Go Purple to Lower Blood Pressure

Hypertension (HTN) can lead to many dangerous conditions of the heart, such as heart attack, heart failure, and thickening and narrowing of small blood vessels. Blood pressure is the force exerted by blood against the walls of blood vessels. Over time, if the force of blood is consistently high, the tissue that makes up our blood vessels gets stretched and damage occurs. Anthocyanins, a powerful antioxidant, may promote arterial pressure control by reducing the free radicals in our bodies.    

Purple corn has a very deep purple pigment due to a high amount of anthocyanins, a water-soluble pigment that is found in plants. Anthocyanins are part of the family of flavonoids that have been found to have powerful antioxidant effects in animal studies. To investigate the potency of this antioxidant and blood pressure reduction in humans, scientists from Weill Cornell Medical Center and Universidad San Martin de Porres in Peru conducted a randomized study utilizing subjects from a local hospital in Lima.

The study was divided into four phases and the 30 participants were placed into either a placebo or an intervention group. The intervention group was given 300mg of anthocyanin from purple corn extract for three weeks.

The researchers discovered that in mild-to-moderate hypertensive men and women, the administration of 300mg of anthocyanin from purple corn resulted in a drop in arterial blood pressure by up to 22 points. Previous studies suggest that purple corn may reduce oxidative stress, help fight inflammation and reduce arterial blood pressure.

Bottom Line: Incorporate dark purple fruit and vegetables to aid in the fight against oxidative stress and improve blood pressure. In addition to purple corn, common fruits and vegetables rich in anthocyanins include blueberries, black grapes, raisins, blackberries, plums, purple cabbage, eggplant, purple cauliflower and purple potatoes.  

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Incentives Engage Employees, Improve Health and Reduce Costs

A three-year study by Cigna finds that incentives engage workers, improve employee health and make health care more affordable. The study of 200,000 people also provided evidence that individuals with correctable health conditions are more likely to incur high costs. For instance:

• An employee with a body mass index (BMI) over 30 increases total health care costs by an average of $2,460 per year, adding $492 to annual out-of-pocket expenses
• An employee with a cholesterol reading of more than 240 increases total health care costs by $1,644 per year, adding more than $353 in annual out-of-pocket expenses
• An employee with two or more chronic conditions (unhealthy BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol, and/or blood sugar) increases total health care costs by nearly $9,000 per year, adding almost $1,300 in annual out-of-pocket expenses

Researchers also noted that individuals who did not participate in biometric screenings have higher health costs. For example, those who have not had a biometric screening to measure blood pressure incur health costs that are $2,064 higher per year than those who have verified that their blood pressure is below 140/90. The same trend was seen for those who had not had a biometric screening of their blood glucose values -- on average these individuals incur health costs that are $1,332 higher per year than those who have verified that their blood glucose is lower than 100.

The good news is that with better health programs, incentives and guidelines, employee behavior can be modified and produce better clinical outcomes and reductions in overall health care costs. Incentive programs such as consumer premium discounts and health spending account funds can be the impetus for individuals to participate in biometric screenings, engage in healthier behaviors and improve their clinical outcomes and costs.

The Cigna study found that incentives significantly impact wellness program participation and results.

• Incentives more than doubled biometric screening rates from 20 percent to 55 percent in 2014
• Incentives increase the probability of engaging in a coaching program by 24 percent and by 30 percent for populations with chronic conditions
• Incentives significantly increase the probability of setting and meeting goals with a health coach, by 18 percent and 43 percent respectively
• Incentives reduced total medical costs by approximately 10 percent for those over 50 or with chronic conditions
• Incentives increased the probability of meeting biometric targets:
• BMI less than 30 – an improvement of nearly 36 percent
• Total cholesterol less than 240 – an improvement of nearly 11 percent
• Blood pressure less than 140/90 – an improvement of more than 47 percent

The rewards of better health and a reduction in health care costs are real. Wellness Workdays works with a number of employers in a range of industries to offer screening programs, manage chronic conditions and develop incentive plans. Contact us to learn more.

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Cutting Sugar Quickly Improves Children's Health

Childhood obesity is on the rise, and it is well known that this condition can lead to major health problems in adulthood. A recent study investigated the role of added sugar in childhood obesity and addressed whether sugar is harming health or whether the weight gain associated with added sugar is contributing to illness over time.

The study, published in the journal Obesity, included 43 obese children between the ages of 9 and 18. The participants had one or more symptoms of metabolic syndrome and were considered at high risk for chronic diseases such as diabetes. On average, the subjects had been getting about 27 percent of their daily calories from sugar.

            

The participants were partnered with dietitians who replaced all high sugar foods in their diet with other types of carbohydrates with no added sugar. The goal was to replace the sugary foods in their diet without lowering body weight or calorie intake. Due to budget constraints, the study only lasted nine days. However, significant health improvements were demonstrated in this short time. The participants had a 10-point decrease in their LDL cholesterol, a 5-point drop in diastolic blood pressure, and a 33-point drop in triglycerides. Their fasting blood sugar and insulin levels also improved.

            

Bottom Line: Making small changes to reduce children’s sugar intake may have a significant metabolic impact in a short amount of time, independent of changes to weight. In 2014, the Food and Drug Administration proposed a new nutrition label that would list the amount of added sugars in a product. This change would help parents limit the amount of added sugars in their children’s diets. 

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A Healthy Heart Begins in Childhood

High levels of blood pressure early in life track into adulthood and are associated with chronic disease. Diet behaviors are established during childhood, and more than 90 percent of children ages 4 to 18, already exceed recommended sodium intake limits. We know that sodium reduction can help keep blood pressure in check, but do we need to worry about sodium consumption even in children?

Elevated blood pressure rarely results in adverse clinical events in children. Despite this, increased blood pressure during childhood has been linked with the beginnings of subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD), obesity, diabetes, atherosclerotic heart disease and stroke. Increased childhood blood pressure levels tend to trend toward even higher blood pressure in adulthood, raising the risk of blood pressure related CVD as these children become adults. 

A meta-analysis of thirteen studies showed that lower sodium consumption in children was associated with lower blood pressure. Since the early effects of increased blood pressure begin in childhood and taste preferences develop early, it is important to get children on the right track by keeping sodium levels down. It may be easier than it sounds, too. In one study, after just three weeks of eating lower sodium foods, children’s taste preferences changed enough so that they no longer preferred the higher sodium option. 

The Bottom Line: Reducing processed foods, supporting mandates for school lunch improvements, and encouraging fruit and vegetable consumption are all ways to help put children on the path to a healthier heart in the future. While ditching the salt shaker at the table is a great start, think beyond the salt shaker and take a look in your pantry for high-sodium culprits. Packaged food products are often filled with sodium to extend shelf life; encourage a diet rich in whole foods for a healthier heart. 

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Get a Food Prescription

What if doctors could prescribe food as medicine instead of pharmaceutical drugs? Should we be stocking our fridge and pantry before stocking the medicine cabinet? Believe it or not, research suggests that certain foods and nutrients can double as medicine. A small but growing percentage of doctors are prescribing a healthier lifestyle, starting with food, in lieu of medications to prevent and treat some chronic diseases.

Oats

Studies show that oats, specifically the soluble fiber in oats, have cholesterol-lowering properties. A review published in The Nutrition Reviews Journal investigated whether recent studies support previous conclusions made by the Food and Drug Administration in 1997 that soluble fiber from oats lowers cholesterol and prevents heart disease. The results of the analysis showed that studies conducted in the last thirteen years support the claim that the soluble fiber found in oats may lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels by 5 to 10 percent.

Turmeric

Many studies show that the golden yellow spice, turmeric, may help treat anti-inflammatory diseases such as arthritis. A study published in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine was conducted to test the level of pain relief in forty-two osteoarthritis patients. Turmeric capsules were administered three times a day to those with chronic pain. Results showed that the anti-inflammatory properties in turmeric were clinically relevant in improving joint pain in patients with chronic osteoarthritis. The pain relieving benefits of turmeric are considered mild to moderate; further research is needed to confirm these findings.

Hibiscus Tea

A study from the Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences found that hibiscus tea may help lower blood pressure. The anthocyanins in the hibiscus flower are thought to be responsible for the blood pressure lowering abilities of hibiscus tea. Anthocyanins are members of the flavonoid group of phytochemicals.

Bottom Line: Although these individual foods possess specific nutrients that are medicinal, they are not as beneficial when eaten alone. Nutrients work together in the body to provide health benefits, thus it is important to include these foods in balanced daily eating patterns. Always remember to consult a doctor before changing any medications or starting a new regimen

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Will Exercise Lead to Weight Loss Without Proper Nutrition?

Without a doubt, exercise improves one’s overall health; however, when it comes to losing weight, recent research has shown that relying on exercise alone is not enough. Eating the right foods and consuming the right amount of calories, contribute more to weight control than exercise, according to the New York Times article “To lose weight, eating less is far more important than exercising more.”

As an example, if an overweight woman consumes 1,000 more calories per day than she is burning, the fact that she exercises for 30 minutes each day and burns 300 calories still leaves her with 700 extra calories per day – and 4,900 extra calories per week – which will lead to weight gain. Exercise consumes far fewer calories than many people think. Thirty minutes of jogging or swimming laps might burn 300 calories but many people, fat or fit, can’t maintain a strenuous 30-minute exercise regimen every day. They could, however, achieve a significant reduction in calories by eliminating two 16-ounce sodas each day.

While we firmly believe that exercise should remain a part of everyone’s day as it has been proven to lower blood pressure, reduce mental stress, and improve outcomes in musculoskeletal disorders, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, pulmonary diseases, neurological diseases and depression, for weight control, a nutritional focus on one’s diet is what works best. Dieting is often viewed as a drastic and rigid change to daily food consumption and has a high risk of putting the pounds back on.  A more successful approach is gradual change to one’s daily diet, done in a more sustainable, nutritious way. The challenge is to make healthy, dietary changes versus simply adding more exercise once metabolism slows and the desire to eat more increases.

Wellness Workdays works with a number of employers to provide its Nutrition for a Lifetime program to employees. The program focuses on building a foundation of basic nutrition knowledge, developing healthy eating habits and making small changes that lead to sustainable weight loss. We have helped employees achieve weight loss and reductions in BMI while also reducing their health risks for medical conditions such as hypertension.

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