| Human cells have biological clocks called telomeres | | | | independent risk factors for developing heart |
| which cap the ends of chromosomes. The | | | | disease. To prevent heart disease you need to |
| telomeres shorten in length everytime a cell | | | | maintain healthy blood pressure and slow-down |
| divides and replicates. Eventually, the telomeres | | | | the biological clock by keeping telomeres long. |
| become too short for cell division and the cell dies. | | | | Maintaining Healthy Blood Pressure |
| Shorter telomeres accelerate a cell's biological | | | | The trinity of nutrients can help you maintain |
| clock and are considered markers of aging. | | | | healthy blood pressure. Supplementing your diet |
| Telomeres, Biological Clocks & Heart Disease | | | | with these three powerful nutrients is simple, |
| The American Heart Association discovered a link | | | | safe, and effective. Remember to check with |
| between shorter telomeres in white blood cells | | | | your doctor before starting any supplement, |
| (immune cells called leukocytes) and the | | | | especially if you're taking blood pressure |
| development of heart disease. Researchers | | | | medications. |
| sought to determine the relationship between | | | | 1. Grapeseed Extract |
| telomere length and the risk of high blood | | | | Supplementing with 150mg/day of a high quality |
| pressure in men and women between the ages | | | | grapeseed extract was shown in several studies |
| of 30 to 80 years. | | | | to reduce and stabilize pressure. |
| The telomere length was measured in 388 people | | | | 2. Milk Peptides |
| with high blood pressure and 379 healthy people. | | | | Spliting milk protein in half creates a small protein |
| What they found was that older people and | | | | fragment (peptides) called CVH-15. The protein |
| people with high blood pressure had the shortest | | | | fragment inhibits certain blood proteins that |
| telomeres. | | | | increase pressure. Take 1500mg/day of milk |
| It makes sense. High blood pressure causes | | | | peptides. |
| physical damage to the white blood cells circulating | | | | 3. Pomegranate Extract |
| in the bloodstream. Damaged cells need to | | | | A true superfood, pomegranate has been proven |
| regenerate by initiating cycles of cellular division. | | | | to work without side effects. Eating pomegranate |
| The more a cell divides, the faster the telomeres | | | | is good, but you still need to supplement with |
| shorten. The end result is an accelerated biological | | | | 100mg/day. |
| clock and aged immune cells. | | | | Keeping Telomeres Long |
| Aged and dysfunctional immune cells can have | | | | HIV researchers from the National Institutes of |
| devastating consequences. For instance, systemic | | | | Health have been exploring methods for |
| inflammation increases and damages the arteries | | | | lengthening the telomeres in white blood cells. |
| feeding the heart. Complications include higher | | | | White blood cells with long telomeres live longer |
| blood pressure and an increased risk for stroke | | | | and could strengthen the immune system in HIV |
| and heart disease. | | | | patients. They successfully identify one herb that |
| Participants with shorter telomeres were found to | | | | significantly lengthens the telomeres in white blood |
| be more than three times as likely to develop | | | | cells. |
| heart disease compared with those who had | | | | Astragalus is an herb cultivated in Asia and has |
| longer telomeres. Researches also found that if | | | | been used for centuries to strengthen the |
| the healthy subjects developed high blood | | | | immune system and treat winter viruses. The |
| pressure over the course of follow-up they too | | | | researchers concluded that 500mg/day of |
| had shorter telomeres. | | | | Astragalus can significantly lengthen the telomeres |
| Analysis of the data confirmed that both short | | | | in white blood cells. |
| telomeres and high blood pressure were | | | | |