HEALTH: Pomegranate Juice, Arteries and B P

I'm doing a study online about pomegranate juice and blood pressure. At the "Pom Wonderful" website there is an article called "Pomegranate Juice Consumption for 3 Years by Patients with Carotid Artery Stenosis Reduces Common Carotid Intima-Media Thickness, Blood Pressure and LDL Oxidation"

You'll find that report at www.pomwonderful.com/heart_health.html

Intima-Media Thickness means plaque build up.

There is another article called "Pomegranate Juice Consumption Inhibits Serum Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Activity and Reduces Systolic Blood Pressure"

You'll find that report at www.pomwonderful.com/serum_angiotension.html

If I understand these reports, they seem to say that drinking 8 ounces of "Pom Wonderful" daily can possibly do 3 things.

1. Reduce plaque in arteries.

2. Lower systolic blood pressure.

3. Reduce LDL oxidation.

My conclusion? This could warrant further study in the future and a good quality pomegranate juice in my daily diet would be a wise move.

Look around the "Pom Wonderful" website while your there. They have some interesting information.

Happy arteries to all!

LIFE: Happy Thanksgiving

I remember thanksgivings past. Turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, pumpkin pie, and family. A day of feasting and fun. These are fond memories. There was a season when we played croquet and a season when we played horseshoes.

There are other meanings to thanksgiving. Actually the very concept originates from the Bible.

Here is a quote from the Whitehouse News, 2004.

"President's Thanksgiving Day 2004 Proclamation By the President of the United States of America, A Proclamation
In Focus: Thanksgiving 2004
All across America, we gather this week with the people we love to give thanks to God for the blessings in our lives. We are grateful for our freedom, grateful for our families and friends, and grateful for the many gifts of America. On Thanksgiving Day, we acknowledge that all of these things, and life itself, come from the Almighty God.
Almost four centuries ago, the Pilgrims celebrated a harvest feast to thank God after suffering through a brutal winter. President George Washington proclaimed the first National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789, and President Lincoln revived the tradition during the Civil War, asking Americans to give thanks with "one heart and one voice." Since then, in times of war and in times of peace, Americans have gathered with family and friends and given thanks to God for our blessings.
Thanksgiving is also a time to share our blessings with those who are less fortunate. Americans this week will gather food and clothing for neighbors in need. Many young people will give part of their holiday to volunteer at homeless shelters and food pantries. On Thanksgiving, we remember that the true strength of America lies in the hearts and souls of the American people. By seeking out those who are hurting and by lending a hand, Americans touch the lives of their fellow citizens and help make our Nation and the world a better place.
This Thanksgiving, we express our gratitude to our dedicated firefighters and police officers who help keep our homeland safe. We are grateful to the homeland security and intelligence personnel who spend long hours on faithful watch. And we give thanks for the Americans in our Armed Forces who are serving around the world to secure our country and advance the cause of freedom. These brave men and women make our entire Nation proud, and we thank them and their families for their sacrifice.
On this Thanksgiving Day, we thank God for His blessings and ask Him to continue to guide and watch over our Nation.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 25, 2004, as a National Day of Thanksgiving. I encourage all Americans to gather together in their homes and places of worship to reinforce the ties of family and community and to express gratitude for the many blessings we enjoy.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-third day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand four, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twenty-ninth. "

Here are a few quotes from the Bible.

"Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving And pay your vows to the Most High ;
Call upon Me in the day of trouble ; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me."

Psalm 50: 14-15 NASB

"He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; And to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God." Psalm 50: 23

Evidently it is a sacrifice for us to give thanks to God. probably because it is in our nature to turn away from God. But notice that God makes us some promises if we will thank Him. It is humbling to mankind to admit that God exists and then to thank Him.

"Indeed, the LORD will comfort Zion ; He will comfort all her waste places. And her wilderness He will make like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the LORD ; Joy and gladness will be found in her, Thanksgiving and sound of a melody." Isaiah 51:3 NASB

"O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD, Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms.
For the LORD is a great God And a great King above all gods,
In whose hand are the depths of the earth, The peaks of the mountains are His also.
The sea is His, for it was He who made it, And His hands formed the dry land."

Psalm 95: 1-5 NASB

These are only a few quotes from the Bible about how we should thank God for our life, etc.

Have a good Thanksgiving , don't forget that God exists and He wants you to know Him and His word, the Bible.