If you had to rank the most important factors for a healthy heart, hormones would likely show up last on your list. But the truth is that these chemical messengers have a strong influence on just about every single one of your body’s delicate systems… and your cardiovascular system is no exception.

You may not realize it, but your blood vessels are lined with estrogen receptors, which play a key role in regulating healthy blood pressure, cholesterol and normal clot formation in both men and women.1 This may be one reason why pre-menopausal women enjoy more optimal heart health statistics than their male and postmenopausal counterparts—and why heart health becomes an important focus for women as they grow older.

Read The full article

Despite what your eye doctor may say, there are natural, common-sense strategies you can employ to help protect your healthy vision.

1. Quit smoking, if you currently do. Smoking ramps up free radical production throughout your body, and puts you at risk for less-than-optimal health in many ways. If you want healthy vision for your whole life, you cannot afford to risk less-than-optimal eye health with cigarettes.
2. Lose weight. If your over weight you’re going to have all the negative effects associated with being over weight or obese like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which can harm your eyes.
3. Care for your cardiovascular system. High blood pressure can cause damage to the minuscule blood vessels on your retina, obstructing free blood flow.
4. Normalize your blood sugar. Excessive sugar in your blood can pull fluid from the lens of your eye, affecting your ability to focus. And, it can damage the blood vessels in your retina, also obstructing blood flow.
5. Eat plenty of fresh dark green leafy vegetables. Studies have shown that a diet rich in dark leafy greens helps support eye health. And that those with the highest consumption of carotenoid-rich vegetables, especially ones rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, had increased vision health.
6. Consume omega-3 rich foods. Consume fresh caught salmon, or use a reputable omega – 3 supplement. A study published in the August 2001 issue of Archives of Ophthalmology found that consuming omega-3 fatty acids was protective of your healthy vision.

Mercola.com

Good dental hygiene can protect your teeth and gums from decay and other serious problems. Left untreated, dental and gum diseases can lead to tooth loss, infection, and damage to bones and nerves.

The American Dental Association offers these guidelines for proper hygiene:
* At least twice a day (and after meals when you can), brush with a fluoride toothpaste.
* Use an antimicrobial mouthwash.
* Floss at least once each day. If possible, floss after every meal to remove food particles from between teeth.
* Get a new toothbrush at least once every three months, or whenever the brush’s bristles become frayed and worn.
* Limit sugary meals, drinks and snacks.
* Visit your dentist twice a year for a cleaning and checkup.

HealthDay.com (HealthDay News)

What this health update does not discuss, is the link between bad oral hygiene and cardiovascular disease. Studies have shown that people with periodontal disease have almost twice the risk of CVD as those without periodontal disease.

Researchers are not exactly sure why periodontal disease is linked to CVD; one possibility is that the bacteria actually damage the artery walls causing clots to form in order to repair the damage which can lead to fatty plaques. When researchers look at the areas where plaque has formed in the arteries they have found damaged tissue caused by viruses and bacteria.