Supplements For Toning Your Blood Vessels

Several supplements have been found beneficial in maintaining or restoring normal blood-vessel tone.

Vitamin C. By itself, vitamin C can also improve blood vessel tone. In a study of patients with heart disease, researchers found that 2,000 mg of vitamin C protected against endothelial dysfunction after a high-fat meal. Similarly, 1,000 mg of vitamin C blunted the endothelial dysfunction caused by elevated blood levels of homocysteine.

L-Arginine. This amino acid is the precursor to nitric oxide, one of the key regulators of endothelial function. Nitric oxide increases endothelial flexibility, and studies have found L-arginine supplements (6 to 15 grams daily) helpful in angina pain and congestive heart failure. Lower doses, such as 2 grams (2,000 mg) daily can help treat erectile dysfunction. L-arginine works the same way as prescription drugs for erectile dysfunction -- that is, by increasing nitric oxide levels and improve blood-vessel tone. Vitamin C may further improve the activity of L-arginine.

Garlic. Long revered for its health benefits, garlic is rich in antioxidants and increases nitric oxide production. In a study of 15 men with coronary heart disease, researchers found that 2.4 grams of aged garlic extracts reduced endothelial dysfunction by 44 percent.

Alpha-Lipoic Acid. This antioxidant has long been used in Europe to treat symptoms of diabetic nerve disease. In a recent study at the Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, researchers reported that 300 mg of alpha-lipoic acid improved enthothelial function by almost 50 percent, and the antioxidant also enhanced the benefits of a drug used to treat heart disease.

Flavonoids. Flavonoids are a family of more than 5,000 potent antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables. In a recent study, Mary Engler, Ph.D., R.N., found that blood-vessel tone improved after subjects consumed 1.6 ounces of flavonoid-rich dark chocolate daily for two weeks. The improvements appeared related specific to increases in epicatechin, one of the antioxidant flavonoids in dark chocolate.

In sum, the health of your total circulatory system has a major effect on your overall risk of developing heart disease. Research on endothelial function has clearly shown that eating deep-fried foods can have a disastrous effect on your blood vessel tone. In contrast, healthier foods and certain supplements can help you stay buff inside. And who wouldn't want to be buff?

A Nutritional Approach To Immunity

Supplements shore up defenses during cold and flu season
The human body is continually protecting itself from the outside world. To shield itself from harmful environmental stimuli, the body employs its cells, biochemicals, organs and tissues. The complex interaction of these physiological systems produces immunity. Some of these systems have dual roles: The digestive system, for example, not only extracts and absorbs nutrients from foods but also destroys pathogenic organisms that may be present in foods. Other immune system components are more focused: White blood cells are specifically designed to destroy invading organisms.

One of the immune system's more extraordinary features is its ability to respond to the environment. When a threat is encountered, the immune system can mount an attack specifically designed to neutralize it. This is demonstrated most clearly in the antigen-antibody interaction. Antigens are proteinlike substances that identify living matter, much like biochemical name tags. When a white blood cell encounters another living organism--a bacterium, virus or normal human cell--it checks the name tag. When the system is working properly, if the tag says anything other than "self," the white blood cell considers the organism a hostile invader. Other immune cells are alerted and information gleaned from the antigen is used to design antibodies precisely configured to destroy both the antigen and the organism that carried it into the body.

Defects in any of the components of the immune system can impair its ability to recognize and neutralize invading organisms and thus increase susceptibility to infectious disease.

Bone-Degrading Substances Also Produced By Gums' Own Cells

Our gums' own cells produce the substances that lead to the degeneration of the jawbone. This is one of the findings in a dissertation that Py Palmqvist will defend at Umea University in Sweden on January 19. The findings are important to our understanding of how inflammation leads to loosening of the teeth, arthritic rheumatism, and prostheses detaching from the body.

The dissertation shows that certain signal substances in the body, so-called cytokines, have the ability to stimulate the cells in bones to degenerate and that these cytokines are produced not only by white blood corpuscles but also by cells in the gums, so-called gum fibroblasts. The production of the cytokine interleukin-6 and its closest relatives, interleukin-11 and leukemia inhibitory factor, is stimulated by certain inflammatory cytokines and is inhibited by other anti-inflammatory cytokines from white blood corpuscles. The findings are important to our understanding of the interplay between local cells in the gums and white blood corpuscles immigrating from the blood that regulates the degradation of bone in diseases involving loosening of the teeth.

The skeleton of a healthy adult human is constantly being renewed, with some parts degrading and being replaced by new bone, on the one hand, to exchange old bone for new bone and, on the other hand, to adapt the structure of the bone to new loads. This occurs at a rate of about 10 percent of the entire bone tissue being replaced each year. In pathological conditions, the reconstruction process can be altered so that the degradation increases and the new growth cannot replace all the degenerated bone. This occurs, for example, in most of the bones in the bodies of patients afflicted with osteoporosis as a result of changes in the amounts of sex hormones. It also occurs locally in certain parts of the skeleton where inflammatory processes are underway. In patients with inflamed gums, the inflammation process can affect the replacement of the bone around the teeth in the jaws so that the bone is lost. The teeth will then become looser and looser until they fall out­gum inflammation has led to loosening of the teeth.

In the same way, in patients with arthritic rheumatism, an inflammation can cause the bone in the joint to be lost, leaving the patient with pain and more and more limited joint function. Inflammation is also the cause of the loosening of certain implants in joints and in the skeleton.
The findings are significant for our understanding of how inflammation processes lead to the degradation of bone in diseases involving loosening of the teeth, arthritic rheumatism, and the loosening of prostheses in the skeleton.

The Swedish Research Council bears national responsibility for developing the country's basic research towards attainment of a strong international position. The Council has three main tasks: research funding, science communication and research policy. Research is the foundation for the development of knowledge in society, and the basis of high-quality education. Research is also crucial as a means of enhancing welfare through economic, social and cultural development.

What Is Gum Disease?

Gum disease is a bacterial infection of the tissues and bones that surround and support the teeth. It is also called periodontal disease.
Gingivitis is mild gum disease that only affects the gingiva, or gums, the tissue surrounding the teeth. Gum disease that progresses and spreads below the gum line to damage the tooth-supporting tissues and bone is called periodontitis.

• Gingivitis causes red, swollen gums that bleed easily when brushed. Because gingivitis usually doesn't cause pain, many people don't get the treatment they need.
• Periodontitis develops if gum disease progresses. The gums pull away from the teeth, leaving deep pockets where bacteria can grow and damage the bone that supports the teeth. Gums can also shrink back, or recede. This can make the teeth look longer. Teeth may become loose, fall out, or have to be removed.

What causes gum disease?
Your mouth constantly produces a clear, sticky substance called plaque that contains bacteria. The bacteria in plaque make poisons, or toxins, that irritate the gums and cause the tissues to break down. If you don't do a good job of removing plaque from your teeth, it can spread below the gum line and damage the bone that supports the teeth. With time, plaque hardens into a substance called tartar that has to be removed by a dentist or dental hygienist.

You are more likely to get gum disease if you:

• Do not clean your teeth well.
• Smoke or use spit tobacco.
• Have gum disease in your family.
• Have a condition that makes it harder for your body to fight infection, such as:
• Uncontrolled diabetes, AIDS, or leukemia.
• A high level of stress.
• A diet low in nutrients.

Gum Disease Advances

What are the symptoms?
Healthy gums are pink and firm, fit snugly around the teeth, and do not bleed easily. Early-stage gum disease (gingivitis) causes:

• Gums that are red, swollen, and tender.
• Gums that bleed easily during brushing or flossing.

As gum disease advances, it causes more noticeable symptoms, such as:

• Gums that pull away or recede from the teeth.
• Persistent bad breath.

• Pus coming from the gums.
• A change in how your teeth fit together when you bite.
• Loose teeth.

How is gum disease diagnosed?
To diagnose gum disease, your dentist will do an exam to look for:

• Bleeding gums.
• Hard deposits (calculus or tartar) above and below the gum line.
• Areas where your gums are pulling away or receding from your teeth.
• Pockets that have formed between your teeth and gums.

Your dentist or dental hygienist may take X-rays of your teeth to look for bone damage and other problems.

How is it treated?
If you have gingivitis, you will probably be able to reverse it with daily brushing and flossing and regular cleanings at your dentist's office.

If your gum disease has advanced to periodontitis, your dentist or dental hygienist will clean your teeth using a method called root planing and scaling. This removes the plaque and tartar buildup both above and below the gum line. You may also need to take antibiotics to help get rid of the infection in your mouth. If your gum disease is severe, you may need to have surgery.

How can I prevent gum disease?
While gum disease is most common in adults, it can affect anyone, even children, so good dental habits are important throughout your life:

• Brush your teeth at least twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste.
• Floss once a day.
• Visit your dentist for regular checkups and teeth cleaning.
• Don't use tobacco products.

Having gum disease may increase a pregnant woman's risk of having a premature, low-birth-weight baby. 1 Also, a recent study of older adults found a direct link between heart disease and the bacteria that cause gum disease. 2 So taking good care of your teeth and gums may have benefits beyond keeping your mouth healthy.