Sugar Hurts Blood Pressure

Although, I don’t have high blood pressure, it runs in my family medical history. So, whenever I see any helpful tips to deal with or control high blood pressure, I take note. With the unhealthy lifestyles that so many of us live today, along with the stress of everyday living, high blood pressure is becoming ever more prevalent, even among the very young. I found Jean Carper’s article on high blood pressure, in USA Weekend of February 15-17, 2008, extremely interesting. Ms. Carper noted that Dr. Harry Preuss, of Georgetown University, says that if you have high blood pressure, you should cut back on sugar and refined carbohydrates. We are not just talking about the white, sweet, crystallized stuff you put in your coffee and on your cereal. We are also talking about the sugar found in everyday foods, your favorite refined carbohydrate foods (the doughnuts that taste so good with your coffee, those crunchy BBQ potato chips you can’t seem to get enough of, that delicious double scoop of ice cream), and drinks (the high-fructose corn syrup found in regular soft drinks). Animal studies have found that sugary diets induce hypertension (high blood pressure).

Let’s face it! Sugar is in everything, at least almost everything that tastes good! And there are so many different types of sugars, like: brown sugar, honey, corn syrup, barley malt, high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup solids, molasses, and, of course, the regular white sugar. It’s hard to keep track, and if you don’t read the label, you would never believe that some of your favorite foods usually have more than one type of sugar in them. (Check out the label on your favorite so-called healthy granola bar. It may shock you!)

Dr. Preuss did offer a helpful tip for high-blood pressure. His recent study found that taking chromium supplements (200 micrograms daily) will help to counter the effect of sugar on blood-pressure.

I discovered the article to be very informative. High blood pressure can lead to stokes, diabetes, kidney failure, and even death. It should be taken very seriously. Therefore, I appreciate finding any tips that will help to maintain a normal blood pressure. I knew that chromium supplements were good for people that have diabetes, because it helps to maintain the blood sugar level. And I knew that chromium will help to control your desire for sweet, sugary foods. But now I have found out that chromium will help control blood-pressure. That chromium does a lot of good stuff!!

Calcium Foods or Calcium Pills, Which is Better for Your Health?

Everyone knows that calcium is essential for strong bones. But which is better, foods high in calcium or taking calcium pills? Jean Carper reports in USA Weekend, dated August 31-September 2, 2007, that "a new study from Washington University School of Medicine says post-menopausal women who got most of their calcium from their diet or from diet and supplements had better bones than women who got most of their calcium from pills alone." The reason given is that most likely "calcium in food is better absorbed."

So, while taking calcium supplements, it is also important to eat calcium-rich foods. Fortunately, calcium can be found in a variety of food sources other than just milk. I'm sure there are more people like myself out there that don't really care to drink milk. I'll drink it, but it's not my favorite beverage. And there are people who are lactose-intolerant, who cannot easily digest milk or milk-related products. To give you just an ideal of the many food sources for calcium, it is found in: milk and dairy foods, salmon (with bones), sardines, seafood, green leafy vegetables, almonds, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, collards, dandelion greens, figs, filberts, kale, kelp, mustard greens, oats, prunes, soybeans, tofu, turnip greens, and watercress - just to name a few.

A calcium deficiency can lead to a number of health-related problems, such as: aching joints, brittle nails, eczema, hypertension (high blood pressure), insomnia, muscle cramps, numbness in the arms and/or legs, rheumatoid arthritis, rickets, and tooth decay. Obviously, calcium should be a necessary part of our daily diet. But don't just pop a pill, eat a food rich in calcium too.