Item #10
Cranberry
Juice Raises HDL Cholesterol Levels
Free
radical damage is decreased after one serving a day and overcomes the
oxidant stress of fructose.
Investigators
at the University of Scranton, Pennsylvania, are reporting that
cranberry juice contains more phenol antioxidants than 20 commonly
consumed fruit juices and that consumption can significantly raise HDL
cholesterol levels in hypercholesterolemic patients.
At
the 225th annual meeting of the American Chemical Society, underway
this week in New Orleans, Dr. Joe A. Vinson told attendees that he and
his colleagues measured the effects of cranberry juice consumption in
20 subjects with untreated hypercholesterolemia.
Following
a fasting period, half the subjects worked their way up to 3 servings
of cranberry juice with an artificial sweetener added daily, while the
other half consumed cranberry juice plus sugar for 1 month. Each
serving consisted of 8 oz. of cranberry juice containing about 27%
pure juice, comparable to what is commonly sold in most supermarkets.
There
was no effect on total cholesterol after the study period, but LDL
levels dropped somewhat with 2 servings of cranberry juice per day and
HDL cholesterol levels increased significantly with 3 servings per
day, Dr. Vinson told Reuters Health. Triglyceride levels increased
significantly in the group that consumed 3 servings of cranberry juice
plus sugar daily, but did not change in the group that consumed
cranberry juice with the artificial sweetener.
"The
increase of about 10% in HDL levels that we found translates into a
40% decrease in heart disease risk according to Framingham data,"
he asserts.
Dr.
Vinson notes that subjects lost about 2 pounds during the study
period, which approached statistical significance. "It didn't
matter if [the drink] contained sugar or not," he commented.
"We think the weight loss is because of the polyphenols...that
affect metabolism," he explains.
"Free
radical damage is decreased after one serving a day," Dr. Vinson
said. "Cranberry juice overcomes the oxidant stress of
fructose."
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the results of your patients A1c while you are with them can motivate
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