Berkeley, California (PRWEB) April 23, 2013
Vascular aging and metabolic disorders -- such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetic insulin resistance -- are on the rise and are the most prevalent promoters of cardiovascular disease. Although there is an inheritable basis to cardiovascular disease, poor diet and physical inactivity remain the primary drivers. A daily lifestyle of a cardioprotective diet is the best solution.
Naturally produced Nitric Oxide is emerging as a critically important cardioprotective and vascular wellness factor. With age, arteries lose their elasticity and ability to make Nitric Oxide to prevent cardiovascular disease. Scientific evidence suggest that vascular aging may be delayed through the increased production of Nitric Oxide, thereby, enhancing cardiovascular function.
Athletes have already taken advantage of these discoveries by increasing the consumption of leafy greens and beetroots -- both rich in nitrate -- to elevate Nitric Oxide levels which increases endurance and performance. A growing number of athletes are now monitoring their Nitric Oxide status and modifying their whole food diets to optimize their cardiovascular fitness. To determine whether they are eating a sufficient quantity of Nitric Oxide-potent foods such as spinach, arugula, and beets, each person's Nitric Oxide status is monitored with a simple, easy to use strip developed by Berkeley Test.
Berkeley Test's patent-pending strip monitors Nitric Oxide status, but also provides an instant readout so you can makes informed decisions, in real-time, about maintaining a level sufficient to promote vascular wellness. The proprietary strip was developed by a group of scientists and athletes who needed a sensitive, easy to use, and affordable strip that could be used 3-4 times daily to make dietary adjustments as needed to maintain optimal levels of Nitric Oxide.
One of the most prevalent early uses of the Berkeley Test strips was to gauge the benefit and impact of adding nitrate-rich beetroot juice, a recognized natural power food, to the diet of competitive runners. Inorganic nitrate from vegetables, such as beetroots, is converted to Nitric Oxide in the body delivering a boost to both endurance and performance. Several times each day, the runners placed a Berkeley Test strip in their mouths measuring their Nitric Oxide levels. If the reading was low, more beetroot juice could be added to the diet. Now, the concept of monitoring, visualizing, and tracking your personal Nitric Oxide levels has been expanded to include all natural food sources of Nitric Oxide, so that anybody, not just an athlete, can now enjoy the same real-time feedback as they work to optimize their diet for maximum cardiovascular health and wellness.
A recent study (April 15, 2013) conducted by researchers from Queen Mary, University of London, was published in the American Heart Association Journal, Hypertension, provides further support of the blood pressure lowering effects on nitrate-rich vegetables. Subjects who drank beetroot juice containing a natural source of inorganic nitrate show an average 10-point decrease in their blood pressure. Sustaining such levels may be critical in maintaining normal blood pressure. The lead author, Dr. Ahluwalia, reported to Medical Xpress: "our hope is that increasing one's intake of vegetables with a high dietary nitrate content, such as green leafy vegetables or beet root, might be a lifestyle approach that one could easily employ to improve cardiovascular health."
ABOUT BERKELEY TEST
Berkeley Test has been providing inexpensive saliva Nitric Oxide Test Strips to athletes as part of their training programs so they can measure and monitor the positive effects of a whole food diet rich in Nitric Oxide-potent vegetables. Recognizing the importance of monitoring saliva Nitric Oxide status for improving vascular heath, wellness and fitness, Berkeley Test is now making their proprietary Nitric Oxide Test available commercially.
The Nitric Oxide Test Strips by Berkeley Test are available at Amazon in tubes of 50 strips thereby allowing multiple measurements throughout the day. Athletic Team and Corporate Wellness discounts are available upon request at info(at)berkeleytest(dot)com.
Berkeley Test is committed to shifting society's current practice of managing chronic disease to preventing disease by providing a family of affordable, do-it-yourself self-administered saliva tests to monitor the levels of natural metabolites or 'health biomarkers' that our body makes to maintain our health and wellness. Berkeley Test is a registered mark with the USPTO and ‘Salivary Nitric Oxide Test Strips for Monitoring Vascular Wellness and Cardioprotective Diets’ is patent pending, 2012.
For more information please visit http://www.berkeleytest.com or visit us on facebook or Twitter @berkeleytest.