Drinks with added vitamins and minerals have become very popular lately in Europe. Everyone enjoys drinking “mineral water.” This is good because recent studies in Europe have shown that drinking water with added vitamins and minerals can lower a risk factor for heart disease, called plasma homocysteine. People with diabetes are at-risk for heart disease, so the news from these studies is very important.
One study was done by scientists in Finland. For eight weeks, 60 people drank either water that had added nutrients, like vitamin D, or a placebo—water that had nothing added to it. At the end of the study, the people who drank the fortified water had higher folate levels and lower plasma homocysteine.
In another study in Germany, 12 healthy men drank 1.4 liters of mineral water a day. The water was rich in magnesium, calcium and bicarbonate. These men then had positive changes in certain urine levels, which usually prevents problems, like developing calcium oxalate stones.
So order your mineral water and drink up. To your health!
Reduce Your Sodium Intake
It is important for heart health to keep blood pressure within the normal range. But according to a 450-page report from the Institute of Medicine, our daily sodium intake is way above the government’s recommendations. This is just one reason why high blood pressure is a growing concern for Americans, especially for people with diabetes.
Americans have grown used to the foods with high sodium contents, such as fast food and baked goods. And it’s tricky when even a simple bowl of soup, which is otherwise low in fat, calories and carbs, can contain more than 1,500 mg. of sodium. That is more than the new sodium recommendations from a federal panel, which suggested that people consume no more than 1,500 mg. of sodium throughout the entire day. While cutting back on high-sodium foods, people should also try to eat more fruits and vegetables, which are filling, low-in-sodium and provide nutrients, such as potassium. Fruits and vegetables are also helpful in preventing cancer, heart disease and other conditions.
So though it may be difficult for most of us to stick to the new sodium guidelines, we can do out best by becoming more aware of the sodium contents of the foods we eat and trying to avoid adding extra salt at the table. Eating more of the foods that are good for us and that are low in sodium is a great and tasty way to keep ourselves in the pink.
