"Sprouted" garlic — old garlic bulbs with bright green shoots emerging from the cloves — have been found to have even more heart-healthy antioxidant activity than fresh garlic.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-02/acs-dto022614.php
Diet & Health
Related Health News
Supplements don’t reduce risk of cardiovascular disease in elderly
Data from AREDS2, involving 4,203 older adults with age-related macular degeneration, has found that daily dietary supplements of either omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (also found in fish) or lutein and zeaxanthin (nutrients found in green leafy vegetables) were not associated with reduced risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD).
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-03/tjnj-sna031414.php
Low-carbohydrate diet reduced inflammation
A 2-year trial involving 59 patients with type 2 diabetes has found that those on a low-carbohydrate diet showed lower levels of inflammation compared with those on a traditional low-fat diet. Weight loss was similar in both groups.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-05/lu-ldr050814.php
Cholesterol levels linked to amyloid plaques in brain
A study involving 74 older adults (70+), of whom 3 had mild dementia, 33 were cognitively normal and 38 had mild cognitive impairment, has found that high levels of "good" cholesterol and low levels of "bad" cholesterol correlated with lower levels of the amyloid-beta plaques in the brain (a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease).
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-12/uoc--hga122613.php
Systematic review examines role of walnut consumption on cardiovascular risk factors
An updated systematic review of 25 years of research on the effect of walnut consumption on cardiovascular risk factors suggest that walnut-enriched diets may lead to significantly greater reductions in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and apolipoprotein B, compared to control diets.
Walnut consumption had no adverse effects on body weight or blood pressure.
Most of the trials in this review had relatively small sample sizes, which could limit the ability to determine significant effects, and in some cases, the amount of walnuts consumed was relatively large and might be difficult to maintain in a real-world setting. However, researchers still saw significant benefits when lower amounts of walnuts were consumed (less than 28 grams per day), particularly with total and LDL cholesterol.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-07/es-sre071218.php
Guasch-Ferré M, Li J, Hu FB, et al. Effects of walnut consumption on blood lipids and other cardiovascular risk factors: an updated meta-analysis and systematic review of controlled trials [published online ahead of print June 21, 2018]. Am J Clin Nutr. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqy091
Banel HK, Hu FB. Effects of walnut consumption on blood lipids and other cardiovascular risk factors: a meta-analysis and systematic review. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009;90(1):56-63.
More fish needed for healthy heart?
Middle-aged Japanese men living in Japan had lower incidence of coronary artery calcification, a predictor of heart disease, than middle-aged white men living in the United States, after accounting for risk factors such as smoking, cholesterol, alcohol consumption, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Calorie restriction in monkeys does lengthen life
A 25-year study of diet and aging in 76 rhesus monkeys shows a significant reduction in mortality and in age-associated diseases among those on calorie-restricted diets.
Sugar implicated in cardiovascular disease risk independent of weight gain
A review and meta-analysis of all international studies that compared the effects of higher versus lower added sugar consumption on blood pressure and lipids (blood fats or cholesterol) has uncovered evidence that sugar has a direct effect on risk factors for heart disease, and is likely to impact on blood pressure, independent of weight gain.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-05/uoo-sii051414.php
Lutein may suppress inflammation
A study measuring the levels of the six most common carotenoids in blood from 193 patients with coronary artery disease has found that lutein was the only carotenoid whose level was correlated with the inflammatory marker interleukin-6, IL-6. The higher the level of lutein in the blood, the lower the level of IL-6.
Cells taken from blood from patients with coronary artery disease confirmed that the inflammatory activity of the cells became significantly lower when they were treated with lutein.
Lutein is found in several highly coloured vegetables and fruits, and is particularly rich in vegetables with dark-green leaves, such as spinach.
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-07/lu-vca070517.php
Chung, Rosanna W.S., Leanderson, Per, Lundberg, Anna K, Jonasson, Lena. 2017. Lutein exerts anti-inflammatory effects in patients with coronary artery disease. Atherosclerosis, 262, 87-93, published online 6 May 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.atherosclerosis.2017.05.008
Strawberries lower cholesterol
A study in which 23 healthy volunteers ate half a kilo of strawberries every day for a month has found that their levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides reduced significantly.
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-02/f-sf-slc022514.php