Forty-eight postmenopausal women with pre- and stage 1-hypertension who consumed 22 grams of freeze-dried blueberry powder or 22 g of a control powder after 8 weeks systolic and diastolic blood pressures and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity were significantly lower, and nitric oxide levels significantly higher than at baseline levels in the blueberry powder, whereas there were no changes in the control group. Blueberry’s benefit may be from increasing nitric oxide production.
Kirk's Comment: How simple is this! Eating less than a 1/4 cup of blueberry powder daily(I don't know how many blueberries that is?) reduced blood pressure, the stiffness in the arteries, and increased the most important and protective chemical to our blood vessels nitric oxide. For men and women this can mean lower blood pressure and a reduced risk of heart disease because nitric oxide is protective of that precious single layer of our inner arteries called the "endothelium". If you're a "lucky" guy eating blueberries daily might help with your erections because the Viagra-type drugs work by keeping more nitric oxide around in that "small artery" you know where!....Eat your blue berries...everyone! Not just post-menopausal women. Also, the anthocyanins in dark berries protect our eyes against macular degeneration, the number one cause of vision loss in the elderly!....And they taste good!
You may call Kirk Hamilton PA-C Monday thru Friday 8-9 a.m. PST at 916-489-4400 for brief medical questions at Health Associates Medical Group. (KwikerMedical.com) To listen to more of Kirk's podcasts go to StayingHealthyToday.com and you can sign up for Kirk's Free Health Letter HERE.