Antioxidants in Pecans Shown to Help Lower Bad Cholesterol By As Much As 33%

A new research study from Loma Linda University (LLU) demonstrates that naturally occurring antioxidants in pecans may help contribute to heart health and disease prevention; the results are published in the January 2011 issue of The Journal of Nutrition.

Pecans contain different forms of the antioxidant vitamin E—known as tocopherols, plus numerous phenolic substances, many of them with antioxidant abilities.

The nuts are especially rich in one form of vitamin E called gamma-tocopherols. The findings illustrate that after eating pecans, gamma-tocopherol levels in the body doubled and unhealthy oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol in the blood decreased by as much as 33 percent.

Oxidized LDLs may further contribute to inflammation in the arteries and place people at greater risk of cardiovascular problems.

"Our tests show that eating pecans increases the amount of healthy antioxidants in the body," says LLU researcher Ella Haddad, DrPH, associate professor in the School of Public Health department of nutrition.

"This protective effect is important in helping to prevent development of various diseases such as cancer and heart disease."

These findings are from a research project designed to further evaluate the health benefits of pecans, according to Dr. Haddad.

She analyzed biomarkers in blood and urine samples from study participants (a total of 16 men and women between the ages 23 and 44) who ate a sequence of three diets composed of whole pecans, pecans blended with water, or a control meal of equivalent nutrient composition.

The pecan meals contained about three ounces of the nut. Samples were taken prior to meals and at intervals up to 24 hours after eating.

Following the test meals composed of whole pecans and blended pecans, researchers found that amounts of gamma-tocopherols (vitamin E) in the body doubled eight hours after both meals, and oxygen radical absorbance capabilities (ORAC—a scientific method for measuring antioxidant power in the blood) increased 12 and 10 percent respectively two hours after the meals.

In addition, following the whole-pecan meal, oxidized LDL cholesterol decreased by 30 percent (after 2 hours), 33 percent (after 3 hours), and 26 percent (after 8 hours).

"This study is another piece of evidence that pecans are a healthy food," says Dr. Haddad.

"Previous research has shown that pecans contain antioxidant factors. Our study shows these antioxidants are indeed absorbed in the body and provide a protective effect against diseases."

Research from Loma Linda University published earlier in the Journal of Nutrition showed that a pecan-enriched diet lowered levels of LDL cholesterol by 16.5 percent—more than twice the American Heart Association's Step I diet, which was used as the control diet in that study.

Similarly, the pecan-enriched diet lowered total cholesterol levels by 11.3 percent (also twice as much as the Step I diet).

Loma Linda University is a health science university with more than 4,000 students in eight schools: Allied Health, Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, Religion, and Science & Technology. The campus is located about 60 miles east of Los Angeles.

The School of Public Health's department of nutrition has conducted many controlled studies on the health effects of nut consumption since the early 1990s.

In 1993, the New England Journal of Medicine published Loma Linda University's groundbreaking study establishing for the first time the link between nut consumption and favorable blood lipid changes.

SOURCE Loma Linda University

From: http://www.news-medical.net/news/20110202/New-research-Antioxidants-in-pecans-may-prevent-development-of-various-diseases.aspx

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Antioxidants May Reduce Inflammation in Alzheimer’s Disease

Previous studies have reported that high levels of homocysteine, a pro-inflammatory protein component, are associated with dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease.

In an effort to determine if antioxidants reduced the inflammation associated with such high homocysteine levels, J.M. Morillas-Ruiz, from Catholic University of San Antonio (Spain), and colleagues enrolled 100 women to participate in a double-blind controlled clinical trial.

Fifty-two of the women were considered generally healthy (no Alzheimer’s) and served as the control group, while the other 48 were diagnosed with Alzeimer’s disease (24 women with early-onset and 24 with moderate Alzheimer’s).

Each of the women was randomly assigned to one of two interventions: Drink an antioxidant beverage rich in polyphenols, or receive a placebo drink, for the eight-month long study. The antioxidant beverage was formulated using apple and lemon concentrate juice, apple and green tea extracts, and vitamins B and C.

The team found that those women who consumed the antioxidant-rich drink experienced an attenuation of homocysteine increase, as compared to the placebo group.

As well, in the subjects with moderate Alzeimer’s disease, the antioxidant beverage was associated with lower average homocysteine level, as compared to the placebo group. The researchers conclude that: “The regular ingestion of polyphenols contained in an antioxidant beverage may decrease [total homocysteine] plasmatic concentrations in Alzheimer's patients.”

From: http://www.worldhealth.net/news/antioxidants-may-reduce-inflammation-alzheimers-di/

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Antioxidants help arteries stay healthy in people at risk for heart disease

Antioxidants are substances that protect cells against the effects of free radicals -- molecules produced when the body breaks down food or is exposed to environmental toxins and radiation.

Free radicals are believed to play a role in heart disease, cancer and other disorders. So it makes sense that antioxidants could help protect or even treat many health problems.

However, some poorly designed studies have given antioxidants mixed results and resulted in the mainstream media reporting that antioxidants are virtually worthless. But new research provides hard evidence that taking antioxidant supplements long-term produces dramatic benefits in people with multiple cardiovascular risk factors.

That's the conclusion of a randomized, controlled trial of vitamin C, vitamin E, coenzyme Q10 and selenium capsules. The research results, just reported in BioMed Central's journal Nutrition and Metabolism, show these dietary antioxidants produce multiple positive effects on sugar and fat metabolism, blood pressure and arterial flexibility (which allows blood to move freely through the body).

The study was conducted by scientist Reuven Zimlichman and his research team at Wolfson Medical Center in Israel. They randomly divided 70 high blood pressure patients into two groups. One group was given antioxidants supplements and the other took placebo capsules for six months. Those taking the antioxidants received vitamin C (1000 mg/day), vitamin E (400 i.u/day), coenzyme Q10 (120 mg/day) and selenium (200 mcg/day).

Tests at the beginning of the trial, after three months, and again after six months documented that patients in the antioxidant group had marked improvements in their cardiovascular health. They had more elastic arteries and better blood sugar levels. In addition, their cholesterol profiles were healthier with a significant increase in HDL, the so-called "good", heart-protective cholesterol. In fact, the researchers concluded "antioxidant supplements have the potential to alleviate atherosclerotic damage.."

"Antioxidant supplementation significantly increased large and small artery elasticity in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors. This beneficial vascular effect was associated with an improvement in glucose and lipid metabolism as well as significant decrease in blood pressure," Dr. Zimlichman said in a statement to the media. "The findings of the present study justify investigating the overall clinical impact of antioxidant treatment in patients with multiple cardiovascular risk factors."

More hopeful news for heart patients: another study by Dr. Zimlichman and colleagues published in the June issue of the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology, found that taking the amino acid L-arginine long-term also helped people with multiple cardiovascular risk factors. In this randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 90 patients were assigned to receive either oral L-arginine capsules or placebo capsules. After six months, tests indicated those taking L-arginine had improved vascular health -- including a significant decrease in systolic blood pressure.

From: NaturalNews.com, Thursday, July 22, 2010 by: S. L. Baker, NaturalNews.com features writer

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