The benefits of omega 3 essential fatty acids, primarily DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), are well known, and in particular the heart benefits of omega 3 fats. However for people with high triglycerides there is another reason to increase the amount of omega 3 fats for lowering triglycerides.

Research has established that almost all of us have levels of Omega3 fats that are too low. Omega 3 fats are found in fish oil and the research also shows that by increasing our intake of fish oil in our diet by way of supplementation we also attract a range of heart and other health benefits.

Some of the heart benefits of increasing your intake of omega 3 essential fatty acids include a reduction in the risk of arrhythmia, which can lead to fatal heart attack, a reduction in blood pressure and a decrease in the growth rate of plaque in the arteries. But for our purposes today the research also show a decrease in triglycerides levels.

Triglycerides are a form of fat that can be manufactured in the body from the food you eat and exist in the blood. Having high triglycerides increases the risk of blood clots and can also lead to a lowering of your HDL (good) cholesterol. Basically high triglycerides are linked to coronary artery disease. And high triglycerides can also be a risk factor in some other diseases, for example diabetes.

A diet with high levels of saturated fat intake can increase triglyceride levels as can a diet of high sugar foods. Risk factors also include being overweight and drinking too much alcohol.

So lowering triglycerides is very important for many people who want to know how to lower triglycerides.

There are a range of things that you can do to lower triglycerides if you have a problem, including reducing the amount of fatty foods and in particular foods was saturated fats, eating less sugar and exercising more. Also important is reducing alcohol intake and try to lose weight if you are overweight.

But now it is also clear that if you increase your intake of omega 3 essential fatty acids found in fish oil that can also be a big part of any strategy for lowering your triglyceride levels.

For example a statement published on the website of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition concludes that “omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil decreased serum triglyceride concentrations by 25% to 30%,” and “A dose-response relationship exists between omega-3 fatty acid intake and triglyceride lowering”.

So it is now clear that improving your level of intake of omega 3 essential fatty acids can help lower triglycerides and because this is now clearly established the American Heart Association tells people with high triglycerides to maintain a level of intake of 2 to 4 grams per day of DHA and EPA by way of fish oil supplements under the care of a physician.

This is excellent news for anyone struggling with high triglycerides and who wants to lower triglycerides naturally.

And there is also powerful evidence of a wide range of other health benefits from increasing your intake of omega 3 essential fatty acids, and for these reasons everyone, including people with high triglycerides, should seek to maintain a minimum level of fish oil in the diet.

Of course you can eat more fish but fish is generally contaminated with mercury and can be extremely expensive. The best fish oil supplements are not contaminated and are much more cost-effective to be taken daily, though not all fish oil supplements are as good as others.

Visit my website to find out how to compare the various fish oil supplements available, (and which ones I take myself).

In simple words, blood pressure can be best defined as the pressure that the blood exerts on the arteries. There are two kinds of forces within the body that create blood pressure. One of these two forces is exerted by the heart when it pumps blood into the body. The other force is exerted by the arteries as resistance to the pressure that is exerted by the blood.

If your blood pressure remains high constantly, you are said to be afflicted by hypertension. Blood pressure that falls above 140/90mmHg is categorized as high blood pressure. Folks who are suffering from high blood pressure need to look for acceptable treatment to lower their blood pressure levels.

Due to high blood pressure, the arteries in the body are strained. This strain, in turn, results in weakening of arteries. Some times, the arteries even block up which causes narrowing down of arteries. If not met with an appropriate treatment, elevated blood pressure can even cause brain or heart damage. also, blood pressure brings various health hazards like heart illnesses and stroke, kidney ailments etc .

There are some extraordinarily effective methods to lower blood pressure. You should scale back your weight in case you are chubby or overweight. More weight puts load on the heart and disturbs its act of pumping blood.

Decrease the intake of sodium as it increases the blood pressure. Sodium is a standard ingredient in food items, such as potato chips, bread and cheese. You check the labels of the packets before buying such food items. Do not consume more than 2,000 milligrams of sodium per day.

Alternatively, increase the intake of potassium, magnesium and calcium. These minerals aid in better heart functioning which in turn ends up in better and increased blood circulation and also reduces any possibility of elevated blood pressure.

Give up or stop using alcohol. Also, limit the intake of caffeine by lowering the consumption of coffee. Caffeine causes acidity that ends in stress on heart. This stress may increase the blood pressure.

Increase the intake of fruits, plants and fiber rich food items because such items increase the energy required to perform daily activities. Also, scale back the intake of high cholesterol and high-fat food items. Cholesterol and fats block the heart and obstruct the circulation of the blood.

Quit smoking and stop the intake of tobacco. Cigarettes contain nicotine. Nicotine and tobacco narrow the blood vessels which causes the heart to beat faster. This results in increase of the blood pressure.

You may also use blood pressure medicines available widely in the market. These include diuretics, beta blockers, alpha blockers, ACE inhibitors and calcium channel blockers. While diuretics help in getting shot of excess sodium from the body, the beta blockers block adrenaline effects. Alpha blockers remove any blockage of the arteries while ACE inhibitors prevent arteries from narrowing. Calcium channel blockers further prevent the narrowing of the blood vessels by obstructing the calcium from entering the blood cells.

 There is a rampant occurrence of gum disease worldwide.  It may be suggestive of a lifestyle problem.  We tend to be too preoccupied, with what seems to be equally important, but you have to know how destructive gum disease could be to our total wellbeing.  Products like Oramd, might help.

You may hear experts say that just because you brush and floss regularly you become less susceptible to gum disease.  And upon research I found out that it is not merely brushing, flossing and visiting your dentist regularly that saves you from the dreadful inflammation of gums and its detachment to the bones that hold the teeth.

Good and proper oral hygiene practices could spare your gums, too.  In a magazine I have read, it says, good oral hygiene when practiced properly gives back highly satisfactory results.  A friend confirmed that, too. 

She had really bad case, imagine blood lubricating her oral cavity instead of just saliva and it is foul smelling, too.  It’s really unsightly but I am proud to say that she is doing what she can to reverse the problem. There is a fine set of mouthwashes made by therabreath that might be helpful.

Socially, it has wounded her but she is starting to pull herself back together.  Gingivitis could really go out of hand with neglect.  It can cause recession of gums and reducing the bones that hold the teeth in place.  Can you imagine how painful that is?  It is thrice more painful than a decaying tooth.

 Some people wonder why, despite their religious biannual visits to the hygienist, their gums are still red and flabby.  Gingivitis is a serious, fast-progressing and life threatening condition. The hydrofloss is something that some hygienists recommend!

Research says that using some products could do more harm than good.  For instance, the floss – it is just a piece of thread, you might think but when used improperly – it could destroy the continuity of your gums thus causing gum recession leading to tooth mobility and worse, tooth extraction.

*Disclaimer:  This article is for information purposes only, It is not intended to diagnose, treat or offer advice. If you have or think you might have a health or dental health problem of any kind, visit your dentist or doctor for advice, diagnosis and treatment.  The USFDA has not evaluated statements about products mentioned. 

Since your heart health is so important to your overall health, many start with monitoring the heart and vessel systems.

It was common, in the past, for patients to become totally dependant on their doctor to manage their health for them.Consumers are taking a greater role in their own health, especially in the last ten years.

Those who monitor their heart health can lead long and productive lives. There are some helpful blood tests that you can acquire to evaluate your heart risks.

Cholesterol Test – This test, often called a lipid panel, is a group of tests to measure the amount of various blood fats that you have.This test includes assessments of your total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides and cholesterol ratios.As one of the most commonly performed tests, cholesterol levels can be monitored and managed with it.

VAP Test – A more specific test is called the VAP test.This test provides improved assessment of your cholesterol.It is now known that smaller cholesterol particles (through a more detailed analysis) can provide a better prediction of your risk level.The VAP cholesterol test evaluates smaller particles of cholesterol to determine if you are at risk.

C Reactive Protein – Also called the CRP test, this blood test evaluates the amount of inflammation within your body.Elevated levels of the inflammation process within vessels can lead to increased cardiovascular risk.

Hemoglobin a1c – The a1c test is a simple blood test that measures your blood glucose over a 2-3 month time frame.This gives you a better picture of your blood glucose levels over time.Those with higher blood glucose (sugar) levels are more at risk for pre diabetes and diabetes.

This blood testing is a simple way to monitor your heart health.  As always, it is important to work with your physician if these levels are abnormal.You can maintain a healthy heart with the right knowledge and follow up.

Have you ever stopped to wonder why so many people dislike going to the dentist’s office? Many people find even a basic checkup to be painful.

Before having your teeth cleaned, one of the dental hygienist’s duties is to check the health of your gum tissue. He will undoubtedly look at your pocket depths. You can then ask about using an oral irrigator known as the hydrofloss.

Here, for some people is where the trouble begins. When gum tissue is diseased, it feels a lot like someone shoving pins into your gum tissue. However, healthy gum tissue does not have that problem. Normally, dental probing will not invoke pain with healthy gum tissue.

So, if you are one of those who feels that the doctor or hygienist is shoving pins directly into your gums, it is very likely that you have some gum disease. Ask your dentist to verify and diagnose the condition.

Unfortunately, some dentists do not spend a lot of time educating patients about this problem. That situation can lead to greater problems for the patient.

Yet, after the problem has progressed to a certain point, they will offer you a special ‘deep cleaning’ or other relatively expensive treatment to help take care of your problem. Alternatively, they may refer you out to a periodontist for possible gum grafts or surgery. There is a nice oxygenated mouthwash called therabreath that might be helpful.

I can not imagine that sounds good to anyone reading this. Therefore, I might suggest that you focus more on the prevention of gum disease or stopping its progression once it starts.

Many people are surprised that they have gum disease. If the statistics are accurate, there should be no surprise. Those numbers tell us that up to 80% of people have some form of gum disease. Oramd is an interesting possibility. Learn what you can do to prevent this potentially costly problem from visiting you and our family. Learn to prevent gum disease or stop its progression today. Look below the disclaimer to find links to additional information.

Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes and does not intend to render advice, diagnosis or treatment for any health condition whatsoever. If you have or think you have a health or dental health condition, visit your doctor or dentist for advice, diagnosis and treatment. The USFDA has not evaluated statements about any products mentioned in this article.

It is imperative that you maintain optimum cholesterol levels. A high level of cholesterol increases risks of a coronary attack along with various other health disorders. If you too are dealing with the difficulty of high cholesterol, then the following advice will be of great help.

Step one : Control Fat and fats intake in your diet
The first step that you need to take to bring down your cholesterol levels is to reduce your intake of fat and fats. You need to make more fit food decisions. For example, select olive oil and canola oil that are monosaturated rather than saturated fats such as butter.

You should also attempt to desist from food items possessing a high cholesterol content such as eggs, margaraine, butter, polyunsaturated oils and such like. Try to go in for a fibre rich diet by including full cereals in your diet.

Step 2 : Change your Lifestyle a bit
Give up an unhealthy lifestyle and opt for healthier habits. For example, if you’re the ons who gorge on preprocessed food and keep on lying around all day, you must give up this habit for good. Instead of junk food, go in for sensible foods such as fruits and vegetables. Also, you need to be physically more active and indulge in some form of exercise. Play, run or simply go for cycling. Exercising increases your metabolism and enables you to ward off calories quicker.

Step 3: Switch to cholesterol lowering medication if lifestyle changes don’t help
If lifestyle changes do not help you lower cholesterol or the level of LDL or triglycerides in your blood stream is too high, you need to look for cholesterol lowering medications. Cholesterol lowering medicines can be split into various categories depending upon which element of cholesterol you need to work on – Cholesterol, LDL cholesterol or Triglycerides.

If your LDL levels are high, then you would medications such as statin and Vitamin B also known as Niacin. However, ensure that you do not overdose Niacin as it could cause serious complications. You must only consume a quantity as advised by your GP. The same is applicable for other cholesterol lowering medications as well as an overdose of any medication can have side effects.

Step 4: Increase the Amount of HDL-Cholesterol
HDL often referred to as the good cholesterol, can help in lowering the overall cholesterol levels in the body. An optimum level of HDL is critical for the body. The ideal level of HDL in the body is sixty mg/dL [ 1.55 mmol/L ]. HDL level below this level can be risky for your well-being condition.

ou can always increase your HDL levels with assistance from monosaturated oils such as olive oil and Vitamin B rich foods. But confirm that you do not over consume vitamin B as this may have major complications. You must also cut down on your alcohol intake to increase HDL.