Probiotics For Depression

Feeling blue? A new study from the Netherlands suggests that a daily probiotic might help perk you up and banish negative thinking related to depression. Researchers at Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition investigated the impact of a daily dose of probiotics in a randomized trial including on 40 healthy young people. Before the study began, they tested all the participants to gauge the likelihood that any of them would have depressive thoughts. They also repeated the test after the clinical trial ended. Half the group took a placebo while the others received a probiotic that mixed eight different types of friendly bacteria including specific strains earlier research suggested could counter symptoms of anxiety and depression. When the study ended, the researchers found that the participants who had been taking the probiotic were significantly less reactive to sad thoughts - particularly the aggressive or ruminative types associated with depression - than those in the placebo group. The study didn't determine how probiotics worked to make the difference, and the researchers characterized their results as "preliminary." Nevertheless, this investigation presents the first clinical evidence that probiotics can help reduce negative thoughts related to depressed moods.

Wild Blueberres For Help To Lower Blood Pressure

Worried about gaining weight over the holidays? You might want to add some blueberries to your plate. New research shows that eating wild blueberries appears to counteract the negative effects of a high-fat diet, including a marked reduction in blood pressure.

The findings, by the University of Eastern Finland, are among the first to show that blueberries combat hypertension and diet-related inflammatory responses tied to obesity-related disorders, such as heart disease and diabetes.

The study focused on the health effects of blueberries on mice fed high-fat diets for three months. Researchers tracked inflammatory cell and cytokine levels, systolic blood pressure, glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, and weight gain.
 

The results showed mice on the high-fat diet experienced significant weight gain and detrimental changes in glucose and lipid metabolism, inflammation factors, and blood pressure. But blueberries diminished the inflammatory effects of the diet a reduced and prevented elevated blood pressure.
 

Massage, Most Pleasurable Way To Cure High Blood Pressure

Most of the time when tackling health issues naturally, the healing requires some sacrifice or pain. You may have to give up some foods you love or exercise more than you would like to.

One method, however, proven by a new study from University of Medical Sciences in Iran, requires nothing but pure pleasure. And it’s available almost everywhere.

In a recent study published in the International Journal of Preventive Medicine, scientists released even more proof in the growing body of evidence that shows that a particular ancient practice is absolutely effective at reducing high blood pressure without drugs.

What’s the practice? Massage!

In the study, a group of women were tested for the effects of massage on high blood pressure. Half the group was labeled “control” and the other half “massage.”

The “massage” group received 15 minutes of relaxing massage three times per week, for 10 sessions.

The “control” group was instructed to relax in the same environment, for the same time, listening to relaxing music and muscle relaxation directions.

All women’s blood pressure was taken before and after each session.

Both group’s blood pressure benefited from the sessions. The massage group, however, had significantly lower blood pressure after each session. Their blood pressure also stayed lower 72 hours after the final session.

So why is this?

You see, high blood pressure is always caused by stress. Be it physical (disease), emotional (loss of a loved one), mental (money worries) or sensory (loud TV), the stress accumulates and causes high blood pressure and other conditions.

The massage group addressed more versions of stress (mental, emotional and physical stress) than just the relaxation group (mostly mental stress). Therefore, a higher level of the accumulated stress was removed and blood pressure lowered more.

But if you want to completely heal high blood pressure and bring it below 120/80 permanently, you must remove all levels of stress from your body. You must reboot your brain to lower the overall stress hormone production.

Foods For Healthy Blood Sugar Levels Part 2

Today we look at five more - add these foods to your diet, as they may help lower blood sugar levels.

1.    Maitake mushrooms. Maitake not only contain compounds that enhance immune function, but appear to lower blood sugar levels as well. Cook some up and serve as a side dish!

2.    Underground vegetables. Also known as tubers, veggies such as leeks, potatoes and yams have been shown in studies to lower or return to normal high blood sugar levels.  

3.    Brewer's yeast. Rich in essential amino acids and B vitamins, brewer's yeast may also lower blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, and may improve glucose tolerance, increase insulin sensitivity, and lower cholesterol as well. Shake some on your next batch of popped corn!

4.    Prickly pear. The green pads of this plant are called nopal, a staple of Mexican cuisine that is very low on the glycemic index and may have blood-sugar-lowering effects. Look for it at specialty or ethnic grocers.

5.    Bitter melon. When cooked and added to other dishes, bitter melon will impart a unique flavor that may help glucose tolerance in people with type 2 diabetes, and help keep blood sugar levels in the normal range.

Foods For Healthy Blood Sugar Levels Part 1

To keep blood sugar levels stable, regular exercise is helpful - but a healthy diet is a must. Add these foods to your diet, as they may help lower blood sugar levels.

1.    Green, leafy vegetables. Broccoli, spinach, and kale are good sources of fiber - which helps regulate blood sugar levels - and are high in vitamins A, C, and K. Plus, some studies have shown that eating vegetables can help prevent diabetes, so aim for four to five servings per day.

2.    Beans and legumes. Beans of almost any variety, as well as lentils, are rich in folic acid, magnesium, potassium and soluble fiber - and are low-glycemic-load foods. Make sure you get one to two servings per day.

3.    Cabbage. A very low-glycemic index food (near zero!), cabbage is high in fiber, low in calories, inexpensive and versatile. It's especially useful for stabilizing blood-sugar levels because it converts to sugar very slowly in the body. Try eating more slaw, sauerkraut or kimchi.

4.    Okra. This southern staple is high in soluble fiber - which slows down the digestion of carbohydrates and can help stabilize blood sugar - and is also a low glycemic-index food. Try adding it to your next pot of soup.

5.    Onions. This kitchen staple is more than a tasty addition to many dishes - onions offer blood-sugar lowering effects.