“Doc, my mother-in-law is from Canada, and she’s always gotten on me for not eating blueberries. With everything I’ve been reading lately about their health benefits, it looks like she might have been right all along. Tell me she’s not, or I’ll never hear the end of it. What do you think?”
I think you’d better smile, thank her, and start eating your blueberries. Over the past few years, several well-designed studies have found that these berries do several good things for us, mainly due to their high content of various anti-oxidants as well as something called nitric oxide. The latest study looked at how blueberries might affect those of us with high blood pressure and the findings were interesting. Daily consumption resulted in significant lowering of both systolic and diastolic pressures—almost as much as taking one anti-hypertensive medication. In addition, the researchers demonstrated an important improvement in “arterial stiffness”—something we don’t want going on in our blood vessels. The more relaxed and pliable our arteries, the better. But how many blueberries is enough? What amount does it take to achieve these benefits? It turns out that one cup a day is all that’s required. Our blood pressure should improve, our blood vessels will become healthier, and one cup will provide 10% of our daily recommended fiber. So, that’s my advice, but you’ll have to figure out your mother-in-law on your own.
“My brother’s been diagnosed with Syndrome X. Sounds pretty bad to me and it really got his attention. His doctor advised a whole lot of things to change with his diet, including adding turmeric. I thought that was some kind of spice and told him the only effect he’d see would be yellow fingers. I’m right, aren’t I?”
I’m sure there’s a question in there somewhere, but let’s start with Syndrome X. It does sound ominous, which might be why it’s now generally referred to as the “metabolic syndrome”. A little gentler, but still ominous. This is a constellation of bad stuff, including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, obesity, elevated blood fats, and an elevated LDL (the bad cholesterol). It’s all too common, with one in five of us falling into this group. Having only three of these five problems will get you there. The syndrome is associated with an increased risk of heart disease, strokes, and diabetes. In addition to elevations in blood sugar and lipids, several “markers” of inflammation are also usually encountered. It would seem that your brother’s physician has been keeping up with current information. Curcumin—the biologically active component in turmeric—has been demonstrated to lower these inflammatory markers, as well as improve cholesterol and other lipid levels. It also improves high blood pressure and diabetes. It’s an Indian spice and is used to impart the yellow color to mustard. The ideal amount needed each day is not well-defined, but you won’t go wrong adding this to your daily supplements, usually in the form of a capsule. It’s best absorbed in combination with “piperine” (check the label), and yes, handling the capsules will turn your fingers yellow.
“A friend at work told me I should be eating chocolate every day. He said it would help my blood pressure and heart, and maybe my love-life. When I walked into the house eating a Snickers bar, my wife told me I was crazy. What’s the deal here?”
First, your wife’s not crazy. Too many carbs in that Snickers bar. Not sure about the love-life business, but your friend is right about one thing. Eating chocolate every day can provide important health benefits, such as protecting your heart. And now we know it improves our body’s utilization of insulin and our handling of blood sugar, as well as lowering our liver enzymes (also indicating a protective effect for this important organ). The best advice is to stick with dark chocolate, avoid too much added sugar, and limit the amount to about three and a half ounces a day.
There—that should be enough to chew on.
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