Hibiscus for High Blood Pressure

Hibiscus for High Blood Pressure
By Elizabeth Barker
February 2009

http://wholelifetimes.com/2009/02/bodytalk0902.html

Sipping hibiscus tea may help tame high blood pressure, recent research from
Tufts University suggests. For six weeks, a group of adults with mildly elevated
blood pressure drank three cups of the tart tea or a placebo drink daily. By the
end of the study, tea-taking participants had significantly lowered their
systolic blood pressure (the top number on a blood-pressure reading). What’s
more, those who had higher blood pressure at the start of the study saw even
greater improvement than their less hypertensive counterparts. Hibiscus tea’s
heart-healthy effects most likely have to do with its high levels of flavonoids,
potent antioxidants shown to lower blood pressure in past research, notes study
author Diane McKay, Ph.D.

Belly Fat and the Blues

Depression may prompt you to pack on more belly fat, a key risk factor for major
health problems like diabetes and heart disease. For a new report from Archives
of General Psychiatry, researchers measured overall and abdominal obesity in
2,088 older adults, four percent of whom had depression at the start of the
study. At a five-year follow-up, depression was linked to an increase in
sagittal diameter (the distance between the back and the highest point of the
abdomen) and visceral fat (the fat between your internal organs). However, no
such association was found for an increase in overall obesity. It’s possible
that chronic stress stemming from depression may spur the release of cortisol (a
hormone that causes visceral fat to accumulate), according to the study’s
authors.

Music Makes Your Heart Sing

Cranking up a happy song could bring bliss to your heart. In a recent University
of Maryland study, ten healthy adults experienced beneficial changes to their
blood vessels after listening to music that made them feel good. While tuning
into songs they considered stress-inducing, on the other hand, study members saw
their blood vessels narrow in a manner that could reduce blood flow to the
heart.

Music seems to stir a physiological response powerful enough to relax or
constrict the blood vessels, partly due to its effects on emotional state,
according to principal investigator Michael Miller, M.D. “The emotional
component may be an endorphin-mediated effect,” he explains. “The active
listening to music evokes such raw positive emotions likely in part due to the
release of endorphins, part of that mind-heart connection that we yearn to learn
so much more about.”

Bad-for-you Bosses

Can’t stand your boss? Your heart health may be in jeopardy, according to a
new report published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. After asking
more than 3,100 men to rate their managers on certain behaviors (such as
consideration for their employees), researchers found that those who gave their
bosses “low leadership scores” had a higher risk of heart disease.