Champagne is good for your heart!

Research from the University of Reading suggests that two glasses of Champagne a day may be good for your heart and circulation. The researchers have found that drinking Champagne wine daily in moderate amounts causes improvements in the way blood vessels function.

Champagne does this by increasing the availability of nitric oxide, a vascular active molecule which controls blood pressure. It is able to induce these effects because it contains polyphenols, plant chemicals from the red grapes and white grapes used in Champagne production.

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Fish-derived or Plant-derived Omega-3s Margarine: Which is Healthier?

We’ve all heard the amazing health benefits of omega-3 essential fatty acids (EFAs); they are good for the heart, mood, joints, eyes, etc. What is still being debated, however, is which omega-3 offers the most benefits.

Not all omega-3s are created equal. The ones with the biggest health benefits are found in fish like salmon and mackerel, which have the two long chain fatty acids docosahexaenoic (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic (EPA). Plant-derived omega-3s — the fatty acids found in flax seeds, olive oil and some leafy greens — don’t contain these specific fatty acid chains. While they’re also thought to be good for the heart, they don’t have quite the same effect on the body as their fish-derived cousins.

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