By now we know that there are avoidable risk factors for heart disease, and unavoidable risk factors. Diet, exercise, weight, stress, and smoking or using tobacco have long been associated with avoidable and controllable factors of heart disease. Family history is one of the unavoidable factors, until now. Recent research published in the journal Hypertension states that ‘physically fit people with a family history of high blood pressure were up to 34% less likely to develop high blood pressure than people who rarely exercised.’

A Family History of Heart Disease

According to WebMD, if you have a parent with hypertension, the odds that you will have high blood pressure could be as high as 65%. For years upon years, family history of high blood pressure and heart disease provided inevitable evidence that you would end up with the same fate. If your mom or dad had high blood pressure, you did one of two things; everything that you could to stay heart healthy, or nothing at all because the risks were their either way.

That’s exactly why this new study is so important. If you’re parents have high blood pressure, you can still control your risk factors.

People with a high level of physical fitness were 42% less likely to have high blood pressure and those with a moderate level of fitness were 26% less likely, compared to people with a low level of physical fitness.

Among people with a parent with high blood pressure, those who were most physically fit had only a 16% higher risk of developing high blood pressure than those who were fit and had no family history of the disease.

The reverse was also true. People with a parent with high blood pressure and a low level of physical fitness were 70% more likely to develop hypertension compared to highly fit people with no family history of the disease. –WebMD

You Can Control Your Fate

There is no longer any excuse for giving in to the fact that high blood pressure is just ‘in your genes,’ because research is showing how you can control your own fate, even if it is ‘in your genes.’ You can no longer maintain a poor diet and choose the couch over a run because ‘there’s no use, I’ll have high blood pressure either way.’

With exercise, a healthy diet, and heart healthy supplements like l-arginine, you can control your fate! Exercise is such a crucial part of our existence, and something that everyone should be implanting into their daily routine. Even if it’s just a walk around the block every morning after you’ve had your l-arginine supplement, it will make a world of a difference.

Take this new research as a kick in the butt, so to speak, to take control of your health and your future. If you need some motivation, give us a call and ask how Cardio Juvenate can help you become heart healthy!

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We hear quite often about hypertension and high blood pressure, and we’re well aware of how much money Americans spend on statins and beta blockers, and the over $90 billion that the U.S. spent on healthcare costs related to hypertension in 2010, but did you know that 30% of American adults have prehypertension! That’s more than 70 million adults! Take into consideration that about 65 million adults have actual hypertension, that’s an amazing amount of individuals who are at risk for heart disease and stroke.

What is Prehypertension?

Hypertension is ‘slightly elevated blood pressure’ that is not quite hypertension, but on the verge. In most cases, prehypertension will turn into hypertension if lifestyle changes are not made immediately. Prehypertension is a warning, a very strong warning, that you are on the verge of a serious medical condition and you absolutely must change your habits. It’s a wakeup call, is what it is.

Not too long ago, a normal blood pressure reading would be about 120/80, where your systolic reading is 120 and your diastolic reading is 80. However, this all changed when researchers began discovering how much of an impact high blood pressure does have on your heart health. According to WebMD, starting as low as 115/75, the risk of heart attack and stroke doubles for every 20-point jump in systolic blood pressure or every 10-point rise in diastolic blood pressure.

“We’ve also learned that people age 55 and older, who currently have normal blood pressure, have a 90% risk of developing high blood pressure down the road,” says Aram Chobanian, MD, Dean of Boston University School of Medicine, who chaired the guidelines committee.

How Can I Avoid Prehypertension?

If you take a look at the statistics, and the blood pressure numbers, it’s pretty obvious that there’s a pretty good chance you could become one of the statistics, if you’re not already. And the sad part about prehypertension is that our lives as Americans are full of bad habits, too much cholesterol, not enough nuts and veggies, and even over-the-counter medications and unavoidable environmental toxins.

Of course, there are those bad habits that put us at risk for prehypertension; those ones that are within our control such as diet, weight, activity levels, and alcohol or drug use. You do have control over these aspects of your life, and you can directly affect whether you will be a statistic or not.

Avoiding prehypertension involves changing your lifestyle. As I said before, a prehypertension diagnosis is a wakeup call. It’s a call to action, a second chance to change your life before it’s too late. Before you are stuck on beta blockers and statins and living every day in fear of a heart attack. Before you get to that point, talk with your doctor about eating healthy foods like nuts and veggies. Talk to a trainers about maintaining a healthy weight and exercise routine. Limit your alcohol intake. And, of course, take your supplements with l-arginine and red wine extract.

Interested in learning more about how L-Arginine can Lower Your Blood Pressure?

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Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, which is a key element in muscle creation. While L-arginine and L-carnitine are amazing for heart health, heart disease, blood pressure and circulation, they are also wonderful when it comes to muscle gain and weight loss. We are often asked, “why include arginine and carnitine in your supplement? Why not just have one or the other like some of the other heart healthy drinks on the market?” We are far different than those other ‘heart healthy supplements’ that you’ve heard of, and including L-arginine and L-carnitine is just one of the extremely important ways in which we’re different.

(We are the only Nitric Oxide supplement on the market that includes L-carnitine in it’s formula along with L-citrulline and L-arginine)

What are Amino Acids?

When you’re trying to lose weight and gain muscle, there are literally thousands of supplements and even more opinions out there, each one different then the next. It’s no wonder that people get confused and turn to the wrong supplements. Let’s take a look at why certain elements must be included in your diet in order for healthy weight loss and muscle gain to take place.

Amino Acids serve two major purposes within the body; synthesize proteins and produce energy, simply speaking. Many amino acids are precursors for other molecules within the body, such as arginine is a precursor of nitric oxide. Amino acids make up 75% of  your body, and are responsible for every syntheses and chemical reaction within your body.

L-Cartinine Supplements

Growing in popularity among body builders and those looking to lose weight, L-carnitine has been mentioned as a top ten weight loss and muscle building supplement everywhere from Muscle and Fitness Magazine to The Huffington Post. It’s results are undeniable, which is why we include it in our formula while many of our competitors do not.

L-carnitine, like L-arginine, increases blood flow to the muscles, which delivers important nutrients and oxygen to those muscles during workouts. It also increases the amount of T Receptors inside the cells of the muscles, which stimulates muscle growth. Studies have also shown that L-carnitine increases levels of IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor), which has been proven to promote growth and prevent cell death. IGF-1 is also becoming quite popular among body builders.

L-carnitine, besides being able to improve muscle growth, is also able to metabolize fat and increase energy. Remarkable little amino acid, right?

L-Arginine Supplements

L-arginine is well known for being a precursor to nitric oxide, one of the body’s most important elements. Besides being amazing for heart health, L-arginine is great for muscle growth.  By increasing the production of nitric oxide, l-arginine dialates and opens blood vessels as well as regulates muscle growth. By increasing blood flow to the muscles, L-arginine facilitates a healthy delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the muscles as they pump, increasing growth.

It has also been shown through studies to increase GH (growth hormone) levels.

As you can see, combining these two amazing amino acids is a power-packed punch of muscle growth and weight loss benefits. While they both work in similar ways, they also both have their own strengths. Interested in learning more about why we have what the others don’t? Contact us today!

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The benefits of L-carnitine are far reaching and extend to any number of conditions and diseases found in the body. Even the act of maintaining general good health can be helped by using L-carnitine as a part of your daily vitamin regimen. In fact, taking L-carnitine supplements can aid in controlling diabetes, help to reduce angina, increase blood flow through the body to assist in bettering vascular disease and more. It helps to combat fertility issues, erectile dysfunction, hyperthyroidism and aids in weight loss and fitness.

In fact, many people that have serious fitness regimens often use L-carnitine to help build up their immunity and increase strength and stamina. It is naturally-occurring and can be found in red meat, poultry, fish, wheat, peanut butter, tempeh and more. You can use L-carnitine supplements and eat a diet rich in foods that contain this amino acid to get the greatest benefit out of it.

L-Carnitine and Brain Benefits

However, one area where L-carnitine supplements are causing quite a stir in a good way in the increased brain benefits of this important amino acid. Researchers recently discovered that taking L-carnitine supplements as part of a daily vitamin and supplement regimen may well help to combat Alzheimer’s Disease and other similar dysfunctional brain conditions that cause decreased mental abilities and functions. Currently, in the U.S., more than 5 million people are battling this horrible disease, which essentially robs you of your health and your ability to function in your environment and your life in general.

The study specific to Alzheimer’s took place in China late last year and showed that the presence of L-carnitine in the body improved memory issues related to the disease by amping up some of the very important nutrients and chemical compounds in the brain. While the study was done on rats, it proved very promising for those suffering the horrible mental debilitations of the disease. During the study, the rats were given L-carnitine supplements, which resulted in suppressed some of the chemicals that cause the severe dementia associated with Alzheimer’s.

While these findings need to progress further before human trials can be explored, it is one of the more hopeful signs that there may be a way to use natural supplements to fight the effects of Alzheimer’s. And because L-carnitine supplements have so many overall health benefits, this is just one more way that adding it your daily regimen can benefit you even down the road.

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COPD, also known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, can cause very serious health effects stemming from issues with your lungs that can prove to be debilitating and, in some instances, fatal. In fact, COPD is the fourth-leading cause of the death in this country, which is why it is so important to do whatever you can to address the disease itself and the effects of it. Taking L-carnitine supplements and doing what you can to take care of your lungs are among the best ways to ensure that COPD stays in control and doesn’t result in your life spinning out of control.

What is COPD?

COPD is characterized by issues with your lungs combining the effects of emphysema and bronchitis; in fact, the term is used a blanket word for these two conditions. It is a progressive disease that gets worse over time if you don’t take steps to stem the tide of the disease. Getting plenty of exercise is just one way to help rejuvenate and strengthen your lungs to combat the COPD; however, supplements and vitamins is another.

L-Carnitine for COPD

The benefits of L-carnitine supplements are far-reaching and extend to just about all areas of the body. From increasing your heart health to dealing with issues surrounding infertility, it’s not a wonder that L-carnitine supplements may be able to help with COPD issues as well.  Because working out is the best way to combat COPD, you need more energy and taking L-carnitine supplements is a great way to get it. Your body naturally produces this important amino acid, and it is also found in various aspects of your diet, but if you need extra energy to have the stamina to work out those lungs, taking this supplement is a great way to get a boost. In fact, a study was done recently to show that people taking L-carnitine supplements were able to more effectively manage a walking regimen to help with their COPD than those that were not taking the supplement at all.

If you are looking for solutions to help with your COPD, talk to your doctor about L-carnitine supplements, as this might be a great addition to your existing medical regimen.

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Vulnerable atherosclerotic plaque; ever heard of it? It is the most deadly form of cholesterol, plague build-up within the walls of your arteries. It is extremely weak (aka ‘vulnerable’), difficult to detect, and highly unstable. A rupture of vulnerable atherosclerotic plague can lead directly to heart failure and death. What can you do to prevent vulnerable plaque? How can l-arginine supplements reduce your risk? Read on…

Vulnerable Plaque

We all know what plaque is, right? Plaque build-up within the arteries is caused by unhealthy levels of cholesterol within the body. Through a process called atherosclerosis, or the hardening of the arteries, cholesterol grows along the walls of the arteries, blocking places where blood flow is crucial.

Vulnerable plaque is dangerous for many reasons, some of which are because this form of plaque is well hidden within the walls of your arteries and extremely difficult to detect. The other is because vulnerable plaque is extremely fragile and when it ruptures it sends debris into the blood stream, causing blood clots and heart attack or stroke. According to Forbes, 85% of all heart attacks are a direct result of ruptured vulnerable plaque.

Vulnerable plaque is a ‘large and soft’ pool of lipids underneath a particularly delicate cap, which, under certain pressures, can easily rip or rupture. These certain pressures include high blood pressure, stress, and elements that would normally lead to a heart attack.

Preventing Vulnerable Plaque

Just as you can have control over your heart attack risk, you also have control over your risk for vulnerable plaque. By maintaining a healthy diet, keeping blood pressure low as well as cholesterol levels low, maintaining a healthy weight, taking aspirin, taking l-arginine supplements, and quitting bad habits can lower your risk.

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All-natural remedies vs prescription medication, homeopathic vs conventional medicine; these are the discussions that many adults have every single day when it comes to heart health. Diuretics and beta-blockers, the common medication for hypertension (high blood pressure)can cost you anywhere between $30 to $200 a month, and that’s not including a trip to the physician for prescription refills. In 2000, adults in the U.S. spent over $30 billion on prescription medication to lower high blood pressure! With that said, there are all-natural solutions to high blood pressure, L-arginine supplements being an effective alternative.

The Cost of Hypertension

According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, about 60 million Americans are obese and another 48 million are overweight; obesity costs families, businesses, and government about $117 billion a year in health care and related costs. Obesity is a rising epidemic in the U.S., and one of the top contributing factors to high blood pressure and heart disease, including stroke, heart attack and death.

While 65 million American adults have hypertension, over 45 million U.S. adults have “prehypertension,” or a blood pressure that is above normal but not to the level of hypertension yet. And, according to the Center, over 90 million U.S. adults will fall into the category of hypertension and high blood pressure within the next few years.

In April of 2011, WebMD published a report regarding the ‘most-prescribed’ drugs in the U.S. Of those, Generic Zocor, a cholesterol-lowering statin, Lisinopril, a blood pressure drug, and Generic Norvasc, another blood pressure durg were numbers two, three and five on the list.

In 2010, Americans spent $7.2 billion on Lipitor, a cholesterol-lowering statin, and $3.8 billion on Crestor, a cholesterol-lowering drug.

All-Natural Solutions for Hypertension vs Conventional

Prescription medication and blood pressure drugs as those mentioned above contain unnatural substances that are not commonly found within the body, the liquids we drink or the foods we eat. These medications alter our brain chemistry, hormones, mentality, and often come with many side effects.

Many prescription medications ‘trick’ the brain, so to speak, to not feel pain or to feel the opposite of what our body is telling us. They are designed to mask the problem, cover it and manage it, rather than focusing on fixing it and living healthier. Unlike all-natural solutions like L-arginine supplements, prescription medication leaves the patient at risk of dependency and a lethargy to making the necessary lifestyle changes that can improve overall health and well being.

All-natural solutions to hypertension like L-arginine supplements are far better for the body, the brain, and your overall well being. Arginine is one of the most common amino acids and is naturally derived from not only within the human body, but from dairy products like milk and yogurt, as well as plant sources such as nuts, oatmeal, seeds and soybeans.

While arginine is derived from the earth, hypertension medical such as beta blockers and diuretics are made from a ‘beta-adrenergic blocking substance’ that ‘blocks the effects of a hormone called epinephrine in the body, also known as adrenaline. The beta blockers basically block the beta receptors, which are protein molecules that process messages sent out by the nervous system. Beta blockers also help to widen blood vessels, just as l-arginine supplements do, to reduce blood pressure.

Every individual will react differently to both beta blockers and l-arginine supplements. While they both provide similar solutions to hypertension, they are derived and produced very differently. And when considering cost, l-arginine supplements are far more affordable. However, it is important that you speak to your physician about all-natural alternatives to beta blockers like arginine. While prescription medication might be the right choice for you, l-arginine supplements can achieve the same results when combined responsibly with exercise and a healthy diet.

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Every woman has a unique experience with menopause. It’s natural, and no matter what the experience with menopause is, every women will experience it at some point in their lives. As part of the natural biological process, menopause can be both physically and emotionally disruptive to your daily life, your sleep habits, and much more. Many women at this time are prescribed hormone replacement therapy or some other form of prescription medication, when in fact there are all-natural solutions to this process, and arginine supplements are just the beginning.

What is Menopause Exactly?

According to the Mayo Clinic, menopause is the permanent end of menstruation and fertility, defined as occurring 12 months after your last menstrual period. As mentioned, every woman’s experience with menopause is unique to them, but overall many of the symptoms will be the same:

• Decreased fertility
• Hot flashes
• Trouble sleeping
• Weight gain
• Thinning hair

Of course, each of these symptoms will be distinctive depending on each individual going through menopause, but overall these are the ones that can cause the most disruption.

The reason for these symptoms is due to the fact that your ovaries will start producing less and less estrogen and progesterone, which is why hormone replacement therapy is often prescribed by physicians.

All-Natural Remedies to Menopause Symptoms

Maintaining a healthy diet, exercising, and practicing relaxation techniques such as yoga or meditation are wonderful, all-natural ways that you can ease the transition through menopause. Simply watching what foods you eat trigger hot flashes can help you avoid them. Studies have shown how effective yoga can be at decreasing hot flashes as well.

Arginine supplements have been shown to have a positive effect on hot flashes as well. As some of our very own clients can tell you, arginine supplements have decreased the onset of these hot flashes, making them more bearable and less traumatic. Arginine decreases the affects of hot flashes by increasing healthy circulation, thus promoting the function of the underlying muscles, making the body feel ‘normal’ again.

Larrian Gillespie, author of The Menopause Diet, has suggested that 500 mg/day of the amino acid L-arginine may be effective in decreasing the affects of hot flashes.

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Cardio Juvenate does more than improve heart health, it can literally change lives. We’ve got the most amazing customers and clients who have experienced the amazing difference that this arginine supplement makes in their lives. From improved energy to lower blood pressure and menopausal benefits, there really is no end to what arginine, carnitine and some citrulline can do for your body.

Take Kathy, for example. As someone who has struggled with high blood pressure while going through menopause, Kathy had seen every physician and specialist available. And then she tried Cardio Juvenate. I’ll let her tell the rest:

I consider Cardio-Juvenate my little fountain of youth. I just turned 49 and went through “the change” of menopause, and what a change it was. My skin textured changed, my body composition changed, my blood pressure changed (and went through the roof often peaking at 190/116– ON all kinds of blood pressure medicine), my sleep patterns changed, my energy level and strength changed–dropped dramatically. A past body-builder, first place powerlifter, swimmer, gymnast, and triathlete, I was quite distressed over all these changes to my strength, energy, and body composition. But worst of all were the debilitating hot flashes and night sweats along with the dangerously high blood pressure. Having always been “younger than my years”, I aged about 10 years in just one year of “the change.” No prescription medicine was working to help bring down my blood pressure or relieve me of the hot flashes and night sweats which kept me from getting any sound sleep for months on end. I feared I was destined to live a sleepless, sweat filled life. Then my niece gave me a jar of cardio-juvenate for Christmas; I started using it on Jan. 1, and the hands of time have been turned back! Within two weeks, my hot flashes and night sweats started decreasing; they are now gone completely. Sound sleep has returned to me at night. Blood pressure is now in the normal range of 120s/70/s (often lower). Energy and strength are returning. Body is firming back up a bit. And my mind is sharp! I noticed the “brain power” right away. I can just think more clearly, more focused, more critically.

I am definitely a proponent of cardio-juvenate and would definitely recommend it to any one looking for better blood pressure, more energy, and more strength, but most of all, I would recommend it for women going through “the change”!

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According to the American Heart Association, about 76.4 million people age 20 and older have high blood pressure. That’s one in three adults here in the United States. Amazingly, over 50% of those adults either don’t know they have high blood pressure or are completely unaware how to control it. Education and awareness are key elements in not only treating high blood pressure, but preventing it all together.

High Blood Pressure and a Lack of Knowledge

Unfortunately, though high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is one of the deadliest diseases in the United States, taking nearly 350,000 lives in 2008, it is still met with misconception, misunderstanding, and in many cases a complete lack of knowledge. Below are the top 5 misunderstood conceptions regarding hypertension:

High Blood Pressure is Normal – Hypertension is not normal. No matter the fact that 76 million adults have high blood pressure, this only goes to the fact that hypertension is quickly becoming an epidemic. In fact, even back in 2004 the American Heart Association was calling hypertension an epidemic, and that’s when numbers were far lower than they are today. Hypertension is not normal, and is extremely dangerous, even life threatening. It can lead to many cardiovascular complications, including heart disease, heart attack, stroke and death.

High Blood Pressure is for Older Men – This is one of the most common misconceptions regarding high blood pressure. Many people still falsely believe that only older men struggle with hypertension, when in fact women might be at a greater risk for high blood pressure if they are on the Pill, pregnant, overweight, or have a family history. And, as the numbers above have shown, high blood pressure can affect anyone at nearly any age. A recent study that we posted on http://hearthealthstudies.blogspot.com/ found that 12-year-old children who drank soda once a day were already showing signs of narrow arteries.

High Blood Pressure Cannot Be Prevented in My Family – If you have a family history of hypertension, you might just believe that it’s your fate and there is nothing that you can do about it. This is completely false, and it leaves you wide open to many cardiovascular diseases and the realities of not living a full life. You can prevent high blood pressure with a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting salt intake, limiting alcohol intake, exercising, and limiting stress. There is a mental fog that encompasses high blood pressure when it runs in the family. Many think it’s just a fact of life, but that is not the case. With a healthy lifestyle and all-natural solutions such as arginine supplements, you can prevent hypertension.

My High Blood Pressure Readings are Wrong – You feel fine, you’re living your life, and the doctor says your numbers are high, showing early signs of hypertension. But you’re nervous at the doctor’s office, so you blame it on stress or anxiety and the time of day. In reality, the numbers don’t lie. Yes, anxiety, stress and the time of day can affect your blood pressure readings, but if those readings are consistently above normal it is imperative that you take notice and act right away. This is not something that you can leave for another day, deal with it now.

High Blood Pressure Treatment is Intrusive – Yes, you will have to change your habits. You will have to kick the bad habits and focus on healthy habits. You will have to develop a treatment plan that is attainable, realistic, and something that you can stick to. Living with hypertension is about changing your entire lifestyle, which can be incredibly intrusive and uncomfortable, however if you want to live to see your grandchildren it is necessary. You will need to maintain your weight, get active, change your diet, and possibly take medications. However, if you take the numbers seriously and catch hypertension before it gets out of control, you can change your lifestyle early and avoid medications by trying all-natural solutions like arginine supplements. Arginine is an all-natural solution to hypertension that literally improves  cardiovascular health by widening your narrow and blocked arteries, creating more space for healthy blood flow and decreasing your high blood pressure.

Education is key to battling hypertension. Even as nearly 80 million adults are living and struggling with high blood pressure, many of them (over 50%) are not knowledgeable or aware of what to do about it. You can prevent hypertension and you can manage it. It just takes a bit of education, understanding, and a willingness to change.

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