center in Ohio I have treated patients with heart problems. Though each patient is unique, the heart in each of us works the same way.

sean@emptycanoe.com

This article was posted on August 12, 2005

Proventil

Eurax Eurax
Our price: $12.95
Eurax (Crotamiton) is used for treating scabies and relieving itching.

More info

Plantar Fasciitis and Heel Spurs

Plantar Fasciitis and Heel Spurs
 by: Ray Kelly

The common heel spur is an ailment striking people from a wide range of ages and activity levels. However, the cause of this injury is usually based upon the aggravation of Plantar Fasciitis. Though the two are often used synonymously there is a slight difference. While a heel spur is a condition in which a portion of bone irritates the fascia, the fascia can be inflamed in other manners. However, both conditions are often referred to as bone spurs and that is the term we will use here. By understanding Plantar Fascitiis and how it develops it is possible to take precautionary measures and prevent the onset or further aggravation of this debilitating injury.
Understanding the ailment depends on understanding that the fascia is a fibrous tissue similar to the ligament that stretches from the back of the heel all the way to the front of the foot. The tissue mainly provides support for the arch and gives cushioning to the bone and nerves in the feet while walking or running.
What happens is that somehow an inflammation or slight tear occurs somewhere along the fascia and at that point there is an onset of pain, which is usually felt on or around the heel of the foot. Though the problem seems no less severe than any type of muscle or tissue injury, this one is notoriously hard to heal. However, before steps toward healing occur it is good to know how it develops and what could have contributed toward it in the first place.
Certain people are much more susceptible to heel spurs than the rest. The "at risk" group includes any of the following:
1. The overweight, whom put more pressure and tension on their feet than the average person.
2. The flatfooted (over-pronation) because when they walk the arch collapses stretching the fascia to the maximum.
3. Those with unusually high arches who also stretch the fascia to a larger degree than normal.
4. Those who spend an extended amount of time in footwear that doesn't fit properly.
5. Those who increase their activity level suddenly and all at once.
Those in the risks groups above can take certain precautions to prevent the onset or relapse of the problem which are to always wear properly fitting shoes which support the arches, to always stretch and regularly exercise the feet to increase flexibility and to gradually increase any activity level over an extended period of time rather than all at once.
Those already suffering from the disorder are advised to try the following treatment plan:
1. Stretching of the foot and calves on a regular basis will help to build flexibility and decrease the chances of re-injury while relieving some of the pain.
2. Taping of the arch so that it is supported can help tremendously in the more acute cases where even walking is painful.
3. Icing always helps, especially if done before after exertion that normally causes pain.
4. Rest and time off of the feet are the main necessities for healing heel spurs. The tissue needs time to heal and the only way that can happen is when you take time from walking and give your feet time to repair.
5. Heel inserts help most suffering from heel spurs but the amount of relief depends on the insert and the location of the injury. It may help to try another brand with a different design if the first one doesn't help.
6. Anti-Inflammatory medicine can do much to reduce the pain and help quicken the healing process.
7. Activity modification is also a big factor. The important thing is to always gradually build up to more strenuous exercise while remember to stretch both before and after. Following these recommendations can do much to prevent not only heel spurs but other types of injuries as well.
8. The last option for persistent and severe problems is surgery. There are two types of surgeries that can relieve the problem: surgical removal of a portion of the fascia or removal of an actual bone spur that is irritating the tissue. Consult with a physician about which option is recommended for you.

About The Author

Ray Kelly is an Exercise Scientist with 15 years experience in the health and fitness industry. Sign up for his Free Exercise and Meal Planner at http://www.free-online-health.com or http://www.trainingdiary.ws.

This article was posted on April 14, 2006

phentermine canada

Zetia Zetia
Our price: $1.65
Zetia (Ezetimibe) is used for treating high blood cholesterol along with a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet.

More info

-