Less Than Six Hours Sleep A Day Could Cause Heart Disease

People who sleep less than six hours a night may be at increased risk of cardiovascular (heart and blood) disease, a new research has found.

The study, as published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, reveals that poor quality sleep increases the risk of atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis is a heart pathology marked with the accumulation of fats, cholesterol and other substances in and on artery walls, restricting blood flow.

“Cardiovascular disease is a major global problem, and we are preventing and treating it using several approaches, including pharmaceuticals, physical activity and diet. But this study emphasizes we have to include sleep as one of the weapons we use to fight heart disease – a factor we are compromising every day,” Jose Ordovas, senior author of the study, explains.

After series of experiments, people who slept less than six hours were found to be 27 percent more likely to have atherosclerosis when compared with those who slept seven to eight hours.

Those who had poor quality of sleep were 34 percent more likely to have atherosclerosis compared with those who had good quality of sleep.

Previous studies have shown that lack of sleep increases heart disease risk factors such as glucose levels; blood pressure; inflammation and obesity.

“This is the first study to show that objectively measured sleep is independently associated with atherosclerosis throughout the body, not just in the heart,” Jose said.

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High Fibre Diet Reduces Death Risk, Chronic Diseases

Researchers said people who eat diets that are high in fibre have lower risk of death and chronic diseases such as stroke or cancer. According to findings of a new meta-analysis of existing research, published in the journal ‘The Lancet,’ compared with people who consume low fibre, higher intakes of fibre results in a reduced incidence of a surprisingly broad range of relevant diseases including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer.

The analysis found a 15 to 30 per cent reduced risk of death and chronic diseases in people who included the most fibre in their diets, compared with those with the lowest intake. Also, a fibre-rich diet was linked, on average, to a 22 per cent reduced risk of stroke, a 16 per cent lower risk of Type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer, and a 30 per cent reduced risk of death from coronary heartdisease. 

Based on the research, a Professor of Human Nutrition and Medicine at the University of Otago in New Zealand, Jim Mann, who is a co-author of the study, recommended 25 grams (0.88 ounces) to 29 grams (1.02 ounces) of fibre consumption each day, though, higher amounts were even more beneficial, according to the analysis of the study.

Most people globally consume about 20 grams (0.70 ounces) of dietary fibre per day, Mann said of the findings. However, a 15-gram (0.52ounce) increase in whole grains consumed per day was associated with a two per cent to 19 per cent reduction in total deaths and incidences of coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer. 

Dietary fibre includes plant-based carbohydrates such as whole-grain cereal, seeds and some legumes including peas, chickpeas, lentils, lupin beans, mesquite, carob, soybeans, peanuts and tamarind. Quoting Andrew Reynolds, a co-author of the new meta-analysis of existing research, who is a researcher at the University of Otago in New Zealand, the ‘CNN’ reported that Fibre’s health benefits have been recorded “by over 100 years of research.”

Reynolds’ team was commissioned by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to inform future fibre intake recommendations, the report stated. The researchers analysed over 180 observational studies and 50 clinical trials from the past four decades; that’s the strength of the analysis said Mann, adding, “The health benefits of dietary fibre appear to be even greater than we thought previously.”

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Is Lactating While Pregnant Bad?

Some pregnant women often express fear and some amount of anxiety when they notice that they are lactating even when they have not given birth. They think lactating while pregnant is a manifestation of abnormalities with the pregnancy. But is this really so? Is lactating while pregnant really bad?

Lactation, the process in which your breasts produce milk to feed your baby, begins while you are still pregnant. Lactation causes a variety of changes in your breasts, some that are unpleasant and embarrassing. Fortunately, it is possible to minimize its effects and make lactation more comfortable to handle.

Lactating begins as early as three or four months into your pregnancy. You typically begin noticing signs of it during the third trimester of pregnancy when it causes your breasts to leak a fluid that is yellowish, golden, clear or creamy in color. Although your breasts can discharge fluid at anytime, it is more evident when your breasts are sexually stimulated or massaged. In addition to discharge, lactating sometimes causes your breasts to become tender and enlarge or swell.

Lactation, which is triggered by the hormonal fluctuations in your body during pregnancy, is your body’s way of preparing for your baby’s birth. Your milk production system begins to work while you are still pregnant and produces colostrum, the pre-milk that is full of antibodies, nutrients and easily digestible fluid. Colostrum is what your baby drinks during the first few days after birth before your milk supply fully comes in.

Although there is no way to stop lactation from occurring while pregnant, there are ways to make it more comfortable to deal with. Purchase nursing pads at a drugstore. These pads fit discretely into your bra and absorb any fluid before it appears on or stains your clothing. Alternatively, fold up a cotton handkerchief or cut a square out of a cloth diaper and conceal the fabric inside of your bra to contain any moisture.

Not all women leak colostrum during pregnancy-this doesn’t mean that you are not lactating. If you want to check, carefully squeeze your areola to see if any drops of fluid come out. Don’t be alarmed if it doesn’t. It is noted that a woman who does not exhibit obvious signs of lactation is still able to produce a healthy and abundant milk supply when her baby is born.

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Why Taking Tea During Pregnancy May Pose A Risk To The Baby

Scientists from Ireland yesterday said consuming caffeine during pregnancy may be bad for the health of the unborn baby. Findings of a study published in ‘The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,’ showed a consistent link between caffeine sourced from coffee and tea and adverse birth outcomes. 

According to the researchers, regardless of the caffeine source, whether from tea or coffee, the risks of delivering babies with abnormally low birth weight or short gestational age at birth were higher. Apart from smaller birth size and shorter gestational duration, maternal caffeine intake had been linked to other negative outcomes for the child, such as a lower intelligent quotient (IQ). 

, these findings, including that of the current study, were from observational studies. The team said observational studies cannot prove that caffeine causes these outcomes, only that there was a link between them. To prove causation, scientists would need to conduct randomized, controlled trials, they stated.

The researchers said until more definitive evidence emerges, it was prudent to at least limit caffeine intake during pregnancy or when planning to conceive. The team wanted to know if there was a link between maternal caffeine intake and negative birth outcomes in a population where tea was the main caffeine source.

Consequently, they used data from an Irish cohort study involving about 1,000 Irish women that provided the researchers with the usual dietary intakes of caffeinated products during early pregnancy. We matched these with hospital records of the women’s newborns to get information on the birth size and gestational age at birth.

Tea was the predominant caffeine source (48 per cent), followed by coffee (39 per cent). “In the highest caffeine consumption group, the risks of delivering babies with abnormally low birth weight or short gestational age at birth were about two times higher. The results were similar regardless of the caffeine source,” the researchers disclosed. 

Caffeine is the most commonly used psychoactive substance in the world. And at average consumption levels, it is considered to be good for health, or at least not bad for health. While coffee is the main source of caffeine in most parts of the world (about 100mg per cup), it is less recognised that tea contains a significant amount of caffeine, too (about 33mg per cup).

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Buy Bitter Leaf Capsules In Nigeria

Bitter Leaf Capsule is an African Herbal, dietary supplement made in the USA. The product is one hundred percent natural and formulated to deliver the highest level of health benefit that you expect and deserve. Because the only ingredient use is the Bitter Leaf herbs, the potency of Bitter Leaf Capsules is guaranteed – what’s on the label is what’s in the bottle. Plus, the manufacturing of Bitter Leaf Capsules strictly adheres to the FDA’s (the food and drugs regulatory body in the US) Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMPs), ensuring that it is manufactured to high standards of POTENCY, PURITY, efficacy and safety. 

For thousands of year, Africans have used this herb to cure and prevent many diseases.  Although most popularly found in African diet, Bitter Leaf has also traditionally been used in Africa for its medicinal properties now proven by modern day scientific and medical research institutes around the world, Research institute and institutions like the University of Texas. Working with your body and overall health, Bitter Leaf supplements can help maintain a healthy life style. 

The amazing thing about taking Bitter Leaf in a Capsule form is that you get the highest concentration of bitter leaf health benefits in its raw and most effective form without the extreme bitter taste.

This is why the product has endeared itself to many consumers.

The following are some of the amazing health benefits derived from consuming Bitter Leaf Capsules: 

1. Bitter-leaf speeds up metabolism and therefore is great for weight loss.

2. Bitter leaf relieves fever and feverish conditions.
 

3. It also helps to reduce high sugar level in the blood, and great for diabetic patients.

4. Bitter Leaf has been known to help in the cure of the chronic form of hepatitis B and C.  

5. Bitter leaf is said to soothe and also cure pile.

6. Taking Bitter Leaf Capsules Dietary supplement a day, is a great way to detoxify the body of harmful toxins.

7. Bitter leaf nourishes the skin.

8. Bitter leaf also cures mild stomach ailments

9. Bitter leaf is said to increase breast milk production in nursing mothers.
 

Bitter Leaf Capsules is now available in Nigeria and other African countries. To place your orders and get it delivered on your doorstep, call or SMS Frank on +2347031040178.

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Boost Your Antioxidants Level With Diets Of Pumpkin

If the only thing you have ever done with pumpkin is carve it and fill it with a candle, you are not alone. Many people tend to think of pumpkins as little more than just a holiday decoration or a pie filling, but you may want to rethink this plump orange plant. Pumpkin is an extremely nutrient dense food, meaning it is chock-full of vitamins and minerals but low on calories. There are many creative ways pumpkin can be incorporated into your diet, including desserts, soups, salads, preserves and even as a substitute for butter. 

According to the USDA National Nutrient database, one cup of pumpkin, cooked, boiled, drained, without salt contains 49 calories, 1.76 grams of protein, 0.17 grams of fat, 0 grams of cholesterol and 12 grams of carbohydrate (including 2.7 grams of fiber and 5.1 grams of sugar). Consuming one cup of cooked, canned pumpkin would provide well over 100% of your daily needs for vitamin A, 20% of the daily value for vitamin C, 10% or more for vitamin E, riboflavin, potassium, copper and manganese at least 5% for thiamin, B-6, folate, pantothenic acid, niacin, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus.  

Of course, using fresh pumpkin and preparing it yourself will give you the most health benefits, but canned pumpkin is also a great choice. Be sure to steer clear of canned pumpkin pie mix, which is usually right next to the canned pumpkin in grocery stores and in a similar can but has added sugars, syrups, etc. Canned pumpkin should have only one ingredient: pumpkin. Consuming fruits and vegetables, including pumpkin has long been associated with a reduced risk of many lifestyle-related health conditions. 

Pumpkin is one of the best-known sources of beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant known to give orange vegetables and fruits their vibrant color and which is converted to vitamin A in the body. Consuming foods rich in beta-carotene may reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer, offer protection against asthma and heart disease, and delay aging and body degeneration. Eating pumpkin is good for the heart. The fiber, potassium and vitamin C content in pumpkin all support heart health. 

One particular type of cancer where research has shown a positive benefits of a diet rich in beta-carotene is prostate cancer, according to a study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health's Department of Nutrition. Beta-carotene has also been shown to have an inverse association with the development of colon cancer in the Japanese population. The antioxidants vitamin C, vitamin E and beta-carotene (all of which pumpkin has) have been shown to support eye health and prevent degenerative damage. 

For women of child-bearing age, consuming more iron from plant sources such as spinach, beans, pumpkin, tomatoes, and beets appear to promote fertility, according Harvard Medical School's Harvard Health Publications. The vitamin A in pumpkin (consumed as beta-carotene then converted to vitamin A in the body) is also essential during pregnancy and lactation for hormone synthesis. Plant foods like pumpkins that are high in both vitamin C and beta-carotene offer an immunity boost from their powerful combination of nutrients. 

Although the jack-o-lantern variety of pumpkins is perfectly edible, look for the sweet or pie pumpkin varieties for cooking, which are smaller and sweeter. Make sure your pumpkin has a few inches of stem left and that it is hard and heavy for its size. Store uncut pumpkins in a cool dark place for up to two months. Make your own pumpkin puree instead of buying canned.  Use pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin in place of oil or butter in any baking recipe.

Pumpkin leaves are also very rich in vitamins and other nutrients that the body needs to protect itself. This is what someone from Africa has to say about pumpkin leafs: "Back where I come from, we call these green “ugwu” or “ugu”, and most Nigerians have no idea what the English name is (like most local foods). It is known  as pumpkin leaves. My grandmother used to say this was a great vegetable to blend and mix with juices and stuff, but way back then, as a child, I could never understand why someone would want to blend a vegetable." 

Pumpkin leaves contain a healthy amount of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, and Iron, while still staying very low on the calorie front. We all know about the vision benefits vitamin A provides, as well as the skin benefits. Vitamin C helps to heal wounds and form scar tissue, and maintain healthy bones, skin, and teeth. However since the body cannot produce this vitamin on its own or even store it, you should be consistently getting enough vitamin C in your diet. Pumpkin leaves are a rich source for that diet.

Iron helps our muscles store and use oxygen, and helps carry oxygen from our lungs to other parts of our body as part of hemoglobin. If you’ve ever heard the term “anemia”, this can be caused by iron deficiency. Women and children in particular need a healthy dose of iron consistently, and pumpkin leaves help provide that nutrient naturally.

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