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| greenseeds.org.uk |
With Christmas just around the corner do you wonder the effects of the festive season on your microcirculation? Whilst Santa Claus appears to manage a mince pie and glass of sherry at each of the 1.6 billion households he visits worldwide, it has become apparent that our arteries might not be quite so tolerant. In 2004 Phillips and colleagues published a study in Microcirculation showing an increase in cardiac deaths during the holiday season, they describe two discrete peaks in cardiac death—one at Christmas and one at New Year. So what causes this coronary Christmas phenomenon? There are many possibilities, for example the colder weather associated with this time of year, increased emotional stress or even reduced levels of healthcare. Perhaps the most obvious cause is overindulgence. Christmas is often associated with calorific gluttony – Christmas pudding with ample supplies of sherry, chocolate by the bucket load and of course the customary Bucks fizz at breakfast poses the question: is all this food leading us towards a microvascular meltdown? Well it appears not all Christmas customs are bad for you. Brussels spouts, fabled as a mother’s way of getting even with her children during the festive season, are a cruciferous vegetable. They are reputed to have anti-cancer properties in addition to being rich in fiber, folic acid and vitamins A and C. Furthermore, a 1998 study by Staack and colleagues identified an influence of Brussels sprouts on phase II detoxification enzyme up-regulation. So whilst it appears that much of Christmas could be bad news for your coronary vessels, Brussels sprouts should be more than just a mother’s revenge.
By Melissa Gammons
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