Increase in RDA for Vitamin C Could Help Reduce Heart Disease, Stroke, Cancer

The recommended dietary allowance, or RDA, of vitamin C is less than half what it should be, scientists argue in a recent report, because medical experts insist on evaluating this natural, but critical nutrient in the same way they do pharmaceutical drugs and reach faulty conclusions as a result. The researchers, in Critical Reviews in Food …

Role of Mercury Toxicity in Hypertension, Cardiovascular Disease, and Stroke

Dr. Mark C. Houston is Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and Director of the Hypertension Institute at Saint Thomas Hospital in Nashville, TN. He has written an important review article on the cardiovascular consequences of mercury exposure in humans. The article discusses how mercury toxicity in humans is related to hypertension, generalized atherosclerosis, coronary …

Forks Over Knives

What has happened to us? Despite the most advanced medical technology in the world, we are sicker than ever by nearly every measure. Cases of diabetes are exploding, especially amongst our younger population. About half of us are taking at least one prescription drug and major medical operations have become routine.  Heart disease, cancer and …

An Apple or Pear a Day May Keep Strokes Away

Apples and pears may keep strokes away. That’s the conclusion of a Dutch study published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association in which researchers found that eating a lot of fruits and vegetables with white flesh may protect against stroke. While previous studies have linked high consumption of fruits and vegetables with lower stroke risk, the …

It’s Official — Chocolate Linked To Heart Health

Chocolate consumption and cardiometabolic disorders: systematic review and meta-analysis. High levels of chocolate consumption might be associated with a one third reduction in the risk of developing heart disease, finds a study published on bmj.com. The findings confirm results of existing studies that generally agree on a potential beneficial link between chocolate consumption and heart health. …

Omega-3s Reduce Stroke Severity

A diet rich in omega-3s reduces the severity of brain damage after a stroke, according to a study conducted by Université Laval researchers. The team, co-directed by professors Jasna Kriz and Frédéric Calon, showed that the extent of brain damage following a stroke was reduced by 25% in mice that consumed DHA type omega-3s daily. …

High Potassium Intake Linked With Lower Risk Of Stroke, Especially Ischemic Stroke

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm have found that dietary potassium intake is inversely associated with risk of stroke, in particular ischemic stroke. A higher intake of potassium (1000 mg) compared to a lower intake was associated with as much as 11 percent reduction in the ischemic stroke risk, 5 percent reduction in intracerebral hemorrhage, but …

‘Gifted’ Natural Vitamin E Tocotrienol Protects Brain Against Stroke In 3 Ways

COLUMBUS, Ohio – A natural form of vitamin E called alpha-tocotrienol can trigger production of a protein in the brain that clears toxins from nerve cells, preventing those cells from dying after a stroke, new research shows. This process is one of three mechanisms identified so far that this form of vitamin E uses to …

Using Olive Oil In Your Diet May Prevent A Stroke

A new study suggests that consuming olive oil may help prevent a stroke in older people. The research is published in the June 15, 2011, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. “Our research suggests that a new set of dietary recommendations should be issued to prevent stroke in …