Sipping hibiscus tea may help tame high blood pressure, recent research from Tufts University suggests. For six weeks, a group of adults with mildly elevated blood pressure drank three cups of the tart tea or a placebo drink daily. By the end of the study, tea-taking participants had significantly lowered their systolic blood pressure (the top number on a blood-pressure reading). What’s more, those who had higher blood pressure at the start of the study saw even greater improvement than their less hypertensive counterparts. Hibiscus tea’s heart-healthy effects most likely have to do with its high levels of flavonoids, potent antioxidants shown to lower blood pressure in past research, notes study author Diane McKay, Ph.D.
Belly Fat and the Blues
Depression may prompt you to pack on more belly fat, a key risk factor for major health problems like diabetes and heart disease. For a new report from Archives of General Psychiatry, researchers measured overall and abdominal obesity in 2,088 older adults, four percent of whom had depression at the start of the study. At a five-year follow-up, depression was linked to an increase in sagittal diameter (the distance between the back and the highest point of the abdomen) and visceral fat (the fat between your internal organs). However, no such association was found for an increase in overall obesity. It’s possible that chronic stress stemming from depression may spur the release of cortisol (a hormone that causes visceral fat to accumulate), according to the study’s authors.
Music Makes Your Heart Sing
Cranking up a happy song could bring bliss to your heart. In a recent University of Maryland study, ten healthy adults experienced beneficial changes to their blood vessels after listening to music that made them feel good. While tuning into songs they considered stress-inducing, on the other hand, study members saw their blood vessels narrow in a manner that could reduce blood flow to the heart.
Music seems to stir a physiological response powerful enough to relax or constrict the blood vessels, partly due to its effects on emotional state, according to principal investigator Michael Miller, M.D. “The emotional component may be an endorphin-mediated effect,” he explains. “The active listening to music evokes such raw positive emotions likely in part due to the release of endorphins, part of that mind-heart connection that we yearn to learn so much more about.”
Bad-for-you Bosses
Can’t stand your boss? Your heart health may be in jeopardy, according to a new report published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine. After asking more than 3,100 men to rate their managers on certain behaviors (such as consideration for their employees), researchers found that those who gave their bosses “low leadership scores” had a higher risk of heart disease.