Published May 28, 2010

Another tasty way to lower your blood pressure

I’ve told you in the past that I have one dietary indulgence. It’s dark chocolate. And if you like it too, then you probably won’t have to worry about high blood pressure.

That’s right. New research confirms the health benefits of chocolate. In a study of 19,357 people in middle age, those eating about 7.5 grams (or more) a day of dark chocolate had lower blood pressure. In fact, dark chocolate actively lowers blood pressure by about 1 mm for both systolic and diastolic.

But it gets even better. Those in the top quartile of consumption had even greater protection. These dark chocolate lovers had a 39% reduction in their risk of heart attack and stroke!

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Published May 27, 2010

Why women must take melatonin

Ever wonder what triggers a woman’s body to enter menopause? And why do some women seem to breeze through menopause while many other women struggle through it? Part of the answer, and maybe a big part, has to do with how much melatonin your body produces as you get older.

But that’s not all. The way melatonin functions in the body of women as they age might provide some serious clues for the entire aging process in both men and women. At least that’s the conclusion of a new study.

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Published May 26, 2010

Lower your blood pressure 5-10 points in just 6 weeks

If you have high blood pressure, you may have had trouble correcting it. But now there’s a remedy that’s as simple as it is powerful. At least that’s what a new study says.

In a study out of Israel, researchers followed 54 subjects with moderate uncontrolled high blood pressure. They were already on one or two drugs, with no difference in their pressure. The researchers gave them a tomato extract for six weeks. Their systolic blood pressure dropped by more than 10 mm mercury. The diastolic fell by more than 5 mm. Their lycopene levels rose sharply — 300%. Higher lycopene levels correlated to lower systolic blood pressure.

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