Newsbriefs: Beneficial Bacteria; Heart-Disease Risk; Sitting; Fruits and Vegetables
Beneficial bacteria may help lower blood pressure.
Naturally occurring “good” bacteria, known as probiotics, when consumed in foods such as yogurt and taken as supplements can balance the gut flora and eliminate many digestive issues. Now it appears probiotics also may help lower blood pressure. Researchers in Australia reviewed nine studies and found that adults who consumed probiotics daily for two months or more had blood pressures that were an average of 3.5/2.38 mmHg lower than in adults who did not consume probiotics. Participants with high blood pressure tended to benefit the most. Benefits occurred only with consumption of products containing a certain amount of beneficial bacteria, and greater benefits were seen from using products containing more than one type of probiotic. Look for probiotics labeled Lactobacillus bulgaricus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Streptococcus thermophiles in products containing probiotics.
Low-dose hormone therapy fails to lower heart-disease risk.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can help relieve hot flashes in postmenopausal women, but it won’t stop atherosclerosis from developing. That disappointing finding is the result of the Kronos Early Estrogen Prevention Study (KEEPS), published in the July 28, 2014 Annals of Internal Medicine. For four years, researchers followed 727 healthy women at low risk for cardiovascular disease taking low-dose HRT. When noninvasive imaging tests taken at the start of the study were compared to those taken four years later, no reduction in the progression of atherosclerosis was seen.
Offset too much sitting
Physical activity may offset the dangers of prolonged sedentary time, obesity, and blood markers associated with cardiovascular disease, according to a study by researchers from the American Cancer Society, The Cooper Institute, and the University of Texas. Sedentary behavior is linked to an increased risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome (a cluster of conditions that includes increased blood pressure, high blood sugar level, excess belly fat and high cholesterol levels), type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, some cancers and premature death. The currrent study showed the protective impact of physical fitness and activity. The study appeared in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, July 14, 2014.
Fruits and veg: 5 portions daily is enough.
Five portions (2.5 cups) of fruit and vegetable consumption daily is optimum for health and lowering risk of death from any cause. Earlier studies recommended that people eat seven portions daily, but a recent study notes that additional portions (above five) did not significantly affect mortality risk. The study was published in the British Medical Journal online July 30, 2014.
The post Newsbriefs: Beneficial Bacteria; Heart-Disease Risk; Sitting; Fruits and Vegetables appeared first on University Health News.
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