Anger causes untimely death

Researchers have discovered that angry men aged 20 to 40 were one-and-a-half times more likely to be dead 35 years later than those who were calmer. They believe this is due to a number of factors linking stress to physiological damage. The frequent release of adrenaline during periods of stress damages DNA, which could lead to life-threatening illnesses such as multiple sclerosis.

Feelings of anger produce a heightened response in the amygdala, the part of the brain associated with survival instincts. Angry emotions prompt the amygdala to signal a heightened state of anxiety to the rest of the brain and the body, increasing blood flow to the limbs and heart, which makes relaxation impossible.

Those exposed to anger-inducing stimuli without discussing how it made them feel are more likely to experience insomnia than those who engage in an emotional ‘debrief’, according to neuroscientists. Writing the cause of anger frees up the space in the head, dampening the fear response and encouraging relaxation.

 Emotions such as excitement or anger result in the release of stress hormones cortisol, adrenaline and testosterone, which put the body into flight-or-flight mode. The chemical surge increases blood flow to the brain and triggers the swelling of both blood vessels and nerves surrounding the brain. The pressure can result in tension and headaches.

Highly hostile individuals performed significantly worse on a simple inhalation task than those who were rated less hostile. When you are angry, neurotransmitters and hormones are sent through the bloodstream which, in turn, increase both the heart rate and muscle tension. Frequent occurrence of this reaction puts a strain on neurons in the hypothalamus, the brain’s ‘stress control centre’, meaning that it becomes harder for the neurons to switch off. And the ‘happy hormone’ serotonin is significantly depleted in some aggressive individuals.

Too much cortisol in the body – released by adrenal glands during angry outbursts can cause an imbalance in blood sugar, repress the thyroid and even decrease bone density. When released initially, cortisol triggers an anti-inflammatory response by the immune system, but prolonged increase of the hormone makes the body more susceptible to viruses. As blood pressure rises thanks to a surge in adrenaline, the heart beats faster, increasing the risk of potentially fatal abnormal heart rhythms. Adrenaline also signals for the release of platelets, which can trigger blood clots or block arteries – particularly dangerous if arteries are restricted by a build-up of cholesterol.

Studies have shown that men in particular who score highly on trait anger scales are three times more likely to suffer from general heart disease. Once the ‘fight or flight’ signal has been issued by the brain, blood supply is directed to areas needed for action such as the limbs. That means blood supply to the digestive system is reduced, with a reduced amount of oxygen provided to keep vital ‘good’ bacteria in the gut alive. A dampened immune system can lead to a weakened gut lining, increasing vulnerability to harmful bacteria entering the area.

Heightened stress reduces the amount of available glucocorticoids -the hormone involved in the synthesis of the skin-plumping compound collagen. Lack of collagen contributes towards saggy, wrinkled skin. The weakened immune system caused by stress responses increases inflammatory reactions to pathogens underneath the skin.

Enhanced periods of anger disrupt the skin-barrier function, making it easier for allergens to penetrate and resulting in skin conditions such as dermatitis and psoriasis. Repressing, rather than expressing anger puts you at an higher risk of developing health problems. This increased risk of hypertension for angry individuals who tended to keep their anger below a level of consciousness. By repressing emotion, excess stress hormones remain in the emotion-processing areas of the brain for longer period making physical reactions chronic.
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Eating at the wrong time increase the risk of heart disease

Eating late at night increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes by raising levels of harmful blood fats. Shift work, is triggering the killer illnesses by leading to people eating their meals at the wrong time of the day. Experiments on rats found when they ate at the start of their rest period there was a dramatic spike in triglycerides, compared to being fed just before they became active.

Triglycerides are blood fats produced in the liver and derived from foods such as meat, dairy products and cooking oils. They are different from cholesterol but can also clog arteries, leading to cardiovascular disease, or inflame the pancreas, triggering diabetes. People with high levels of triglycerides in their blood are more likely to have heart problems when the part of the rat's brain that controls the circadian rhythm was no longer in change of the fat levels.

Cardiovascular disease and diabetes are linked to a lifestyle where humans ignore the signals of the biological clock and eat in the evening and late at night. The researchers said the study demonstrates why such a routine is out of sync with 24-hour cycle and may result in high blood fat levels and a higher risk for illnesses.

Eating late frequently during with shift work, jet lag, or staying up late at night will harm human health in the long term especially when we eat at times when we should sleep. People put on more weight when they ate three meals a day between noon and 11pm than when they consumed the same amount of calories from 8am to 7pm. The late night meals caused them to pile on by reducing the breaking down of fats.

Delayed eating also led them to store carbohydrates which can lead to weight gain and raised blood sugar and insulin levels, increasing the risk of diabetes. Their cholesterol and triglyceride levels rose too, raising the likelihood of heart disease. Disruption of circadian regulation has been linked to metabolic abnormalities. Epidemiological evidence shows night work is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

As rats are nocturnal, they rest during the day and are active at night. When they ate two hours after the onset of daylight, rather than dark, their triglyceride levels soared. The suprachiasmatic nucleus SCN has a major role in day-night variations in plasma triglycerides by promoting their uptake into skeletal muscle and brown adipose tissue.

Disturbance of the biological clock might be an important risk factor contributing to the development of hyperlipidemia (high blood fats). In the last decade studies have documented triglycerides can cause strokes and heart attacks. In humans they rise during the resting phase, suggesting the involvement of the SCN on behavioral activity.

Since triglyceride levels are an important factor in the progress of blood clots, these results may have potential implications for the cause of cardiovascular diseases in the context of inadequate feeding times, shifted towards the rest phase. According to a 2013 study early eaters lost twelve percent of their body weight, while late eaters lost only 8 percent, even though they all followed the same diet and exercise regime.

According to a 2007 study people who eat most of their food at night have higher body mass indexes than those who eat earlier in the day. Another study showed participants who ate between 11 pm and 5am gained more weight than those who did not eat during those hours.
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Skipping breakfast hardens the arteries

According to latest research, skipping breakfast is associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis, or the hardening and narrowing of arteries due to a build-up of plaque. Eating a healthy breakfast makes heart healthy, improves healthier weight and cholesterol while skipping breakfast can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.

 Researchers examined male and female volunteers who were free from cardiovascular or chronic kidney disease. A computerized questionnaire was used to estimate the usual diet of the participants, and breakfast patterns were based on the percentage of total daily energy intake consumed at breakfast.

Some participants consumed less than five percent of their total energy intake in the morning- skipped breakfast and only had coffee, juice or other non-alcoholic beverages); some consumed more than 20 percent of their total energy intake in the morning (breakfast consumers); and those consuming between five and 20 percent (low-energy breakfast consumers).

Atherosclerosis was observed more frequently among participants who skipped breakfast and was also higher in participants who consumed low-energy breakfasts compared to breakfast consumers.

Cardiometabolic risk markers were more prevalent in those who skipped breakfast and low-energy breakfast consumers compared to breakfast consumers. Participants who skipped breakfast had the greatest waist circumference, body mass index, blood pressure, blood lipids and fasting glucose levels.

Participants who skipped breakfast were more likely to have an overall unhealthy lifestyle, including poor overall diet, frequent alcohol consumption and smoking. They may be hypertensive and obese. Breakfast skippers are generally attempting to lose weight, they often eat more unhealthy foods. Skipping breakfast can cause hormonal imbalances and alter circadian rhythms.
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Alcohol affects levels of cholesterol through epigenetics

In an analysis of the epigenomes of people and mice, researchers discovered that drinking alcohol may induce changes to a cholesterol regulating gene. The findings suggest that these changes to the gene, PCSK9, may be responsible for some of the differences in how cholesterol is processed in people who drink alcohol, or may affect those taking a relatively new class of PCSK9 cholesterol-lowering drugs designed to reduce LDL cholesterol.

Chronic alcohol use can have detrimental effects on the liver and the cardiovascular system. Regulation of PCSK9 seems to correlate with this pattern and may be a significant underlying factor behind the variations in the relationship between cholesterol and cardiovascular disease when it comes to alcohol use. Researchers measure how drinking of alcohol can leads to changes in which genes are expressed.

They examined information from DNA chips- microarrays that can show which genes have chemical methyl groups added across the whole genome. These chips looked at about 500,000 methyl groups at a time. methylation affects the level of gene expression. The researchers used different sets of data: DNA from the brains of deceased people with documented alcohol dependence compared to healthy controls and DNA from blood samples of people who had documented alcohol dependence with healthy controls.

When the investigators cross-compared epigenetic data from the sets of data to find out what changes occurred in common in the two data sets and what changes did not, the common factor highlighted the gene PCSK9. The human liver samples from people with alcohol dependence who underwent a liver transplant and noticed a similar pattern: more methylation on PCSK9 and unexpectedly lower PCSK9 protein levels. In samples from people who abused alcohol, the researchers detected that PCSK9 gene expression was only a third of the level in people who didn't abuse alcohol.

Alcohol is metabolized by the liver and can cause liver damage if used in large amounts over long periods of time. In people, PCSK9 is found at its highest levels in liver, but is also found in other tissues, such as brain and blood. PCSK9 binds to the bad cholesterol receptors and blocks uptake and breakdown of bad cholesterol by cells, leading to accumulation in the bloodstream, where it presumably clogs arteries.
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Daily magnesium supplements reduces blood pressure

Blood pressure is the pressure of the blood in arteries that is required to keep blood flowing all over the body. High blood pressure occurs if the walls of the larger arteries lose the natural elasticity and become rigid, and the smaller blood vessels become narrower.

Taking a 300mg magnesium supplements reduce blood pressure, this can lowers hypertension and boosts blood flow. Magnesium cream could be used as an alternative to medication for high blood pressure. The cream boosts levels of magnesium in the blood.

Magnesium is a mineral that’s found naturally in many foods like leafy vegetables, almond, spinach, cashew, peanut, wheat cereal, soy milk, black beans and banana.

Magnesium in the body is responsible for production of protein, healthy bone formation, maintaining healthy heart and controlling blood sugar
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Salty foods can damage the heart

Excess salt intake increases strain on the heart's muscle and increases its beating rate. This can leads to heart damage.

 Researchers examined urine samples from different adults to detect the links between excess salt intake and heart damage.

The ultrasound tests of the heart of adults tested after taking their urine samples showed that excess salt increases muscle strain and heart rate, and this increases heart chambers.

Excess salt intake causes bodies to retain water, which leads to a rise in blood pressure. High blood pressure puts a strain on the heart, arteries, and brain, which can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

Eating too much salt can increase calcium in the urine, this increases the risk of having kidney stones and this can leads to kidney damage.
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Dementia risk factors

Dementia is caused when the brain is damaged by diseases like Alzheimer’s disease or a series of strokes. Healthy lifestyle can reduce the risk of developing dementia.

Older people suffering from Alzheimer's disease are prone to dementia disease because of irregular blood supply to the brain.

Drinking of alcohol regularly increases the risk of dementia. Alcohol can damage the brain directly as a neurotoxin and by reducing nutrients that get to the brain.

The accumulation of fats and cholesterol in the lining of arteries can prevents blood flow to the brain.

Poor management of diabetes can leads to too much sugar in the blood which can damage brain and different organs in the body.

Genetics- Having more than one family member that have the disease increases the risk of developing it.

High blood pressure affects the white matter regions of the brain, and this can leads to dementia.

Depression has been associated with mild mental impairment and cognitive function decline.

Smoking exposes brain to toxins and hinders blood flow, smokers are prone to diseases that reduce blood flow to the brain.
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Causes of type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a disorder of metabolism, the condition occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin or the insulin produced does not work properly.

Insulin resistance means that the cells of the body do not fully respond to insulin that is released. This makes glucose to remains in the blood instead of being moved into the cells.

Common symptoms of Type 2 diabetes are: extreme thirst, frequent urination fatigue, blurred vision, sudden weight loss and increased appetite.

It can reduce life expectancy if it is not managed properly and cause different health complications. These factors increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Age increases the risk of diabetes, diabetes is common among adults, aging and insulin resistance are closely connected because old people gain weight and become inactive.

Another risk factor is being overweight
especially if you are large around the middle because it increases pressure on body’s ability to use insulin properly to control blood sugar levels.

The pressure of blood flowing through the arteries varies at different times in the heartbeat cycle and the systolic pressure measures the pressure when heart contracts and blood is forced through the arteries. High blood pressure can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Genetics can contribute to the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Parents can transfer it to their children. Mutations in any gene involved in controlling glucose levels can increase risk of type 2 diabetes. These include genes that control: production of glucose, production and regulation of insulin and how glucose levels are measured in the body

High blood glucose levels during pregnancy may leads to the development of type 2 diabetes in future.

Healthy eating, an active lifestyle and regular medical examination can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
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Coconut oil contains high levels of saturated fats

According to American Heart Association, coconut oil is packed with saturated fat which can raise bad cholesterol.

Saturated fats are not healthy because they can raise bad cholesterol levels and increase the risk of heart disease.

Coconut oil contains 82 per cent of saturated fat which can accumulate in the body, causing blockages within the arteries.

Coconut oil can cause sudden and severe body allergic reaction which can be life threatening.

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Natural cure for high blood pressure

Having high blood pressure increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. It can also lead to other problems, like kidney failure, heart failure and blurred vision.

The British Heart Foundation said: “Blood pressure is the pressure of blood running through your arteries. You need a certain amount of pressure in your arteries to keep the blood flowing.”

Experts have revealed a supplement - which is the extract of French Maritime pine bark has been used to normalise blood pressure.

Pycnogenol was investigated in a double-blind, placebo controlled study for patients with borderline hypertension.

The participants were not yet receiving
hypotensive medication. Researchers
have revealed use of Pycnogenol over a period of eight weeks lowered blood systolic blood pressure as compared to placebo.

Experts also found diastolic pressure was found to be lowered as well. Diastolic pressure is the lowest pressure, which occurs between heartbeats when your heart is relaxing.

The innermost layer of our blood vessels are lined with collagen and elastin which help our veins to expand and contract in response to blood flow and keep blood pressure within a normal range.

Pycnogenol, French maritime pine bark extract has been shown in multiple studies to supports the production of collagen and elastin in the body which results in stronger blood vessels.

Pycnogenol improves blood pressure and kidney function in patients with diabetes and metabolic syndrome. The
active ingredients in Pycnogenol can also be extracted from peanut skin, grape seed, and witch hazel bark.

Where does blood come from?

Sweden scientists have discovered how the first blood cells form during human development as they change from endothelial cells to hematopoietic.

A laboratory model of human stem cell was developed, observing the expression of blood cell and endothelial cell genes in each individual cell, a progression from an endothelial state was found.

 Niel-Bjarne Woods, was in charge of the study, he said understanding how the first human blood cells develop will provide more information on how to generate blood stem cells for treatment of blood disorder.

Human blood is composed of several specialized cells for different purposes like providing oxygen and immune response against viruses and bacteria.

During embryonic development, the first stem cells form and leads to production of all the blood cells you will produce in your lifetime.

The cells changing to blood in the embryo begin as endothelial cells that make up the walls of the developing arteries. After sometime, it developed into tightly packed spindle shaped endothelial cells and later detach to form round cells of the blood and released into circulation.

Sudden hypotension may cause dementia

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the wall of the arteries as the heart pumps out blood.

Hypotension is low blood pressure, particularly in the arteries of the systemic circulation.

Blood pressure naturally goes up and down all the time, adjusting to heart requirement based on daily activities.
Reading lower than 90 mm Hg systolic or 60 mm Hg diastolic is low blood pressure.

 Sudden drop in blood pressure can stop  blood flow to the  brain and this can cause severe decline in mental ability that interfere with daily life. People suffering from hypotension are at the risk of developing dementia.

 Shortage of  blood flowing to the brain can damage brain cells and this can disrupt cells communication in the brain.