How Heart-Healthy is Alcohol?
Dr. Joseph Mercola

Although past research suggests that drinking a glass or two of
wine a day may have some heart benefits, new findings suggest
that those studies were flawed.

Risks Outweigh the Benefits

There is some evidence that heavier drinking provides heart
protection — alcoholics have relatively ‘clean’ arteries — but
the other health risks of heavy drinking outweigh the benefits.

Early observations in the 1970s and 1980s seemed to indicate a
20 to 25 percent reduction in heart disease risk linked to light
drinking. However, the way those studies were carried out did
not allow researchers to say with certainty that the findings
could not be due to factors other than alcohol consumption.

Diet, Exercise, Quit Smoking

The British Heart Foundation responded to the new evidence by
saying that their advice remained the same: “… the best way to
reduce the risk of heart disease is to quit smoking if you
smoke, increase levels of physical activity and eat a healthy
balanced diet.”

BBC News December 2, 2005

Dr. Mercola’s Comment:Good advice from the British Heart
Foundation, so long as your balanced diet is nutritionally sound.

As I’ve said before about studies touting all the “benefits” of
drinking red wine, I personally do not advocate it. There are
many health experts that feel it is fine in moderation, but I am
still not convinced.

This is largely because I am convinced the alcohol itself is
actually a neurotoxin, which means it can poison your brain.
Additionally, it has the strong potential to seriously disrupt
your delicate hormone balance. Plus, drinking two or more
glasses (of wine or any alcoholic beverage for that matter) may
offset the benefit and increase your risk of certain cancers.

You also need to be aware that consuming large amounts of wine
will increase insulin levels and eventually have a negative
impact on your health that way as well.

If you absolutely insist on drinking red wine, check on the
growing conditions of the grapes used and how the wine is made.
And if you can, take a brisk walk to pick it up, as exercise is
your real ticket to preventing heart disease.

About the author:

This article is reprinted from Mercola.com, the world’s #1 most
visited and trusted natural/alternative health website. For a
limited time only, you can take the FREE “Metabolic Type Test”
to help you learn the right foods for your particular body type
so you can achieve optimal fitness & health. Just go to
http://www.mercola.com/forms/mt_test.htm right now to take this
quick test!

Tags: Alcohol Consumption, Alcoholic Beverage, Author, Bbc, Benefits Of Drinking Red Wine, British Heart Foundation, certain cancers, Condi, Diet Exercise, Dr Joseph Mercola, Dr Mercola, Good Advice, Health Experts, Health Risks, Healthy Balanced Diet, Heart Benefits, Heart Disease Risk, heart disease;, Heart Protection, Hormone Balance, Insulin Levels, Mercola, Mercola.com, Neurotoxin, New Evidence, Risk Of Heart Disease —

The pH diet stresses a balanced approach to eating. By limiting the intake of acidic foods and increasing the intake of alkaline foods one can achieve optimum health. One of the main factors in the fight against acidic pH levels is sugar. Sugar is an epidemic in our modern world. The average American consumes 2 to 3 pounds of sugar each week, that translates to over 135 pounds of sugar per person per year. This alarming number is attributed to the wide popularity of sugar as an additive. Sugar is in everything, hiding in various forms. Sucrose, dextrose, and high fructose corn syrups are active ingredient in all processed food and condiments. These highly refined sweeteners leave a bitter taste in the mouths of those who are starting out on the pH diet due to their universal acceptance as a necessary evil

With sugars radical effect on insulin levels, the body has no fighting chance against the damage. When insulin levels drop; so do the release of growth hormone. These growth hormones depress the immune system that leaves the body open to a host of diseases and maladies. Insulin also inhibits the bodys ability to fight off weight gain and elevated triglyceride levels. Put quite simply, the higher in simple sugars a food is, the more likely it will promote fat storage in the body. These stored fat cells play a host to acidic waste that in turn degrade the structure of red blood cells in the bloodstream.

Sugar also fights for control of the cellular development in the body with Vitamin C. From a structural standpoint, Vitamin C and Simple Sugar are quite similar. As sugar levels go up in the body, they compete with one another when they enter cells. If there is a higher concentration of sugar in the bloodstream which will allow more sugar into thirsty cells leaving little to no room for Vitamin C. Without the phagocytizing effects of Vitamn C on cellular structures they are unable to fend off the attacks of viruses and bacteria. Lower white blood cell counts equal a suppressed immune system that isnt strong enough to protect the body.

Sugar is devoid of vitamins and minerals and upon absorption steals vital micro-nutrients to help it metabolize into the system. A deficit is created when these micro-nutrients are not replaced. This deficiency causes fat cells and cholesterol to not be metabolized thus leading to high blood pressure and obesity. The ability of sugar to raise insulin levels artificially eventually leaves the pancreas dysfunctional and the body dependent on sugar. This is commonly referred to as diabetes. Simple sugars have also been attributed to gallstones, mood disorders, heart disease and even asthma. With all of the negative effects that sugars have been clinically linked to, is it any wonder that sugar is also one of the most acidic things you can put into your body.

Cancer is the most dangerous result of heavy sugar dependence. Cancerous cells thrive on lactic acid. This lactic acid produced by fermenting glucose is transported into the liver. A more acidic PH is produced by this buildup of lactic acid in the cancerous cells, the highly acidic nature of cancerous tumors is testament to this. The connection between sugars and unhealthy acidic levels in the bloodstream is clearly drawn through the connection of glucose (sugar) and cancerous cells. Simple sugars are quite simply a poison to the body that will eventually deteriorate the quality of cellular development and suppress the immune system to the point of failure.

By balancing the diet with an 80% alkaline and 20% acid induction of foods, supplements, and beverages you can decrease the risk of disease in the body. By replacing simple sugars with more complex ones or alkaline-based sweeteners such as Stevia, one can decrease the dependence on simple sugars and avoid bad health. Look carefully at ingredient labels and be aware of the many names that simple sugars hide behind. Become educated on how the body metabolizes simple sugars, as well as how carbohydrates can be broken down into simple sugars in the bloodstream. By arming yourself with information you can improve the quality of your life.

Tags: Acidic Foods, Acidic Ph, Alarming Number, Alkaline Foods, asthma;, cancer;, cancerous tumors, Cellular Development, Cellular Structures, Corn Syrups, deficiency, dextrose, diabetes;, disease, Diseases, Fat Cells, food;, gallstones, Growth Hormones, heart disease;, high blood pressure;, High Fructose Corn, Insulin Levels, mood disorders, obesity;, Optimum Health, Ph Levels, Ph Miracle Diet, Red Blood Cells, Simple Sugar, Simple Sugars, Structure Of Red Blood Cells, Viruses And Bacteria, White Blood Cell —

The pH diet stresses a balanced approach to eating. By limiting the intake of acidic foods and increasing the intake of alkaline foods one can achieve optimum health. One of the main factors in the fight against acidic pH levels is sugar. Sugar is an epidemic in our modern heavenly body. The average American consumes 2 to 3 pounds of sugar each week, that translates to because 135 pounds of sugar per person per year. This alarming number is attributed to the wide popularity of sugar as an additive. Sugar is in everything, hiding in various forms. Sucrose, dextrose, and high fructose corn syrups are active ingredient in all processed food and condiments. These excessively refined sweeteners leave a bitter taste in the mouths of those who are starting out on the pH diet due to their wearisome acceptance as a necessary evil

With sugars radical effect on insulin levels, the body has no fighting chance against the damage. When insulin levels drop; so do the release of growth hormone. These growth hormones depress the resistant system that leaves the body open to a host of diseases and maladies. Insulin also inhibits the bodys ability to fight off weight gain and elevated triglyceride levels. Put quite simply, the higher in simple sugars a vittles is, the more likely it will promote fat storage in the body. These stored fat cells play a host to acidic waste that in turn degrade the structure of red blood cells in the bloodstream.

Sugar also fights for control of the cellular development in the body with Vitamin C. From a structural standpoint, Vitamin C and Simple Sugar are absolutely similar. As sugar levels go advancement in the habit, they compete with one too many when they enter cells. If there is a higher concentration of sugar in the bloodstream which will allow more sugar into thirsty cells leaving little to no room for Vitamin C. Without the phagocytizing effects of Vitamn C on cellular structures they are unable to fend off the attacks of viruses and bacteria. Lower white blood cell counts equal a suppressed immune system that isnt strong enough to protect the body.

Sugar is devoid of vitamins and minerals and upon absorption steals prerequisite micro – nutrients to help bodily metabolize into the system. A deficit is created when these micro – nutrients are not replaced. This deficiency causes fat cells and cholesterol to not be metabolized thus leading to soaring blood pressure and bulk. The ability of sugar to uplift insulin levels artificially eventually leaves the pancreas dysfunctional and the body dependent on sugar. This is commonly referred to as diabetes. Simple sugars have also been attributed to gallstones, mood disorders, heart disease and prone asthma. Disguise all of the refusal effects that sugars have been clinically linked to, is it subdivision wonder that sugar is also one of the most acidic things you can put into your habitus.

Cancer is the most dangerous result of heavy sugar dependence. Cancerous cells thrive on lactic acid. This lactic acid produced by fermenting glucose is transported into the liver. A more acidic PH is produced by this buildup of lactic acid in the cancerous cells, the highly acidic personality of cancerous tumors is testament to this. The connection between sugars and unhealthy acidic levels in the bloodstream is clearly drawn through the connection of glucose ( sugar ) and cancerous cells. Simple sugars are quite simply a poison to the body that will eventually deteriorate the grade of cellular flowering and suppress the immune system to the point of failure.

By balancing the diet with an 80 % alkaline and 20 % acid induction of foods, supplements, and beverages you can decrease the risk of disease in the body. By replacing simple sugars with more complex ones or alkaline – based sweeteners such as Stevia, one onus decrease the dependence on simple sugars and avoid bad health. Look carefully at ingredient labels and be aware of the many names that simple sugars stow away behind. Become educated on how the body metabolizes straightforward sugars, as well as how carbohydrates can be broken down into simple sugars in the bloodstream. By arming yourself ditch information you can improve the quality of your life.

( word count 697 )

Tags: Acidic Foods, Acidic Ph, Alarming Number, Alkaline Foods, Bacter, Cellular Development, Cellular Structures, Corn Syrups, Eating Habits, Fat Cells, Growth Hormones, Healthy Diet, Heavenly Body, High Fructose Corn, Insulin Levels, Losing Weight, Optimum Health, Ph Levels, Ph Miracle Diet, Red Blood Cells, Simple Sugar, Simple Sugars, Structure Of Red Blood Cells, Vitamins And Minerals, Vittles —

Green tea has been around for quite some time now. The Japanese are particularly keen on consuming, what, a liter of the stuff a day? If you notice their society, which is a green – tea guzzling one at that, theyre pretty strong and healthy. Heck, if you even gun over their broad range of media, ranging from standard classic movies to modern animated media, youre bound to find more than your fair share of tea – drinking scenes.

And youve got to wonder: what is it about green tea that obsesses a nation?

Scientists have asked that dispute too, and theyve come up with some pretty interesting materials attesting to numerous green tea benefits:

Cancer green tea has been linked to lower cancer rates in population – based studies. Scientists suspect that relevant called polyphenols in green tea help to prevent the outbreak of cancer in the body.

Free Radicals This is stage the most special of green tea benefits shine: antioxidants. These little puppies are responsible for keeping your body clean of the effects of free radicals, and green tea has lots of them.

Weight Loss yes, you read it right: weight loss. Green tea works to help increase the fat – burning capabilities of your body, while preventing your intestinal track from absorbing excess cholesterol.

Heart disease remember the properties of green tea that helps prohibit the intestinal alley from absorbing excess cholesterol? Less cholesterol also means less chances that your heart will get coated in a layer of fat, so the risk of coronary heart diseases is lowered.

Diabetes One of the more big-league of green tea benefits is its ability to control and regulate your bodys concernment of sugar. This is especially important for people with diabetes type 1, where insulin levels are insufficient to control the sugar in blood.

Liver – care another interesting aspect of the green tea benefits is its ability to flush the toxins out of your body. And one emblematic organ in your body thats responsible for filtering the toxins out of your body is your liver. Green tea helps clean up your liver by absorbing the heavy metals and other nasty stuff in your blood that pass through the liver.

Relaxing of course, its not just about the chemicals too. Taking it easy and sipping a cup of green tea as you stare pursuit time helps you calm your mind and collect your thoughts. This is one of the less obvious, but equally helpful, of green tea benefits.

Of course, no one can blame you if you capability be a alacrity skeptical about these green tea benefits. It has all the makings of invented medicines being sold in a rayless corner. If thats the case, feel free to search for scientific researches from around the world about tea. Youll find all these benefits ( and much more ) if you look hard enough.

And besides, people have been drinking green tea for thousands of years. That means theres something definitely good about it, right?

24 Hour Fitness
http://www.www.24-hr-fitness.com

Tags: animated media, Cancer Rates, cancer;, chemicals;, Cholesterol, Coronary Heart Diseases, Diabetes Type 1, diabetes;, Excess Cholesterol, Fair Share, Free Radicals, Green Tea, Green Tea Benefits, heart disease;, Heck, Insulin Levels, Interesting Materials, Liter, Liver, lower cancer, Outbreak, Polyphenols, Puppies, Tea Drinking, Theyre —