In today’s post, I will discuss how the mouth plays a significant role in the production of nitric oxide (NO) through a process called the enterosalivary cycle of nitrate. This process involves friendly nitrate-reducing bacteria in the oral cavity, predominantly on the tongue, which reduce dietary nitrate (NO3) from vegetables, meat, and drinking water to nitrite (NO2). The nitrite is then further reduced to NO, which helps regulate systemic blood pressure. This pathway highlights how important oral health is to cardiovascular health. But can mouthwash damage this process?
Read MoreMost people alive today would probably agree that organic, pesticide-free, whole wheat, grain-based diets, low in animal-based foods, richer in plant proteins from lentils and beans, and consisting mainly of vegetables are ideal diets. The ancient Egyptians ate this way. To repeat, it was organic, pesticide-free, and whole-grain. Ask the folks who made the food pyramid (My Plate) and the Eat Lancet Diet, and they will love it. Does it sound amazing to you? Well, not to me. My Plate has adult men eating around ten slices of bread per day, or the equivalent of 47 teaspoons of table sugar! I wrote about how the Eat Lancet Diet causes malnutrition on January 1, which is a similar diet to My Plate. If you are interested in their recommendations—the Lancet's diet causes protein deficiency, among other things. Let’s see how the ancient Egyptians who ate the same way fared.
Read MoreHeart disease is the number one killer in America, and LDL cholesterol has gotten most of the blame. But for the last 40 years, researchers have known that oxidized LDL, not LDL, is the true villain implicated in heart disease. Furthermore, only a few randomized controlled trials have ever tested the traditional diet-heart hypothesis that blames saturated fat for heart disease, yet it remains the gospel truth. Ongoing 40-year-old research shows that linoleic acid is the real culprit that causes oxidation of LDL, contributing to atherosclerosis-associated inflammation. Similar research actually shows saturated fat to protect against oxidation. Today I will cover this new research and tell you about a simple way to lower your risk of heart disease.
Read MoreToday I want to talk about the connection between gum disease and heart disease. I am going to talk about one specific recent study, and I am going to get more scientific than usual, so forgive me, but the information is too good to ignore.
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