Post-menopausal? Soy nuts may lower your blood pressure
Are you post-menopausal? Do you have high blood pressure? Well, help may be at hand. A recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed that blood pressure was reduced by eating soy. 60 healthy post-menopausal women who took part in the study were divided into 2 groups. Both groups had identical healthy diets, the only difference being that one group had part of its protein intake replaced by half a cup of unsalted soy nuts. After 8 weeks, in the soy group, blood pressure was significantly reduced in the 12 women who had hypertension and also in those that had normal blood pressure.
As an added bonus, levels of “bad” cholesterol were also lower in women that had hypertension.
This particularly important for post-menopausal women who are hypertensive because they have 4 times the risk of developing heart disease as those with normal blood pressure. Just goes to show what an impact small changes to your diet can have on your health - yet another good reason to start eating soy!
Exercise boosts “good” cholesterol
If you’re not exercising already, here’s another good reason to do so. According to a report published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, a review of previously-published studies showed that aerobic exercise (the kind that gets your heart pumping fast) can help increase the levels of “good” (HDL) cholesterol in your body. The increase was greatest in people who were obese and those with high cholesterol.
Unfortunately a couple of jumping jacks are not going to do the trick! Apparently, you need to exercise for at least 30 minutes at a go and for a total of 2 hours a week to get the full benefits.
What kind of exercises should I do?
Some examples:
- walking
- jogging
- skipping (jumping rope)
- swimming
- cycling
The good news is that:
- the intensity of the exercise was less important than the duration, i.e. you can exercise gently and still enjoy the benefits, and
- you don’t have to go on any special diet (though you are watching what you eat already, right?)
Why the fuss about HDL?
HDL has a protective effect on the heart and blood vessels. Higher levels of HDL decrease your risk of developing cardiovascular disease (heart disease, strokes e.t.c.). When you combine this with other lifestyle changes it can make a big difference.
There a drugs that can raise you HDL levels much higher than aerobic exercise, but if you’re looking for drug-free options, this may be the way to go.
Heart attack survival better for obese patients
Patients who are obese have a better chance of survival after a heart attack than those who are slim. This was the surprising finding of a recent study carried out in people who had suffered a heart attack. Obesity is a risk factor for developing heart disease in the first place so the results were quite surprising. Several researchers have found that the number of normal weight patients who died after 1 year was at least double that of those who were obese and they are struggling to figure out why. They’re working with several theories:
- the hearts of obese patient have compensated for the extra strain put on them by becoming stronger
- where the fat is deposited in the body may determine how well the heart has adjusted to the extra strain
- obese people can increase their chances of survival by losing weight, an option which isn’t available for thin patients
This may sound like the ideal excuse to be overweight but it isn’t. Obese people are more likely to develop heart disease in the first place. They are also more likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer. Losing weight through lifestyle changes is definitely a good idea.