Blood Pressure

Salt, a pinch here, a "bam" there, and food tastes better. It brings out the flavor, or so says my muumuu wearing grandmother.

But it also raises blood pressure, which explains why she would go into a blind rage, and throw rocks at crows for eating her figs.

And now, a new study confirms the heart risks of salt, and claims a reduction of just 5 grams of salt a day could save 3 million lives.

Nobody likes traffic. You go to work, and you drive home--anything in between is a nightmare.

But, just imagine if you live next to a crowded freeway, with the constant honking horns, and shouting drivers all day and night. That's bad too.

Apparently, people exposed to traffic noise over 60 decibels have increased risk of high blood pressure.

Two studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association confirm what experts have often repeated: a healthy diet and lifestyle cuts the risk of heart failure dramatically.

Both studies were carried out by Harvard Medical School, Boston. One study (led by Dr. Luc Djousse) examined data from 20,900 men, and the other (led by Dr. John P. Forman) analysed of data from 83,882 women.

Fascinating research (published in the Epidemiology Journal) shows that the link between high blood pressure and BMI is a lot more tenuous that first thought.

However, the association between BMI and BP decreased "substantially and consistently" between 1989 and 2004, irrespective of sex, (via)

I love peer-reviewed journal articles. There are so many of them. If you search hard enough you're sure to find something positive about your favorite nutritional vice.

Perhaps reading something positive about what you're eating has a placebo affect. Your brain tells you it's good for you - so your body follows suit. Wine, coffee, chocolate, full-fat dairy... just take your pick.

My vice is dark chocolate.