Saturated Fats Have An Immediate Effect on the Blood

If you’re thinking about having a nice meal this evening keep in mind this very interesting finding of a group of Australia researchers. They fed two groups of people two meals consisting of a piece of carrot cake and a milk shake. In one meal the cake was made with coconut oil, which is high in saturated fat; in the other meal the cake was made with polyunsaturated safflower oil. Blood tests revealed that eating the cake made with coconut oil (saturated fat) as opposed to the cake made with safflower oil (unsaturated fat) reduced flexibility in the arteries and caused harmful changes in cholesterol levels, both of which increase the likelihood of clogging arteries.

One-Meal Tipping Point

The findings suggest that even one meal or dose of saturated fats has an immediate effect on the body and increases the likelihood of fatty plaque buildup in the arteries. If you are living on the cusp of coronary disease then you might think twice about ingesting even one dose of saturated fats until at least your condition improves. This also suggests that healthy individuals might want to consider spreading their saturated fat intake out rather than binging on it in a random day or two. Instead of eating poorly all weekend long, give yourself a treat for one meal but not the whole weekend. It doesn’t take long for the body to react to the fats you ingest.

Cholesterol Association

In a related note it has also been found that those suffering from Sleep Apnea ate on average, an additional 88.16 milligrams of cholesterol a day. The study felt that sleep apnea caused the overeating so this suggests that those with sleep apnea should be more concerned about what kind of fats they take in because they statistically are more likely to ingest more of them. Take a look at this guide for tips to treat sleep apnea symptoms while you work on correcting the underlying problem.

Source
Best Life – Dec ‘07
University of Arizona College of Medicine

Sleep Apnea, Hypertension, and Over Eating

Sleep Apnea & Hypertension

Sleep apnea is a mysterious condition which is associated with many ailments and conditions. In the most recent American Family Physician (5/15/09) there was a lengthy article on the problem of Hypertension that is unresponsive to treatment. The article concluded that the cause of uncontrollable arterial hypertension could very well be sleep apnea which often goes unnoticed in sufferers. In fact frequently, up to 60 percent of the time, sleep apnea affects people who appear slim and or fit. as noted in my previous post: Walking Breaks & Sleep Apnea.

Best life recently had this to say about sleep apnea, hypertension, and over-eating.

"Roughly 12 million American’s suffer from sleep apnea, a condition that causes a person to momentarily stop breathing while asleep. Previous research has linked sleep apnea [and eating] to weight gain and heart disease, and a new study from the University of Arizona College of Medicine may have found the reason for the link: binge eating.

Researchers found that those with sleep apnea ate, on average, an additional 88.16 milligrams of cholesterol a day. This suggests that sleep apnea interferes with the appetite-regulating hormones leptin and ghrelin, causing sufferers to pig out on heart-damaging high-cholesterol food. If you wake up with headaches in the morning, suffer from daytime drowsiness, and keep your [spouse] awake because of your loud snoring, go to a sleep lab for a sleep apnea test."

The Sleep Apnea Hypertension Link

This line of thinking leads me to conclude that among the many causes of hypertension, binge eating can cause hypertension and can also trigger the development of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea, however does not nessesarily have to be caused by binge eating as 60 percent of sufferers are not obese. Once sleep apnea becomes a condition regardless of it's cause, then halting binge eating (especialy in the case of a slim sufferer) may not necessarily solve the hypertension issue because the individual suffers from sleep apnea.

Sleep Apnea Symptoms

Now, I’m not a doctor or medical researcher but I do feel this is a logical assumption that might one day have to be proved or disproved. What I do know though is that if you have sleep apnea you should really get diagnosed and treated for it. Even if you don’t value the sleep you might value the effect it might have on lowering your blood pressure regardless of your waistline.

Source
The quote above is from the March 2009 issue of Best Life magazine.

Walking Breaks & Sleep Apnea

Walking Breaks Can Decrease Your Risk of Sleep Apnea

Do you suffer from sleep apnea and various sleep apnea symptoms? Maybe you should get off your butt a little more often. Studies are beginning to show that taking walking breaks at work and or taking walks around the block at home with Fido can have a great impact on your sleep apnea if you indeed suffer from it.

Benefits of Walking Breaks

"Add sleep apnea to the list of health issues that can result from too much sitting. (Other problems include neck pain, back pain, and varicose veins.) Canadian researchers determined that sitting for long periods increases apnea risk among non-obese men, which helps explain why 60 percent of sufferers are normal weight.

The study revealed that sitting increases the volume of fluid in the legs, and this fluid is shifted to the neck overnight, obstructing airways. Contracting your muscles during the day can help prevent fluid buildup, so make an effort to take a walk around your office every hour. Sleep apnea can increase your risk for high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke."

Walking breaks also help to lower blood pressure and help to lower postpartum depression in women who routinely go for short walks after pregnancy.   Basically taking an extra walking break here and there is just plain good for you.

Related to Sleep Apnea
Metabolic Syndrome also can increase your risk for heart disease; counter your risk for metabolic syndrome with dairy and additionally eat more fish to decrease your risk for stroke.

Source
This quote originated from the May 2009 issue of Best Life magazine: