Stubborn belly fat may harm more than your image. Extra weight around the middle may actually cause endothelial cells to function less efficiently, potentially damaging blood vessels and increasing the risk for high blood pressure.

Even modest weight gain can cause damage, according to a report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Forty-three participants of a normal, healthy weight were asked to either gain 4 kg (about 9 pounds) or maintain their current weight over a period of 16 weeks.

Those that gained weight experienced “impaired endothelial function, even in the absence of changes in blood pressure.” It was the visceral fat (fat that surrounds the organs), not the subcutaneous fat (the thin layer of fat under the skin) that had the greatest effect on cell function.

Dr. Virend K. Somers of the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine says endothelial function is a good indicator of blood vessel health.

“There is something about fat deposited in the belly that makes it potentially hazardous to health, because impaired endothelial function has been linked to increased risk of high blood pressure and blood vessel disease,” he told Health Day.

Endothelial cells line the insides of blood vessels. When these cells dysfunction, blood vessels and arteries may have difficulty contracting. This can cause high blood pressure and, further down the road, cardiovascular disease. Good reason to lose weight, right? The good news is endothelial cells begin to function normally following weight loss.

Want to learn more about how belly fat (visceral fat) affects your body? Visit Mayo Clinic. You can also read the full story by Health Day or see the report in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Despite the economic state of our nation, more Americans than ever are bringing home the bacon—to eat with eggs, on cheeseburgers, or sandwiched between two slabs of fried chicken. The new Double Down by KFC  has plenty of mouths watering, and plenty of nutritionists and cardiologists cringing and wondering what to do about the U.S. bacon infatuation.

One pound of bacon (16-20 medium slices) can contain as much as 81 grams of fat, most of which (68 grams) is heart-clogging saturated fat. The Double Down is loaded with 540 calories and 32 grams of fat (10 g saturated). The recommended daily limit for saturated fat is 16 grams.

Bacon’s saturated fat is different from the mono- and poly-unsaturated fats found in fish, nuts and olive or soybean oils. While these fats can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease, too much saturated fat can clog arteries and increase the risk of heart attack. The high sodium levels (up to 10,487 mg per pound) can also cause a cholesterol spike.

The good news is you don’t have to choose between saving your heart and nurturing your soul. As with caffeine and sweets, the key to this affair of the heart (or the stomach) is moderation.

“As a flavoring and ingredient, [bacon is] wonderful,” dietitian Susan Moores of the American Dietetic Association told MSNBC. “As a diet mainstay, not so much.”

A few strips now and then won’t hurt you, and there are plenty of other options to help tide you over. Turkey bacon, for example, has about half the fat and sodium. Canadian bacon and reduced-sodium bacon are also healthier options. Traditional bacon isn’t completely off limits, either.

“It all boils down to: How much?,” Moores says.

For the full story on America’s most delicious love affair, visit MSNBC.

With a little push from consumers, PepsiCo is taking steps toward making their products healthier. The convenience food giant has set big nutritional goals for the future. Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo, announced Monday that the company will be making significant cuts in the amount of fat, sugar and sodium levels in its products.

Over the next 4-9 years, Pepsi will cut the average level of sodium and sugar in its products by 25 percent and fat will be reduced by 15 percent. In addition, Pepsi plans to increase the amount of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and seeds in its products. They also plan to eliminate full-sugar soft drink sales in schools by 2012.

Pepsi is the second-largest food and beverage company in the world, and reducing these inputs could have a huge impact on public health. Sugar and sodium reduction alone can reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure.

"We believe that a healthier future for all people and our planet means a more successful future for PepsiCo," Nooyi said in a news release.

PepsiCo owns Frito-Lay, Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade and Pepsi-Cola brands, and accounts for $43 billion in food sales. With companies like Kraft, Campbell’s and Coca-Cola following suit, more and more food producers are making an effort to meet consumer need.

"These commitments are shared by all of our businesses,” Nooyi said. “(They) reflect our focus on profitable, long-term growth and will guide us as we continue to build a portfolio of enjoyable and wholesome foods and beverages for consumers around the world."

Visit Pepsi’s website to check out what to expect from PepsiCo in the future.

Controversy is brewing over K2, a "drug" similar to pot. Prior to its ban last week in Kansas and another county in Missouri, the drug was completely legal in all 50 states. Now there is debate over the dangers involved with its use.

K2—sometimes called “genie” or “Zohai”—is a substance chemically similar to pot. Its key ingredient, JWH-018, is a synthetic cannabinoid that mimics marijuana’s euphoria-causing agent THC.

Clemson University chemist John W. Huffman developed the chemical in 1995 for purely experimental purposes, but its legitimacy and availability made it a popular alternative to marijuana.

The chemical is sprayed on herbs and sold as an incense called “spice”, but is more often smoked to get high—JWH can be up to five times more potent than marijuana.

Little is known about the actual effects of the drug, but some users have reported hallucinations, vomiting and high blood pressure. Others say it’s one of the best highs they’ve ever experienced. The drug is unregulated, which may explain why some users have experienced adverse effects. You can never be sure of what you’ll get.

Legislators and concerned parents continue to squabble about its legitimacy, but for now it’s still legal in most states. Huffman told The Observer he’s just surprised it didn’t catch on sooner.

"I've come to the conclusion,” he says, “that if an enterprising person wants to find a new way to get high, they're going to do it."

The bottom line is that more investigation is needed to determine the effects of the drug’s use. Read the original article on K2 in Newsweek, or see Huffman’s interview in The Observer.

If a few vanity pounds are getting you down, it shouldn’t be about the ones on your hips. What you should be worrying about is visceral fat, which is the fat that sometimes surrounds the abdominal organs.

More women than men experience an increase in this type of fat, especially in the time following menopause. It is often responsible for the change in a woman’s body to an apple shape. In men, it may manifest itself as a “beer belly.”

Sometimes referred to as abdominal obesity, this fat is more dangerous than the subcutaneous fat that lies just under the skin. Fat cells produce hormones, including ones that can cause insulin resistance and type-2 diabetes. Visceral fat is also thought to increase the risk of heart disease, metabolic problems, and high blood pressure. It has also been linked to breast cancer.

It is quite possible for a person with a healthy weight and relatively trim waistline to have significant amounts of visceral fat. It can be hard to see because of where it lies; in some cases it can only be detected with an MRI.

According to the Mayo Clinic, lack of exercise and low metabolism isn’t necessarily the culprit. The problem, they say, may be genetics. If your family has a history of gaining weight around the middle, it may be a challenge for you, too. In women, hormonal changes during menopause also may cause a change in how fat is broken down and stored.

Rather than calculating your BMI, Mayo Clinic suggests simply measuring your waistline. A waist measurement of 35 inches or more, the clinic says, indicates an unhealthy concentration of abdominal fat.

One of the best things you can do for your body is exercise regularly, and, luckily, visceral fat responds well to working out. Daily moderate exercise along with strength training may be your best bet to battling the bulge.

A low-carb diet could do more than just shrink your waistline—it also may help lower your blood pressure.

Roughly 120 overweight or obese patients from the Department of Veterans Affairs clinics in Durham, N.C., volunteered for a study comparing the effects of two different dieting plans—the low-carb, ketogenic diet (LCKD) and a low-fat diet in combination with orlistat (LFD+O), a weight-loss medication.

Sixty-five of the volunteers completed the low-fat diet, eating a diet with less than 30 percent of energy intake from fat and taking 120 mg of orlistat three times daily. Orlistat (Alli, Xenical) is an over-the-counter weight loss aid that can block a significant amount of fat from being absorbed by the digestive system. At the end of the 48-week trial, the group cut 8.5 percent of body fat. Low-carb dieters, on an Atkins-style diet, had similar results, trimming 9.5 percent of body fat.

“Both groups lost considerable weight (on average 21-25 pounds) and experienced numerous health benefits and were able to reduce medications for chronic diseases associated with weight,” explains Dr. William Yancy, Jr., M.D.,  research associate at Durham’s Department of Veterans Affairs and lead author of the study.

Although both plans tied for weight loss and had similar HDL (good cholesterol) improvements, the group of 57 low-carb dieters also had decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressure by 5.9 and 4.5 mm, respectively.

Pre-trial, average body mass index (BMI) was 39.3, and one in three participants had type 2 diabetes. A healthy BMI score for an adult ranges between 18.5 and 24.9. As the scores rises, the risk for complications such as stroke, type 2 diabetes, poor cholesterol and heart disease increases.

Following the study, low-fat dieters enjoyed better LDL (bad cholesterol) levels, while participants on the low-carb diet had improved insulin metabolism, hemoglobin A_1C, and blood glucose levels.

“People with these diseases—hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, arthritis—or at risk for these diseases stand to benefit the most (from these diets),” Yancy explains.

There haven't been significant health risks for short-term dieters, but little is known of the effects after six months. Long-term dieters may be at risk for bone loss or kidney stones. In any case, Dr. Yancy urges anyone considering a low-carb, ketogenic diet to consult a physician.

The study's abstract can be found in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Your vitamin regimen may be boosting more than your immunity/metabolism. Certain herbal supplements can also increase blood lead levels.

A study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. investigates the effects different herbal supplements on blood lead levels. Supplements with high heavy metals levels included Ayurvedic herbs, echinacea, ginseng, St. John’s wort, bee pollen, ginko, and nettle.

Lead exposure can result in medical complications, including high blood pressure, kidney disease, cancer, heart disease and peripheral artery disease. High blood lead levels also pose a risk for women planning to become pregnant. Lead can lead to pregnancy complications for both the mother and the developing child.

“Among adults, the potential implications of low-level lead exposure are most relevant to women of child-bearing age,” study authors write. “As lead is especially harmful to developing nervous systems of fetuses and children and passes through the placenta and breast milk.”

Researchers recruited 6,712 Unites States women in good health who were of reproductive age—20 or more years old. Participants self-reported their vitamin regimen for 30 days, and were divided into groups based on the type of supplements they used.

Women who took these supplements had significantly higher lead levels than women who took other herbal medicines. Blood lead levels of women who took Ayurvedic supplements were 24 percent higher than non-users. St. John’s wort wasn’t far behind with 23 percent higher levels.

Greater lead levels were not seen in individuals who used other supplements, such as garlic. Researchers acknowledge that these supplements can have some beneficial effects on personal health, but recommend firmer regulations.

“Our data suggest testing guidelines for herbal supplements,” they write, “and regulations limiting lead in supplements are needed.”

Stressing about losing your job may cause more harm than actual job loss. More than 1,700 participants in the American’s Changing Lives (ACL) and the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) studies were asked: How likely is it that during the next couple of years you will involuntarily lose your job? Researchers from the University of Michigan and the University of California wanted to find the effects of job insecurity on employee health.

"It may seem surprising that chronically high job-insecurity is more strongly linked with health declines than actual job loss or unemployment," says Sarah Burgard, lead author of the study and research assistant professor in the University of Michigan’s Department of Sociology and School of Public Health, "but there are a number of reasons why this is the case.”

Middle-aged people who lack sleep are more likely to develop high blood pressure than those who get a full night’s sleep. A recent study published in the June 8th edition of Archives of Internal Medicine suggests that adults between the ages of 33 and 45 should get at least seven hours of sleep to promote healthy blood pressure levels.

The study found that each hour of sleep reduction was linked to a 37% increased likelihood for high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart attack, stroke, and heart failure. It is also a primary cause of kidney failure.

High blood pressure – also called hypertension – is characterized by a systolic blood pressure reading of at least 140 mmHg or a diastolic blood pressure reading of at least 90 mmHg. Healthy blood pressure should be near 120 mmHg for systolic and 80 mmHg for diastolic.

To keep blood sugar lower, get ample sleep, avoid stressful activities, minimize sodium intake, exercise often, and eat healthfully. Share your other blood pressure minimizing tips on the Healia High Blood Pressure Online Health Community and Support Group.

Not getting enough sleep? Get advice on the Healia Sleep Disorders Online Health Community and Support Group. Visit our Healia Sleep Disorders Quiz to challenge your knowledge about sleep.

It’s NCAA college basketball tournament time again and the "March Madness" can make your heart rate and blood pressure rise. This is especially true if you are watching your favorite team in a close game or sitting there helpless as a bracket-busting mid-major team ousts your championship pick in the first round. While this elevation in blood pressure is temporary, for sports fans there may be no better time to think about the lasting effects that chronic high blood pressure can have on your health, effects that may include kidney failure, heart disease, stroke, and early death.

The American Heart Association (AHA) has come up with a series of tips for ways to help control your high blood pressure at any time of the year. Follow these 10 tips and the AHA says you may be able to lower your high blood pressure to a healthier level:

• Know your blood pressure. Have it checked regularly or buy a reliable monitor to check it yourself at home.
  
• Know your ideal weight. Maintain your body weight in healthy range that is near the ideal.
  
• Skip the salt. Don't add extra salt salt to your meals and avoid foods with high sodium levels. Many processed and prepared foods contain large amounts of sodium so your sodium intake can be sky high without ever adding extra salt to anything. Check the packaging on prepared foods for the sodium levels and try to limit your sodium intake to between 1,500 mg and 2,400 mg per day.
  
• Eat nutrient-rich foods. Eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole-grain high-fiber foods according to American Heart Association recommendations.
  
• Limit alcohol intake. Don’t exceed one drink per day if you are a woman or two drinks a day if you are a man.
  
• Take your medicine properly. Your blood pressure medications should be taken exactly as the doctor prescribed. Be careful not to run out of pills, not even for a single day as it can have serious repercussions for your blood pressure.
  
• Keep appointments with the doctor. Make sure to see your doctor regularly and go to all your follow-up appointments.
  
• Get physical. Increase your physical activity level, but be sure to follow your doctor's advice about the type and amount of exercise that is right for you.
  
• Have your family checked. Make certain your parents, brothers, sisters and children have their blood pressure checked regularly. If you have high blood pressure, they are more likely to have it, and the reverse is also true.
  
• Live a normal life in every other way. Don’t let high blood pressure restrict your enjoyment of life. Constantly worrying about your health may actually make your high blood pressure worse.

Talk to your doctor to find out more information on lowering your blood pressure and keeping it low. To learn about preventing high blood pressure before it occurs, see "How can I Prevent High Blood Pressure" in the Healia Health Guide to High Blood Pressure.

_{Source: American Heart Association, 10 Ways to Control Your High Blood Pressure, Reviewed 01/08. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=578}

_{Photo: KitAy, Flickr, Creative Commons}