Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
21 May 2014 08:37
Combining olive oil with nitrate-rich salads make the foods even healthier, researchers say
A Mediterranean holiday offers travellers the chance to get plenty of sunshine and visit some of Europe's best-known sights at the same time.
But it also provides holidaymakers with the ideal opportunity to acquire a taste for the Mediterranean diet, which has long been said to hold health benefits.
And while they would be well advised to take out specialist travel insurance for their trip, holidaymakers can - a new British and American study suggests - ensure they keep their blood pressure under control by tucking into Greek salads and other healthy Mediterranean favourites.
For researchers have found that the unsaturated fat in olive oil, nuts and avocados combine with the nitrates found in vegetables such as lettuce, celery, spinach and carrots to inhibit an enzyme associated with high blood pressure.
Their tests on mice showed that combining the foods resulted in the formation of nitro-fatty acids which counter high blood pressure by suppressing the enzyme.
The results suggest that drizzling olive oil over a nitrate-rich salad or sprinkling some nuts or slices of avocado on top of it will make it even healthier.
Led by Dr Philip Eaton, of King's College, London, the research was co-funded by the British Heart Foundation.
The charity's Dr Sanjay Thakrar said the results helped explain why a Mediterranean diet appeared to have health benefits for the heart.
He said although further research was now required, the study's results showed how high blood pressure - one of the main risk factors for heart disease - could be countered by a compound such as the nitro-fatty acids.
The study has been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal.
22 September 2017
A new computer code that can be applied to GP surgery data could be the answer to identifying those most at risk of developing bowel cancer.
[more...]
21 September 2017
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a warning over a growing resistance to antibiotics.
20 September 2017
Thousands of Ryanair flights have been cancelled over the next six weeks, as the airline says it "messed up" allocation of its pilots' annual leave.
19 September 2017
Manchester's Girlguides are being urged to help the elderly with a new badge incentivising youngsters to tackle senior loneliness.
16 September 2017
Holidaymakers are being evacuated as winds up to 200km per hour hit Central Vietnam, with Typhoon Doksuri damaging houses, roads and infrastructure.
15 September 2017
People in parts of East Anglia are eight times more likely to survive liver disease than Blackpool residents, according to new data by Public Health England (PHE).
14 September 2017
A non-invasive alternative to gastric bypass surgery that helps people with Type 2 diabetes lose weight is being recommended for widespread use by NHS experts.
13 September 2017
Almost half of UK adults travelling to areas at risk of malaria are not covering themselves by taking medication, despite recommendations made by the NHS and world health organisations.
12 September 2017
A new health warning has been issued by scientists in Sweden, suggesting e-cigarettes with nicotine could lead to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
09 September 2017
Researchers have developed a futuristic pen-like device that can tell whether someone has cancer much faster than current technology.
08 September 2017
A staffing crisis in the NHS is seeing cancer patients turned away from their GP surgery and instead visiting A&E, a report has claimed.
07 September 2017
Whether it's binge-watching box-sets, shopping for clothes, chatting to friends or picking up work emails, staying connected is pretty much essential to everyday life.